My only issue with him going so far away is that he has ADHD and has a hard time getting it together sometimes (needs lots of reminders, is a little naive). I just worry about having the stress of college workload on top of being in an entirely different environment - esp one where southerners might be thought of as “less than” (less intelligent, less worldly, etc.) I think his idea of a southern SEC school is really a second choice compared to a college out west - UNLESS he gets into Auburn. (He would love to go to Auburn.) Travel costs would be so expensive to go out west and it seems like a waste when he could get a good education in the south and go out west for summers or overseas for study abroad.
So you can find reasonable flights but then maybe you target $35k. And you may have to fly from BHM or BNA to save $$. May…at $35k you leave money for transport.
Where it gets tough - for a first year especially - are extra trips. I had to fly my daughter home from Charleston to Nashville as an example. And she struggled with a bf so far away. Many kids get separation anxiety. I listed some west coast or mountain schools last night - do any reasonate ?
Is it your son with the distance issue or you (beyond the cost)? Parents struggle too. Abd it’s fair for you to want same day access - last minute flights are pricey. You know your son best.
N Alabama is in Florence - close but not too close…MTSU in Murfreesboro …UTC in Chatt, WKU in Bowling Green- in addition to uber large Bama, these are all within a decent distance yet not close and likely hit budget. Bama itself draws from all over - majority OOS with tons from CA, Texas, Illinois and the NE so you get that part. But yes it’s huge. My son’s first roommate was from Scottsdale AZ. Of course his subsequent ones were near you - Hartselle.
@AustenNut - you know but I always forget. What’s the association of schools where you can spend a year at your school’s cost ?
Maybe as the student grows - either going abroad or this list or both helps get him far (as he matures) and gives you comfort too.
I’m not @AustenNut, but I believe you are referring to the National Student Exchange schools.
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Oklahoma State is $34K. This year’s NBA champions play an hour and a half away.
@DramaMama2021 got it!
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Thank u
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Some NSE schools that you may want to consider include:
- Tuskegee - Lots of school pride and traditions at this HBCU and would have a smaller environment with about 2400 undergrads
- U. of Alabama
- U. of Montevallo: Not a big sports scene, but at a smaller school of 2500 undergrads (Alabama’s designated public liberal arts college), it might be more of a high touch environment.
- Mississippi State
But then he could study in Quebec or in Montana or California (like Monterey or San Luis Obispo) or Puerto Rico or Guam or the Virgin Islands, and for the same tuition price that he was paying at the home institution.
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The interesting thing is - a lot of these schools are low cost to begin with. Not all - like private Gustavus Adolphus - but many.
So this list, even if the program didn’t appeal, might provide more options to investigate.
For OP - another I thought of in the mid Atlantic but a well know name is Salisbury - yes not easy to get to but - tuition, room and board is currently $37k. Oh I just looked - it’s also on the list.
You’d get $7500 off so just under $30k. So lots of wiggle room.
That’s why I say - narrow down what you and your son decide are the criteria. We’ll find you a few to consider.
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Adhd mom to 2 adhd kids and we are all very different in how we present. Im a college professor and talking out of my experience.
Whether he goes near or far you cant really save him in college. Hes going to sink or swim on his own. Hes going to have figure things out. Im agreeing with staying close to home if thats okay to him and works with your budget. I also know that living far from home without a safety net can be the motivator for some kids. My kid 12 hrs from could barely wake up to an alarm and was arrogent and stubborn but he just completed his 2nd year and hes a totally different kid.
Our 2025 grad cost oos is 8k a year total. Even with travel costs for us thats less than instate. I wish she would go farther away but the diversity is better at the college 350 miles away and in a safer town.
Nobody knows where your kid is from unless your kid tells them. I have zero clue about my students hometowns so I dont have preconceived judgment. ULL threw money at my Wi kid though to try to improve their geographic diversity though so you never truly know what colleges are looking for! As part of my 2025 college given scholarship she has to do 2 study hours a week with the group. She has a student success center in her dorm building. She knows she will have solid support if she reaches out.
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This is all great information! Thank you all. We are leaving tomorrow to visit Mississippi State so hopefully we will get a better feel for whether he really likes it or wants to still try to find someplace out West. Happy to see that MS is part of the NSE! I may be back with more questions later but I can’t tell you how appreciative I am of this info. 
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Let us know how it goes. If he likes it but wants father away, we’ll find something…farther away. If not, you can try another size school like UT Chatt.
One caution on something like NSE vs abroad - and I’m speaking from a point of no knowledge.
But on study abroad, you are there with others from other schools - in the U.S. or like my daughter, around the world. You are all there for a summer, semester or year.
If you go to a school on the list - say Salisbury and then do a year at Cal Poly - that dynamic is different. Most every student there is a Cal Poly student - so it’s a nice idea but not sure how well it actually works.
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Seconding App State and University of New Mexico - it might well be affordable if 3.34 is his unweighted and he has decent rigor.
University of South Carolina International Business is topnotch but not sure it’d be within budget.
Could College of Charleston be an acceptable alternative? (If he’s Honors college-eligible for full benefits).
University of Southern Mississippi has an AACSB accredited Business School, international business with faculty led, short-term major-related study abroad as well as semester study abroad, and Honors college encourages applicants with 3.75weighted&26+ ACT to apply.
Check out Susquehanna’s website - solid business school, really caring people, and if he has decent rigor his 28 would make him competitive for the honors program.
Would he be interested in Drew? Small, nurturing, internships in NYC.
No big sports though if that’s a big deal.
Both would be “out East”. 
Manhattan University? Marist? SUNY New Paltz? St Joe’s in Philly? Drexel?
(Run the NPCs)
Way out West (Pacific Northwest), University of Puget Sound, Willamette, St Mary’s or California, University of Portland, Seattle university are worth checking out if the idea of a smaller, Jesuit -adjacent type of education appeals. Run the NPC but good merit.
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U of SC won’t likely happen and C of C is unaffordable.
Southern MIss works.
The others - with OP going to Ms State, hopefully they’ll get a sense…or not of what they like. And we can go from there I think - OP is probably overwhelmed now
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Gonna do a pitch for my D24’s college…you should take a look at Austin College in Sherman, TX, which is 1 hr from the Dallas airport in north TX.
It’s a ‘Colleges That Change Lives’ school, like Hendrix is. Small. Like about 1200-1300 students.
BUT:
- they have a solid business program
- the college has multiple grad school agreements with other colleges/universities so if your student wants to pursue an advanced degree, there are some “in’s” there
- it is hard to fall through the cracks at this school. Like, your professors WILL notice if you’re not showing up to class. They will email you. If you don’t show up for a few days, they’ll get the student life director involved, who will then have your RA check on you to see if you’re sick, need help with something, need to talk to 1 of the counselors in the counseling center on campus, etc.
- every student, for graduation, is required to complete at least one ‘applied learning experience,’ which means an internship, research with a professor, or a study abroad experience. They have a solid track record of helping their students get internships in their field of study.
- there’s a good support system on campus for students with learning disabilities. My D24’s roommate utilizes it.
- there’s Greek life if you want it, but it doesn’t run the whole school like it can feel like at certain other schools. So it’s there if you want to participate, but you won’t be ostracized if you don’t join Greek life.
- every incoming freshman takes a ‘first year seminar’ course during their 1st semester. There’s a boatload of topics to choose from. Whoever’s the professor for your 1st yr seminar class is the faculty member who will be your advisor throughout your time there. So before you register for classes each semester, you have to meet with this faculty advisor. And all of the professors are knowledgeable about all of the different majors, programs, opportunities there, so it doesn’t matter if your faculty advisor isn’t in the business dept, for example.
- the college has a 3 week “Jan term” each year before the spring semester starts. Freshman do a Jan term class on campus, but starting sophomore year, you can do your Jan term off campus…like a study abroad opportunity, or an internship or job shadowing.
- there’s a big new silicon chip manufacturing plant in Sherman, TX and the college president has lined up some in-roads with that company for AC students to obtain internships there in many different fields, business included.
- the counseling center on campus, FYI, also has free telehealth counseling appointments available both during the school year and on breaks if you can’t make it in person to an appointment.
- my D24 got accepted with a 3.33 unweighted GPA, applied test optional (but her ACT was something like 25 or 26, I can’t remember exactly). She received a $26,000/yr merit scholarship. Plus if you submit a FAFSA, even if your family doesn’t qualify for federal financial aid, Austin College will give you a $500/yr grant for submitting a FAFSA. AND if you do an in person visit AFTER you’ve been accepted, then they’ll give you another $1000/yr. All of this could make this in the affordable range.
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This 100%.
He can be 30 minutes away and sleep through his alarm every morning. He can be 15 minutes from home and “forget” that the professor suggested showing up during office hours to have his research topic approved and his outline sketched out before starting to write his paper- and then get a C- because the paper was off-topic even though it was well written. He can be living at home and ignoring the emails from the TA “Come see me so we can talk about your last quiz”.
Being close is great, but if he’s not ready for college, it won’t save him (per 2Plustrio’s excellent post). He needs to be able to self-advocate (asking the professor for another timeslot for a quiz because it conflicts with an “optional” lab); he needs to be able to anticipate deadlines so he doesn’t have to cram for two finals and a paper in the same three day period; he needs to self-regulate so he’s going to bed, waking up, eating protein and not living on energy drinks, etc.
If the family is providing a lot of scaffolding right now, you’ve got a whole year to pull back. I’m not suggesting you let him fail- but just letting him start to develop the coping skills he’s going to need.
I know a LOT of kids who have “taken time out” (i.e. asked to leave, been put on academic probation, etc.) and in zero instances was it because the kid wasn’t “smart enough” for the college they attended. Kids flunk out because they play online poker all night with some dude in Singapore. Kids flunk out because even at the most serious schools, there is ALWAYS a party going on and there’s ALWAYS an open dorm room with blasting music. Kids flunk out because when a professor says “come see me so we can map out a plan for you to pass my course” the kid is too busy with rush week at the frat/sorority, or is getting ready for the ultimate frisbee marathon.
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Let us know how MS State went - so we know the type of school to find…or not find.
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And whether West Coast and Eastern Seaboard/up East are still under consideration.
We both loved it! We were surprisingly impressed by the facilities, programs and the kids. We didn’t see a ton of kids because it’s summer but I feel like he could find some friends there and have a good educational experience. So I feel relieved that he has a strong alternative to Auburn. He hasn’t mentioned still wanting to go out West but he did mention that he would like a school with the following:
- more diversity
- large school (10K-25K)
- good Business program (he’s strongly considering Business Information Systems or Supply Chain Logistics)
- Study abroad program
- strong in at least SOME sport like football or basketball
- school spirit
- fun things to do on weekends
- life doesn’t revolve around Greek system
- Support finding jobs and internships
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What about colleges “out East”?
Out West, ASU is topnotch for Supply Chain and easy to get into. Barrett (their Honors College) is one of the best in the country so it may be out of reach - although, since his GPA is decreased by freshman year and he’s turned things around, I’d apply just in case 