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How expensive can college get?
Would I have to take out loans?
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7 answers
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Fred’s Answer
Most questions like this can only be answered with "It depends". Each college has its own rates. A public/state school will generally have lower tuition than a private school. And an Ivy League private school will cost more than other private schools.
But that is only part of the equation. You can get scholarships, grants, or work-study programs, all of which change your out-of-pocket costs. Then depending on your family situation, you may have a college savings plan, a parent/grandparent or such who can contribute, or you may have your own savings.
You may start at a community college, which is generally cheaper, and do part of your studying there to get some of your requirements done.
You may commute, or you may live on campus. Again, all of these factor in to how much college will cost YOU.
The short answer is that college can be very expensive, but it doesn't have to be. And even if the tuition is high, if you get enough scholarships (which will vary from school to school), it's extremely hard to compare them.
But that is only part of the equation. You can get scholarships, grants, or work-study programs, all of which change your out-of-pocket costs. Then depending on your family situation, you may have a college savings plan, a parent/grandparent or such who can contribute, or you may have your own savings.
You may start at a community college, which is generally cheaper, and do part of your studying there to get some of your requirements done.
You may commute, or you may live on campus. Again, all of these factor in to how much college will cost YOU.
The short answer is that college can be very expensive, but it doesn't have to be. And even if the tuition is high, if you get enough scholarships (which will vary from school to school), it's extremely hard to compare them.
Updated
Tawney’s Answer
Hi Oscar (and other readers)!
I agree with Fred's response above. A few things to add from my experience in the corporate world and life in general.
First, people that work through college are often more respected by their peers and others. College teaches students many lessons, including time management, responsibility, and prioritizing. Holding a job while in school, whether part- or full-time, helps you stand out! That will come in handy when competing for internships, writing scholarship essays, and interviewing for after college roles. The money you make while in school will help pay for expenses.
Next, when looking for a job, be strategic. Many employers have tuition reimbursement as part of their company benefits. Why? Evidence shows that helping employees advance their careers through education contributes to higher retention rates, morale, and profits. It doesn't have to be a FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, etc.) company either; UPS package delivery has an Earn and Learn tuition assistance program. I considered working at UPS while in grad school: I could get some exercise (delivering packages), make money, and they'd cover some college expenses. Every little bit helps!
Finally, always remember that investing in yourself is smart and well spent! Be that an investment of time or money, you're worth it.
I agree with Fred's response above. A few things to add from my experience in the corporate world and life in general.
First, people that work through college are often more respected by their peers and others. College teaches students many lessons, including time management, responsibility, and prioritizing. Holding a job while in school, whether part- or full-time, helps you stand out! That will come in handy when competing for internships, writing scholarship essays, and interviewing for after college roles. The money you make while in school will help pay for expenses.
Next, when looking for a job, be strategic. Many employers have tuition reimbursement as part of their company benefits. Why? Evidence shows that helping employees advance their careers through education contributes to higher retention rates, morale, and profits. It doesn't have to be a FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, etc.) company either; UPS package delivery has an Earn and Learn tuition assistance program. I considered working at UPS while in grad school: I could get some exercise (delivering packages), make money, and they'd cover some college expenses. Every little bit helps!
Finally, always remember that investing in yourself is smart and well spent! Be that an investment of time or money, you're worth it.
Updated
John’s Answer
Hi Oscar,
College can be very expensive. But that's not the best question. A better question would be is it worth it? To truly know the answer to that you have to first know yourself. What do you want out of life? What kind of life do you want to live? What kind of work do you want to do? Where do you want to do it? What would you like your family to look like? How many children would you like to have? And of course, how much does all that cost?
For most young people, college is the right answer. Only because they don't truly know what they want. Further, people with a 4-year degree on average earn double what those without only a Highschool Diploma earn.
The one caution about college is the cost and the return on investment. Expensive colleges are just that EXPENSIVE! Many times, the added expense can be worth it. But it really depends on your degree. If money is a concern, you need to be more thoughtful about blindly plowing into a college education and just going to the best most expensive college you can. You need to understand what you are going to get out of college. And by that it's ideal to know what degree you'll get and what job that will enable you to get after school. If you are going to take a psychology degree for example, after 4 years of college, you still won't be able to earn much money. Typically in the psychology fields you'd need a Master's degree or PhD to earn a real living. Were as if you took a computer science degree, you'll probably have a good paying job lined up before you graduate!
IF you can go into college knowing what you want to do for work after, and that work is going to pay you want you need to make after school, then you're probably on the right path. If you don't know what you want to do but are willing to take a math heavy, science heavy curriculum, you'll probably land somewhere "good enough" for most people. History, Literature, Social science, often don't pay enough to make them a blind path unless you know exactly what you want to do and it's in those fields.
Finally let's discuss money. If you are asking the question about loans, you will probably need some. BUT, this is grownup time here, you have to be very careful and very thoughtful AND GET HELP when it comes to loans. First not all loans are alike. And you WILL NEED TO PAY THEM BACK. So if you are going to be a Doctor or a Lawyer let's say. And you need loans to get there. You are likely to be able to make enough money to pay that back some day. But if you are going to be something that doesn't pay well but it's your passion, the loans could weigh you down for decades. Some loans are supported by the US Government. That means you get a better deal. Some loans that are very expensive but easy to get are bad deals for you. The interest rate can be very high and payments very bad.
You should take as few loans as possible. That means while you are in college, you also need to work. The more you work, the less loans you'll need to take. It's also been demonstrated that kids who work get better grades. So that could be helpful. It's very important you work during college for experience as well. So that when you are applying for jobs after school you can talk about your work experience as well as your job experience.
Best of luck
Know thy self...determine what you want out of life and what it will cost.
Count the cost...determine the cost of the degree, estimate the loans you'll need and how long it will take to pay back.
Learn about the loans that are available and get help picking the best ones.
Get a job...work now even before college. The more you work now the less loans you'll need to pay back
Have fun...take things seriously but don't stress over it too much. Many, many, many kids have gone through this before. They made it through and so will you!
College can be very expensive. But that's not the best question. A better question would be is it worth it? To truly know the answer to that you have to first know yourself. What do you want out of life? What kind of life do you want to live? What kind of work do you want to do? Where do you want to do it? What would you like your family to look like? How many children would you like to have? And of course, how much does all that cost?
For most young people, college is the right answer. Only because they don't truly know what they want. Further, people with a 4-year degree on average earn double what those without only a Highschool Diploma earn.
The one caution about college is the cost and the return on investment. Expensive colleges are just that EXPENSIVE! Many times, the added expense can be worth it. But it really depends on your degree. If money is a concern, you need to be more thoughtful about blindly plowing into a college education and just going to the best most expensive college you can. You need to understand what you are going to get out of college. And by that it's ideal to know what degree you'll get and what job that will enable you to get after school. If you are going to take a psychology degree for example, after 4 years of college, you still won't be able to earn much money. Typically in the psychology fields you'd need a Master's degree or PhD to earn a real living. Were as if you took a computer science degree, you'll probably have a good paying job lined up before you graduate!
IF you can go into college knowing what you want to do for work after, and that work is going to pay you want you need to make after school, then you're probably on the right path. If you don't know what you want to do but are willing to take a math heavy, science heavy curriculum, you'll probably land somewhere "good enough" for most people. History, Literature, Social science, often don't pay enough to make them a blind path unless you know exactly what you want to do and it's in those fields.
Finally let's discuss money. If you are asking the question about loans, you will probably need some. BUT, this is grownup time here, you have to be very careful and very thoughtful AND GET HELP when it comes to loans. First not all loans are alike. And you WILL NEED TO PAY THEM BACK. So if you are going to be a Doctor or a Lawyer let's say. And you need loans to get there. You are likely to be able to make enough money to pay that back some day. But if you are going to be something that doesn't pay well but it's your passion, the loans could weigh you down for decades. Some loans are supported by the US Government. That means you get a better deal. Some loans that are very expensive but easy to get are bad deals for you. The interest rate can be very high and payments very bad.
You should take as few loans as possible. That means while you are in college, you also need to work. The more you work, the less loans you'll need to take. It's also been demonstrated that kids who work get better grades. So that could be helpful. It's very important you work during college for experience as well. So that when you are applying for jobs after school you can talk about your work experience as well as your job experience.
Best of luck
John recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Fazal’s Answer
Colleges usually list tuition on their websites as well as the total cost of attendance (that includes housing, books, and other expenses). I'd start by looking there to find concrete estimates for the cost of different colleges.
Others have left some great advice about how to make college more affordable.
Others have left some great advice about how to make college more affordable.
Updated
Ray’s Answer
Hi Oscar,
The short answer is " I need more details". College is a great bridge for your academic success and you need to take the right steps based on a right academic plan, so I extremely recommend you to talk your school experts and a professional career coach. In general, you have a certain period of time to take relevant units in college and avoid extra costs in university. Federal Pell grant program may available once you met eligibility characteristics in some states/ county.
Please be sure to take the right academic plan as I believe is even more important than the financial concerns.
I have been advising many people as a life coach and it would be my pleasure helping you for this matter with more detailed info.
Wishing you the best of luck:)
The short answer is " I need more details". College is a great bridge for your academic success and you need to take the right steps based on a right academic plan, so I extremely recommend you to talk your school experts and a professional career coach. In general, you have a certain period of time to take relevant units in college and avoid extra costs in university. Federal Pell grant program may available once you met eligibility characteristics in some states/ county.
Please be sure to take the right academic plan as I believe is even more important than the financial concerns.
I have been advising many people as a life coach and it would be my pleasure helping you for this matter with more detailed info.
Wishing you the best of luck:)
Updated
Baljit’s Answer
Hi Oscar,
It all depends on you financial package that you receive from Financial Aid (if that is the route you are taking). Ivy League schools are expensive as you probably know but with a good financial package it could be a possibility. You could also apply for student loan forgiveness on a website in October.
Look into each schools financial package. It can vary dependent on the school.
Try working on your breaks from school. The money would come in handy as you progress in you program.
It has been stated that it cost around 10K. The more the prestigious school is the more expensive it will be. The more higher ranked schools can cost around 50K
The College Scorecard provides upon average price on the cost of going to school.
Loans can be applied to the cost of living that many students dread. You do on most loans have a grace period 6 months for repayment after graduation.
It all depends on you financial package that you receive from Financial Aid (if that is the route you are taking). Ivy League schools are expensive as you probably know but with a good financial package it could be a possibility. You could also apply for student loan forgiveness on a website in October.
Baljit recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Eaman’s Answer
Hi, oscar,
I agree with Fred. The answer to this question depends on the rate and type of college, family support, and scholarship you may receive. Some colleges can provide different types of fellowships to support new students. So, I advise you to discuss this subject with your family and school to get a good idea.
I hope that can help and wish you the best of luck,
I agree with Fred. The answer to this question depends on the rate and type of college, family support, and scholarship you may receive. Some colleges can provide different types of fellowships to support new students. So, I advise you to discuss this subject with your family and school to get a good idea.
I hope that can help and wish you the best of luck,