I got into Penn State’s Eberly College of Sciences at University Park OOS for class of 2028, but it’s way too expensive. My parents and I were content with PSU for undergrad because it had everything we wanted until my financial aid package came in, and I had no idea that PSU skimmed with money for freshmen like that.
On the other hand, while I don’t necessarily like the school, Rowan’s science college in Glassboro (in-state) is half the price with $1000 more aid. My parents are begging me to go there instead because of the debt I’ll accumulate if I choose PSU, but something about Rowan rubs me the wrong way. Everyone my parents spoke to said I should choose the cheaper school or transfer to PSU for junior year, but my friend is currently in the process of transferring to an OOS college and it’s much more expensive than if they simply went OOS for four years. I feel so stuck because every bit of information I get is contradicted in some way, but I only have a week to decide where I’m going.
What do I do?
I can stop reading there - no.
You are out of state - so you never should have expected good aid. Pennsylvania’s government is there to support PA students. OOS students then help make up the cost discounts for in state.
Rowan is a public and you are from NJ - so yes, that’s why your cost is much less.
Your parents shouldn’t have to beg you. In the end, they control the pursue strings.
You don’t want a bio or chem degree or whatever your major at high expense - because either you’ll spend more in grad school or have a low paying job - this is likely.
So your parents are correct - but frankly, with issues of budget, they get final say.
Rowan is fine. Perhaps if you wanted a bigger school, you needed to expand your list to big merit schools. That is not Penn State - whereas it could have been a URI, WVU, Alabama, etc. potentially depending on stats.
You listen to your parents and don’t stress them out is what you do.
Thanks
I agree with @tsbna44 if they can’t afford for you to go to Penn State then there’s nothing else to say or do.
Remember you can get the same job from millions of colleges. The only difference is the name.
This! 100%
@sushiswan, I’m sorry if you and your parents weren’t aware this is how public schools work for OOS students.
But it is what is is. If Penn State is unaffordable and will result in a lot of debt you absolutely should not go.
If you truly hate the idea of going to Rowan you can consider taking a gap year, expand your list and chase merit (or need based aid if your family qualifies).
My parents are immigrants, so this is as new to them as it is to me. My PSU advisor told me I was actually receiving MORE aid than most OOS students typically do, but still not enough to seriously consider going. I know in my heart my parents are right, I guess I just feel selfish about where I want to go and care more about prestige because I think I could finally make my family proud by going to a renowned school. I have other options, of course, but the money… it’s such a scam.
It’s a science degree - PSU isn’t necessarily going to get you farther.
Congrats on the acceptance but an affordable, debt creating acceptance is, in reality, a rejection.
Go to Rowan - study hard, take advantage of the resources - and you’ll be fine.
You will make your parents proud by working really hard at an affordable school. Seek out and take advantage of every opportunity available to you. Make friends with the staff in your major departments so that you know about opportunities. Get to know your professors so that you can get good recommendations from them. Be sure to make use of your career center. You can excel at any school, and you can set yourself apart from your peers by your attitude.
PSU financial aid is not even that good for PA residents, so non-PA residents should expect worse.
Seems like you and your parents could have gotten advance warning by using PSU’s net price calculator before applying, but probably no one told you that.
I’m sorry that you and your family didn’t have enough information about higher education in the U.S. when you were making your college application list. Others have already hit the big points about the PSU vs. Rowan decision, so I won’t reiterate, but as @kelsmom indicated, you can be successful from any university in the U.S. Follow the recommendations in that post, and you’ll do great.
Are any of these options affordable without loans? Do you prefer any of these options above Rowan?
None of my 5 NJ students applied to Penn state, all would’ve been admitted. They knew they were either going to an in state public, or needed merit elsewhere because the cost needed to be around the same as in state. Did you apply to Rutgers or TCNJ? NJIT? Oos public’s that give merit?
I’m sorry your family did not know that many public colleges do not give much aid to out of state students. These schools are funded by the states and as a general rule will provide (more) affordable college educations to in-state residents.
Understand that finances are part of the college decision process for the vast majority of students so you are not alone.
PLEASE do not start off at an unaffordable college (including one that will require significant loans). You will set yourself up for future difficulties – either not being able to get enough loans and having to transfer out or starting your adult life out with a significant debt burden.
I know people who have had good experiences at Rowan but if that is not a fit you need to look at other affordable options. Sounds like you are in NJ – a state which has a number of very fine options.
Not worth it, at more than your in state flagship. What happened with rutgers and the college of nj? Start at community college and do an accelerated associates and transfer to rutgers? One year at rowan and transfer to rutgers?
If you can’t afford PSU, it doesn’t matter if the other school rubs you the wrong way. You might feel conflicted, but seriously, there isn’t one. If it’s not affordable, it gets scratched off the list. I’m a parent and ran into the exact same problem with our college bound 18 year old daughter. We got a total of zero money back for financial aid. Sending her to the college she wants would bleed us dry, so we had to say no.
Penn State is a great school. In PA, it’s almost like a religious experience. People west of Philadelphia all the way to the Ohio state line will stop what they are doing when Penn State is being discussed in a conversation. Prior to the scandal, Papa Joe was a god and the football team can’t do wrong. No question people in PA love Penn State.
BUT, if you are OOS there is no way $51k a year is worth it. There are only a few State School that people consider “worth it” for OOS, but even those are hotly debated:
Cal Berkely
UCLA
UT Austin
U Mich
UVA
UW
So unless Penn State has something specific you are looking for, there is no need to stress over this. It’s not Harvard.
Would the valuation of UCB depend on how “Berkeley” is spelled?
University of Wyoming may not be that expensive for high stat non-resident students.
You missed saying “in my opinion” 
(Plenty of other state schools get a good percentage of OOS students, so clearly many more schools are valued than the short list you provided)
Can’t list every place I have read on here.
I blame this on CC’s poor spell checker for not picking this up. I did stare at the word and said nah.
Please move on from debating the value of other schools as it’s off topic.
It’s not worth it.
Rowan is EXCELLENT for science BTW. And if you got a nice scholarship there, you probably got into the Honors college for a more personalized experience and all sorts of perks.
If you don’t like it, you can always transfer to TCNJ or Rutgers… or a university that “meets need” or offers generous scholarships (not too far from you, you have Muhlenberg, Lafayette, Dickinson, Drew, Susquehanna…)
The reason it’s often less expensive to start at a 4-year than transfer is because typically the best financial aid/merit aid is reserved for freshmen. HOWEVER you didn’t get any big merit scholarship at Penn State (because they don’t exist) so it doesn’t change anything for you.
The maximum you can borrow for your 1st year is 5.5k. The total you can borrow for 4 years is 27k (which become 31k with interest by the time you graduate college!)
And hopefully you can be debt free at Rowan !
A person hired at a same company from Penn State and from Rowan will be paid the same.
Where else have you been admitted and whats your net cost at each?
Ney cost = (tuition fees room&board) - (scholarships grants)