You have also not factored in traveling expenses. You also need to inquire if students who do not go home over breaks can stay on campus and what dining options are available. Health insurance? Will your current coverage be considered adequate or will they require you to purchase the university plan?
You need to factor in unexpected expenses. You will be far from home without easy access to familial assistance.
I plan to go home for winter and summer break, we are allowed to stay in dorms for spring and thanksgiving break, my Tricare health insurance is adequate instead of UW or UR plan, flights to Seattle from honolulu around $400, flights to Rochester around $800
Oh and someone (sushi?) said something about weather earlier… yes I’d much prefer Bay area’s weather (I think anyone would), but Seattle seems manageable for me (I happen to like rain a lot) and Rochester…would be a struggle but like I said, would be karma for screwing up when I applied to colleges haha…
And don’t forget Uber fare to and from the airports and trail mix for the plane. 
(said in jest)
Don’t worry about weather – you will get used to it.
If you ended up at Rochester, you’d need to bring a warm winter coat and a lighter spring/fall coat (both being waterproof would be best), a stocking cap, gloves, and a scarf or two… and you’d be fine. And sweaters/sweatshirts for those in-between days when it’s, oh, 55 degrees…
Did you verify health insurance? I know families whose health insurance was not accepted as adequate coverage. The additional cost was an unexpected burden. If you have verified that your Tricare will be given a waiver, that is fabulous. If not, it isn’t a matter to dismiss lightly bc the cost is $2500 per yr.
Your father could probably tell if you would get a waiver based on what your policy covers. It has to meet the following criteria: https://www.rochester.edu/uhs/studentinsurance/InsuranceCriteria.html
@prezbucky “Bring” lol I think you mean “buy”. I don’t own anything you said except sweatshirts
Each U has the ability to accept or require that each student buy the health insurance the U offers. This can change over time. The Universiry is the place to inquire–each U you are considering. Insurance at each U can be $3,000+ per U per person per year. This can be an additional charge and may not be part of the budget you’re working with.
$3k x 2 students x 4 years = $24K, which is a lot of money to most of us.
For weather, BOTH of you and twin need to be OK with it for all 4 years if you both plan to be at the same U.
If you decide on Rochester…start looking at consignment stores and the like in HI. It is possible folks have relocated there and are getting rid of their cold weather clothes.
Oh stores sell winter clothes here-the chains that sells the same clothes across the country. Just nobody buys them. Stuff goes one sale, really cheap around now…
IF UR policy requires you buy their student health insurance, then you ask FA to increase your grant by this amount.
And IF you go someplace cold we’ll point you in the right directions for winter clothing (often online, at discounts.) This does not need to be a major, crushing expense. Will be a separate thread, in its time.
I looked up UW’s health insurance policy, they said as long as you HAVE health insurance, you can skip the university’s.
Rochester has more requirements
https://www.rochester.edu/uhs/studentinsurance/InsuranceCriteria.html
I’ll check if my health insurance covers everything
Look carefully. You need to have health insurance that will cover you where the college is LOCATED. Yours might…ask it might not…you need to check that.
If the health insurance you have does NOT cover you where the college is located…that’s like not having health insurance.
I think my health insurance does.
https://tricare.mil/Plans/HealthPlans/USFHP
I don’t know which plan my dad has for us because we’re pretty healthy (no pre existing conditions or suicide risk) but I’ll make sure to check
Yes, my friends had kids who needed medical care–there was no provider covered by their HMO where their U was, so they incurred HUGE medical bills. Also their FAid packages were NOT increased to cover their U medical insurance.
Tricare will be fine; she will just have to change to whatever region the school is in. The only decision would be whether to be Prime or Standard.
tricare is everywhere. It is military insurance and it covers retiree’s as well (Mother in Law is on tricare). I expect that they will have ample coverage at all 3 schools.
@jql2017 Please do confirm. I am not so sure that they will accept your plan bc of this chart: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/patients-families/bill-pay/insurance.cfm (if you scroll down the page to accepted plans at different facilities, Tricare is listed as no for most responses.)
Fwiw, I was not trying to be difficult when I asked you about health insurance and living/dining on campus during breaks. They are not Uber fares or snacks for on the airplane. When you are breaking down your budget to the $$ amts you are, these are the types of expenses that add up quickly and there needs to be enough $$ budgeted to cover everything.
You see, I’m so unique (er, weird) that I’m actually more worried for the OP about the weather in upstate NY, right across the water from Toronto, than I am about any added debt.
@jql2017 Flights will not run $400 from Seattle, I fly that route a LOT for business. Yes, you can get $208 rates each way for non peak travel. But it requires planning ahead, rates staying the same and non peak travel. I would budget $600 RT to be safe. Peak, even from Seattle (and your flight home in June will be that, though back in Sept as UW starts late maybe not) will be $400 one way, it gets brutal June-Aug and around Thanksgiving and Xmas.
And yes, the minimum wage here is $11. Cost of living is not much less than Honolulu. On every level.