out of state tuition?

Question

i am going to college out of state. i dont know exactly where yet, but i have a list of places to apply to (i am currently a junior). i knew out of state tuition was higher, but when i saw just how much higher that almost caused a heart attack. colleges are typically around the 4,000-5,000 range for in state and well over 10,000 for out of state. ok, now that you have the background information...my question is: how common is it for out of state people to get scholarships or financial aid? and how much money is the scholarship/financial aid?

i belong to the national honors society and my average is 94. i also attend high school in a state that is known for an excellent education system

i am similar to 1 of the answers: probably too much income to get aid, but not enough income to go to college without aid

btw...i live in massachusetts and i am going out of state for a warmer climate. and dont say stuff like you can live here until you graduate college then move. because i seriously cant, i dont even know how i will survive the 2 winters of high school i have left here. my theory is as soon as i have the power, i should take that opportunity and do what i want.

also, my dad gets a lot of nationwide job offers so there is an outside chance the family could move

Answer 1

It is possible to receive independent scholarships especially out of high school (many are setup for high school seniors) those you can apply for yourself by doing scholarship searches, meeting the requirements and submitting the necessary documentation....you should check out www.collegeboard.com www.fastweb.com and www.collegenet.com

Schools often have their own scholarships and a foundation that has scholarships and this information can be read on the website of the schools that you choose. I know of a few schools up north that have instant scholarships meaning if you meet the requirement you get the scholarship no matter what.

You may also qualify for federal aid.

Also keep in mind that after a year you can submit a request to have your status switched from out of state to instate. Now I’m not sure what the requirements are for that, it would depend on the school and state. I was told here in Florida that if you live off campus for the year, you can submit a request to be switched to instate status.

ADD: I never said “airily” that sure there are millions of dollars out there because it is hard to get a scholarship, HOWVER they are out there and it is possible to receive a scholarship. Also I did mention that many schools offer there own scholarships which tend to be easier to get than lets say the Barry Goldwater scholarship, and how do I know this?

Because as an out of state student I have received one that pays half my tuition and 25 percent of my room and board and this was an instant scholarship that I have received because I simply met the requirements and that is not the only school that has that. There are also schools like the University of New Mexico that has scholarships that waive the out of state portion of the fees and many that offer their own full tuition or partial tuition scholarships. Whether or not you qualify is not the question that I am answering so please keep that in mind.

Also the statement that once you’re out of state you are always considered out of state is false. While the process may vary from state to state, it is possible to be reconsidered for instate tuition, but I would l think that with these other states you would have to reside off campus as opposed to on campus because that would show that you intend to make a home of your new state. This is taken from the University of Central Floridas website:

“When submitting a request for residency reclassification, students should submit as much documentation as possible supporting their claim of residency in the state of Florida. Documentation may include but is not limited to: Florida driver’s license, Florida Vehicle Registration, Homestead exemptions, or lease agreements. There is not a single document that establishes residency; however students must demonstrate that they have no ties to any state other then Florida. Ties to other states include financial or material dependency on out of state parents in addition to documents issued by other states. Students must also illustrate that they have maintained a bona fide domicile that is not incident to enrollment, or affiliated with the university, for longer then the 12 months immediately prior to classes starting. Out of state students who are looking to reclassify as Florida residents are advised to contact the registrar’s office to review the reclassification process.”

Which means you can be reclassified, there are just stipulations attached.

Answer 2

First off, FAFSA, they're the most likely to give you aid. Now I had a similar situation to yours four years ago when was looking at out-of-state schools. Except I was in that ever growing income range with too much income to get aid, and not enough to go to school without it. I now go to UNC (an out-of-state school for me) on scholarship. I attribute my scholarship to a few things: -my 3.9 GPA -my 8 extra-curriculars -my 5 leadership positions (in those e-c) -my killer essays -my letters of recommendation . The point of all of this to say that, if you are a well-rounded person it should be easy to get some kind of scholarship. In addition, I think I will also take this time to pump up my own university, UNC is a great school, and is committed to helping all of its students attend regardless of residence or financial standing.

Answer 3

Sorry, but I have to contest what the others have said so far. Only about 2% of college students are in college on major scholarships. Yes, there are independent scholarships, but most of those are for small amounts, like $500 or $1000. Having said that, usually out-of-state students are as eligible for most scholarships as are local students. However, I would suggest that looking beyond scholarships makes more sense. Usually schools will offer a financial aid "package", which includes grants, loans, work-study, and other things. That is very common, and is what makes it possible for most people to go to college.

Answer 4

I always grin when i hear people say they are going to go out of state, your question didn't say it, but most of them say they do it because they can "get a better education". I laugh because for every person in state A who moves to state B for this reason there is a person in state B who moves to state A for this exact same reason. Two people paying different amounts for sitting in the same classroom.

If you are moving out of state just to get away or rediscover yourself, i would recommend going to a school in state but a fare distance from home (2 hour minimum drive).
Also be aware once you are considered an out of state student you WILL ALWAYS be considered out of state. 4 years or more for bachelors degree and grad school if you go... it won't be changed after you are there a year or two.

And to those who answer so airily.. like, "there are millions and millions of dollars out there"... have prob never had to pay out of state tuition. Just because you do get a good scholarship your freshman year, doesn't mean you'll get it your other years... lots of scholarships are given to freshmen.... it seems they fall off when you really need them.. Jr and Sr years when it's too late for you to transfer to a cheaper school.
Hope it helps
good luck.

Answer 5

Independent Scholarships are in abundance. There are millions of dollars in scholarship funds that go unclaimed each year. No school is not affordable as long as you seek out these independent scholarships.

Answer 6

I have no idea but i absolutely HATE that this is the same thing EVERYONE is facing. It's not fair. We shouldn't have to pay so much to want to go to a decent school....

bleh.