College financing...

[pingtheduck]

Working on a couple of projects with University bound young people. One is still in HS and one just started Community College.

I saw three good articles in the Bee from Sunday. Advice anyone? War stories? My community college friend is working, saving and going to have to do the whole thing solo. So, we could use all the brainpower ya got.

Thanks!

[Raelyn]

Originally Posted by pingtheduck

Working on a couple of projects with University bound young people. One is still in HS and one just started Community College.

I saw three good articles in the Bee from Sunday. Advice anyone? War stories? My community college friend is working, saving and going to have to do the whole thing solo. So, we could use all the brainpower ya got.

Thanks!

We just went through the college scholarship application process this past year with our oldest son who just graduated in May. We are starting the process all over again with our youngest son who is a senior now.

We completed several scholarship applications which unfortunately was a waste of time (it seems that you must be a standout athlete, 4.0 student, or in a certain income bracket) . Then, in December I remembered about the ROTC Scholarships through the Army, Air Force & Navy. I had a few relatives that went through college on these scholarships several years ago. They were able to go to private colleges with the military covering most of the expenses. We had never dreamed of applying to private colleges before we started the ROTC application process. My oldest son was able to secure an Army ROTC Scholarship to St. Mary's College in Moraga. He actually goes to Cal Berkeley four times a week for physical fitness and the military science class (he gets to meet people at two different colleges - how cool is that?).

The military is paying for my son’s tuition and we are paying for his room and board. He then will have a commitment once he graduates from college for a few years, but he will be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant when he graduates from college. They train the cadets to be leaders, as they will be responsible for the enlisted men once they graduate from college. We feel it is an awesome opportunity and we are so proud of him.

We are now in the application process for our youngest son, so hopefully he will be able to secure a scholarship too. We have already been to one of the colleges for an interview with the Major in charge of one of the ROTC Units. He is excited about the possibility of obtaining a scholarship. He proudly wears the t-shirt and sweatshirt he was given that bears the college name as well as the military insignia.

Here are the websites for the ROTC Programs......

GoArmy.com > Army ROTC > Scholarships > College Students

U.S. Air Force ROTC - Scholarship Types

Application Process: NROTC: Careers & Jobs: Navy

We also found out that some of the private colleges provide FREE room and board to ROTC scholarship recipients.

Good luck in finding the best way to fund your college expenses!

[pingtheduck]

Wow Raelyn! Thank you so much! That is a huge help. And congratulations on raising fine, young men. You must be so proud!

[Luke]

Good info Raelyn. My son is only a sophomore, but has expressed interest in the Naval Academy, so if not there, ROTC may be an option (which is what my dad did a gazillion years ago).

From what you know, are the admissions standards different for ROTC students than regular admissions? In other words, do they make it somewhat easier for someone to get into a Cal, Stanford, St. Mary's etc.?

Speaking of St. Mary's - if you go to Christian Brothers and get a 3.3 GPA they give you a $10K per year scholarship. Kind of like getting a refund on the high school tuition I suppose.

[Raelyn]

Originally Posted by Luke

Good info Raelyn. My son is only a sophomore, but has expressed interest in the Naval Academy, so if not there, ROTC may be an option (which is what my dad did a gazillion years ago).

From what you know, are the admissions standards different for ROTC students than regular admissions? In other words, do they make it somewhat easier for someone to get into a Cal, Stanford, St. Mary's etc.?

Speaking of St. Mary's - if you go to Christian Brothers and get a 3.3 GPA they give you a $10K per year scholarship. Kind of like getting a refund on the high school tuition I suppose.

I am not certain if there is a difference in admissions standards. When my oldest son went for his ROTC interview at UC Davis, the officer did mention they may have some pull. I guess this is kind of like the athletic scholarships, etc. He was accepted at USF; however, when he changed his major from biology to nursing (yes, he wants to be a nurse anesthetist after meeting two male nurses when he had his tonsils out), he was not able to get into that program even though the admissions counselor knew he would be attending on the ROTC scholarship.

As for Christian Brothers giving the scholarship, I did recently hear about it from a friend. That would be a great deal if you had the ROTC scholarship for tuition and used the $10K scholarship towards room and board!! It is amazing how much college costs these days, so every bit helps!!

Good luck to you!

[RanchHQ]

"Since 1982-84, college tuition and fees have risen 439%, compared with 251% for medical care, 147% for median family income and 106% for consumer prices, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education."

I'm thinking we oughta be doing something about Rising College Costs, on a National Level, before they 'spiral out of control".

Maybe we should put all College Instructors on a big, National Data Base.

Our view on higher education: How to curb college costs
Schools let prices spiral upward; now they’re slow to control them.

The recession has triggered a quiet panic in higher education. Some parents are insisting that their children apply, or transfer, to less expensive public colleges. Those public schools, meanwhile, face sharp drops in funding from state legislatures.

So what are college presidents doing to tighten their belts in hard times like everyone else? Well, some recently took pay cuts or freezes. University of Washington President Mark Emmert, for example, agreed to hold his annual salary at $900,000.

Put aside for a moment the question of why Emmert makes more than twice as much as the president of the United States. Leadership by example has its merits, but the larger issue here is that colleges have a pressing need to get beyond symbolic cost cutting and figure out ways to offer affordable and successful educations to more students, especially those of limited financial means.

This was a problem even before the economy swooned; now it has taken on new urgency. It's not just a problem for individual families, but for society as a whole.

An educated Baby Boom generation propelled the United States into the forefront of innovation. Now, the nation is fast losing its edge. Measured by the percentage of workers ages 25-34 who hold at least an associate's degree, the U.S. is part of a four-way tie for 10th place.

Building a better-educated workforce starts with making education accessible. Instead, colleges have allowed costs to spin out of control. Since 1982-84, college tuition and fees have risen 439%, compared with 251% for medical care, 147% for median family income and 106% for consumer prices, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. Average prices for the current school year are $25,143 for private four-year colleges and $6,585 for public four-year colleges.

Simple ways to rein in costs include requiring professors to boost teaching loads and retreating from the "amenities war," in which colleges compete to build the fanciest athletic complexes. Too few schools, however, are taking even these modest steps.

Making matters worse, many colleges hand out money to students who don't need it so-called merit aid to attract students with higher test scores. In fact, students coming from families of incomes of more than $100,000 a year win more aid from colleges than lower-income students.

Many college leaders have been content to let students and their parents take on an unhealthy amount of debt rather than curb costs. Now, however, that tuition aid has grown more scarce, and private loans are harder to come by.

The economic crisis should be seen as an opportunity for higher education leaders to make substantive changes they have mostly avoided changes that won't come from symbolic salary trims. In academia, as in the auto industry, now is the time for leaders to show they "get it."

LINK: How to curb college costs - Opinion - USATODAY.com

[nana]

It's tough, Ping, starting the financial process so late. Raelyn's ideas are great if a child has a penchant for military service.
For those of us a tad bit older--and also for many with younger kids--definitely look into a 529 educational plan. Many are age-based; i.e., the investments begin a bit riskier, but are adjusted as the child reaches different ages. We contribute on a regular basis for all grandkids and every so often, their parents kick in when b.d. checks, etc., arrive. If they are under age 10, I'd guess the market will recoup and the funds are not taxable (unless used for non-college items).

[kanwyl]

Great advice Nana. My 2 boys are only 2 1/2 and 1 month old but my wife and I know from personal experience the stress of paying for tuition. We've opened up 529 for both boys and contribute a little a month for now and hope to contribute more as times get better.

As to community college for your eldest, which college? I went to Sierra College and transfered to CSUS. Community college is great way to kick off college education without breaking the bank. For most, the first 2 college years are very broad and general and the classes are typically the same wherever you go. Just make sure the "general" classes he takes are transferable to where he wants to go.

I have one advice about community college. Take community college seriously. Let me explain. For most, community college is just a commuter college. It lacks the social atmosphere of a higher educational system. Student's don't seem to stick around and study, student clubs and groups are small to non-existent, and people just don't seem to care as much. Don't fall into this trap. Take community college seriously!

I don't consider myself studious but it took 3.5 years to transfer out of Sierra College with barely a 2.0 GPA. I got my bachelor's at CSUS in 1.5 years and rose my overall GPA to 3.3 and my GPA in my major's to 3.9.

Why? At Sierra College, I wasn't as focused. Fellow students and peers didn't seem to take college seriously and it rubbed off on me. Study groups eventually devolved into parties and there was a complete lack of school spirit, completely destroying my motivation.

Transferring to CSUS (to a lot of people CSUS is still considered a "commuter college" as well) the atmosphere changed dramatically. There were student organization, there were real study groups. People took education seriously and it helped to motivate me. I started to actually "enjoy" education and really delved deep into my class material.

Take community college seriously. If I had, I would have done 2x better in 1/2 the time.

[Luke]

Another note about community colleges, since we are starting to look into college options for Luke, Jr.

You can actually enter into a guaranteed transfer agreement with a UC or other institution whereby if you complete certain coursework at the community college, you can automatically transfer to the 4 year college. For example, you can go to Sacramento City College for 2 years, complete specified coursework, and then with your guaranteed transfer, transfer to say, my alma mater, UCSB.

[pingtheduck]

Originally Posted by Luke

Another note about community colleges, since we are starting to look into college options for Luke, Jr.

You can actually enter into a guaranteed transfer agreement with a UC or other institution whereby if you complete certain coursework at the community college, you can automatically transfer to the 4 year college. For example, you can go to Sacramento City College for 2 years, complete specified coursework, and then with your guaranteed transfer, transfer to say, my alma mater, UCSB.

I'm a big fan of the guaranteed transfer program. That's how I got to UC Davis. I think you can download the forms online now. A big plus since the advisors at Community Colleges are really REALLY busy.

Community Colleges have a surprisingly low transfer rate. Or did 8 years ago when I taught an AVID class for a little while. The transfer rate was something like 3 percent. Some of this is because the goals are different for a lot of students in CC. Some of it is due to kanwyl's comments and some of it is due to the fact that many, many community college students try to work almost full time while carrying a full course load. There is a first year freak out that I see with students trying to adjust to their new role in a fairly unsupportive environment. In many ways a 4 year college is a better choice for students unless they have SOLID parental support and guidance.

I strongly recommend 12 units and no more than 20 hours a week of work the first semester.