Never visited a school with $12,000 room and board charges. Must be really fine accommodations
UMDCP. UNCCH, VT all charge OOS students 12K+, closer to 18K. Guess what? They don't have AC, they charge for lofting a bed, and live in dorms with cinder brick walls.
I believe for our DD IS at VT it was close to 10K. Where they get you is the board. Gone are the days of pick 14, 15 or 21 meals, now it is mind boggling because it is $$$ and than school dollars, i.e. VT = Hokie bucks, UMDCP=Terp, VCU=Ram. Your cranium actually hurts trying to figure out the meal plan.
You need to know your kid's eating habits. Our kids don't eat breakfast, so the min was fine and they always had money left over to share with friends who took the cheaper plan. If your kid eats a lot, like our youngest (6'4. 240 lbs) you need to pay for the cadillac plan, and that can be @1500 a yr more, bringing you to the 12K!
Schools have learned to nickel and dime you at every chance. Loft 100 bucks. 1 time administration fee =200. Hutch for the desk = 100. Technology fee = 200. Carpet for the room = 100.
Some schools have even gotten to the point that you can pay an extra fee to guarantee they won't get hit with a triple.
They make the airlines with their fees look like amateurs. Join a sorority, OMG, that can be close to 1K bucks, and that is before buying the pin, and the outfit for initiation.
AFROTC, and you will find yourself buying the Mess Dress in their Jr/Sr yr. Total cost @$500 before alterations. Just bought DS's last month so I know that is current cost.
At graduation you will also get nailed! That is my pet peeve...the school gets @ 100K over 4 yrs for IS, and you are telling me I have to PAY for the diploma? Seriously, they couldn't gift that to us? I am not asking for it to be framed, just the dang gone diploma. They also require you to buy the colors to wear with their gown.
Best yet on top of them calling you to donate money when their endowment funds are 1/2 BILLION, they than send GUILT letters 2X a semester to buy goodie packages to be delivered to the child for $25-50 for mid-terms and finals....can we all say fund raising?
Like I said 2 kids in college in 2 different states, both at flagships, I am disgusted with what they get away with, IMPO if our govt wants to cut funding they should start at the universities and federal aid.
Yale or Harvard has such a large endowment that every undergrad and grad student could attend free and they would not touch the principal, just interest. Yet, they have kids on Pell grants = tax payer dollars.
VT has 550 Million endowment. Same deal.
Why are we not forcing colleges to ante up, but at the same time require the military to ante up. At least for the military these kids will serve our country for yrs. Tell me that is true for the Pell Grant student who attends Yale?
Done venting. back on topic