Can I afford private?

sk8rmom
Sun, 11 Apr 2010 10:41:44 +0000

It’s possible if you can secure merit aid, which should be available at both privates. But, first take a look at their websites as they may give you an idea of how much merit aid they would offer based on your stats. SU was affordable when I was an undergrad but that was long ago and I’ve heard that their (non-need) aid is less than stellar lately.

Make sure you understand what your family can afford, get an estimated FAFSA EFC, and investigate what your state aid, loan options, and merit aid at various schools might be. I noticed on your other thread that you’re very interested in UB…with OOS merit aid, that may be a very good option as they have very good engineering programs and are even less than Penn State (Is tuition really $25K there for OOS, or is that the total COA? I believe UB’s OOS tuition/fees are under $8K, with total COA around $28K).