<p>The tuition exchange program in the west is the WUE. Here’s some info about it. Many top universities are no longer members of the WUE including recent casualties U Oregon and Oregon State. Colorado State is getting a ton of applications from my D’s HS (including my D), as it’s one of the better schools still on the list. Some schools limit majors that qualify, others have grade/test score qualifications. </p>
<p>"Students who are residents of WUE states are eligible to request a reduced tuition rate of 150% of resident tuition at participating two- and four-year college programs outside of their home state.</p>
<p>Tuition exchange programs are an employment benefit for college/university employees. My employer belongs to three. One requires host institutions to accept 3 imports a year at full tuition. The other two have import/export balances for the institution to fulfill. They do not have to be full tuition. One gives a dollar amount, the other requires that imported students are given the same benefit as employees (not always full tuition). </p>
<p>Tuition exchange is never guaranteed, and frequently the host institution can keep other aid (fed, state, or even private scholarships) so the total award never exceeds full tuition. That varies by school. Competitiveness for the awards vary by school. Some awards are almost impossible to land. Some smaller schools on the import/export exchanges are very generous because they need imports in order to export their own employee’s children. </p>
<p>TE comes up a lot because I think there are quite a few of us that are college employees on cc. Personally, I work in a TRIO grant program at a very, very small LAC. </p>
<p>@Overtheedge – I understand some of the reasons why FA considers the income of step parents, but I truly feel it shouldn’t be weighed so heavily in the process since the step-parent isn’t necessarily invested or responsible for the students college costs. Sorry this has had such a negative impact on your Ds situation. Hope something comes thru that is helpful for her. </p>
<p>As for what we should assume about merit aid, I think it depends how many awards are given out. When awards are given in a very limited number or to a small percentage of the candidates, I think they fall into the “reach for everyone” category just like applying to the tippy top schools. You may have all the right numbers and ECs and still not get it. Other schools, as some have said, reliably offer merit to more of their candidates, and then you may be able to gauge better what your kid might get by reading prior years’ stats threads. </p>
<p>I had never heard about tuition exchange either, @overtheedge, so definitely not a stupid question! I work for the University of California and only wish we had some type of benefit for our kids if they attend the system. </p>
<p>@ordinarylives and @momofwon - thank you for explaining TE. I was beginning to think that certain Western states had general in-state tuition reciprocity. </p>
<p>@collegetime - thanks for making me feel like I’m not alone! </p>
<p>@PetraElise - I agree. The whole stepparent thing is very complicated and there are no easy answers. Much depends on a family’s particular situation which isn’t readily reduced to a form. It is dIfficult to conceive of a system that would be fair, yet not easily abused. I like your 50% idea! My D is fortunate in that she has other options. My heart always goes out to the poor kids whose parents refuse even to fill out the fin aid forms!</p>
<p>I warned my ex (who has no intention of paying anything toward college anyway) that he better not get married until they are done. His significant other has been living with him for a few years now, but he hasn’t married her yet. I will be sure not to marry until then either. Not that it’s likely anyway. </p>
<p>@collegetime18 The University of California put together a proposed plan back in 2007-08 to extend tuition benefits to employee dependents, but just as things were starting to look good for getting it implemented, in 2008 the economy collapsed and it was taken off the table. Bad luck!</p>
<p>It is a busy month for ECs, but I honestly wish d would start winding them down. She needs to stay focused on grades to stay in the running for a large, local scholarship. And what happens? Basketball team earns a state berth, so D will be at the state tourney cheering. Track starts. First meet Monday. She wants to enter some fencing competitions. And I find myself nagging her to get college stuff done. Might be nice if she would do some of her own work planning her grad party, too. </p>
<p>@2014ProfDad I never knew that, but it figures! Timing is everything! Thanks for the info.</p>
<p>Good to see I am not the only one with a kid very busy with ECs – so many bowls/Olympiads this season that it seems to dominate our lives and schedules! It is keeping his mind distracted from colleges, but also from homework! </p>
<p>D14 is also very busy with EC’s lately, and just reminded me that next week is Finals Week (on trimesters). Plus Tech Week for the musical. And several scholarship applications are due.</p>
<p>While she is quite distracted from The Waiting Game, I am tired of it. It doesn’t help that the older D is also playing The Waiting Game for grad school.</p>
<p>I think it is the worst time of the year to be waiting in for news as important as it is both financially and .I understand now even more why it is so important to get the apps in for the Early Action so we are done with the waiting game when the weather is still nicer. </p>
<p>@overtheedge, loved the article especially the following. D has a lot of friends belong to this category and I have my fair share of friends and coworkers who can’t even believe we are spending all that money on the applications and willingness to send our daughter away.
<p>DS has a lot of friends who are all set at one of the state schools - DS may very well end up there too. He is in early with very generous merit money and a head start with a fist full of APs. He got into a couple of EA schools he really likes, but until he hears from their FA offices, he doesn’t really know much. I took him to a nationally televised college basketball game at the state U. (He told me he would love to get into that student section.) He had a really great time and will be happy there if that is where the chips fall. It is still such a tough time for the kids to wait and wait.</p>
<p>D applied to the in-state and is admitted and that’s our perfect backup. I think she will be happy there too especially with so many friends there. I worry about sending her that far away and H is worried too. I differ with H that I think we need to let her be on her own like we did eons ago. Still it is a bit unsettling going through this process first time.</p>
<p>This is our second time going through this (DD’12). It is much easier the 2nd time, but part of that is that our DS’14 would fit in just about anywhere. I will say this - by October, everything will be cool and you may be wondering what all the worry was about. Cheers.</p>
<p>Thanks glido! I have more and more appreciation for my parents as I am going through this process Not sure if they weren’t worried or they didn’t show. Their memory is clouded with positive things and they think I was perfect child and H’s mom thinks the same way too. I know there is nothing like a perfect child. </p>
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