Hello!
I’m new to this site and I’m not sure if I should be posting this in this particular forum, but I’m in a bit of a dilemma. My father served in the military for around 30 years and got a 100% disability status. We are residents of Washington state; and because of his military and disability benefits, my college tuition will be completely paid for if I attend a public university instate.
However, I was planning on applying to schools out of state. I am afraid of what my parents will say if I tell them, as they’ve even mentioned before that “It would be stupid to waste an opportunity like that.”
I would very much appreciate any advice on this. Thanks!
Do you actually have a choice? You know that most kids don’t, right? CC is a rarefied group. The question is, is there actually a dilemma that you know of, or is this just magical thinking?
Stats? Major? Plan to pay for college outside of the benefits? Are you are junior? Soph?
If you can get a full tuition scholarship out of state, then you would break even. But it wouldn’t be fair to expect your parents to pay out of state tuition.
It would be wise of you to apply both to schools in your home state, as well as to those outside your state, if your real goal is out of state. See where you get in, see what aid the OOS schools offer you, calculate what you’d need in loans for each one, then decide.
As others said, it’s all well and good to want to go to school OOS, but if you can’t pay for it, it’d be smart to have also applied to some in-state options as financial backups. So try to find some colleges in your home state that give you the tuition free deal you’re mentioning, and which you like. Put some of them on your list.
If you can’t even discuss applying to the out-of-state schools then how do you think you are going to pay for them? Are you planning on just disappearing out the door in the fall when college starts and expect your parents to pay bills that show up? I don’t think it’s going to work that way .
There’s no harm in applying OOS in addition to your in-state schools if you have the time and the $$ for the applications. It becomes a value discussion and by applying you are collecting the information to compare “free” against something presently unknown. And yes, of course, you should tell your parents. You aren’t wasting an opportunity, you are expanding options.
OP, you have to speak with your parents, after all it’s your family’s money that will fund your education. A tuition free opportunity at Washington state schools is something you should seriously consider. If you want to go out-of-state, you will have to speak with your parents to understand how much money they can contribute to your education every year. Only then, can you begin making your college list.
What you need to do is talk to your parents about finances first. If your dad is on disability his is likely counting on the free tuition to make college affordable. If that is the case, the best options would be to take advantage of the low-cost/free tuition college education in-state or seek out schools that will give you a large enough scholarship that it will make the costs the same to your family as the in-state options.
You can move OOS for your job after college if you like. Also keep in mind that if you go to college in-state you can explore options for a semester or even a year abroad or in an exchange program with another college in the US.
Do you have high enough stats to possibly have some out of state numbers come in at roughly the same cost as in state with your situation? (Is it full tuition or full ride? Makes a difference.) Are you sure the benefits are only for in-state or can they be applied elsewhere?
If it’s definitely significantly less expensive to go in state, why would you rather pay more for an out of state location? (What’s attracting you to out of state colleges? Major? Location? Weather?)
Your parents have probably planned based on the fact that you can get in-state tuition for free. They probably have not saved additional $ for your college because of this.
You say you have free tuition…but do you have meals/housing covered too?
So if you want to apply OOS, make sure you find a place where you can get tuition covered through scholarships.
This can be need based or merit based.
Ask your parents to fill out the Net Price Calculator for a college of choice. See if you would get need based aid. if not, you need to find merit based aid. Look here for ideas: http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
if neither of that would work, then the other option is to have you take out loans. But why on earth do you want that (if your parents would even co-sign?) Going out of state seems cool and glamorous, but I assure you that later on you will be kicking yourself that you have to pay $1000/month in loans. You are only 17, but you have the rest of your life to go live somewhere else. Right now it seems like you have to go to college elsewhere…but you don’t. You can get a job in another state after you graduate.
So go somewhere that doesn’t cost more than WA if you don’t want WA. But do it without taking loans/making your parents pay.
Benefits appear to be in-state tuition (or up to $23,671.94 per year at private schools), books, and some housing.
So you need to find a school where tuition (not total cost) is less than $23,671.94.
Tuition and Fee Payment (paid to the school): We cover the full in-state tuition costs for training at public schools and up to $23,671.94 per year at private or foreign schools.
Money for Books and Supplies (paid to the student): We cover up to $1,000 a year, divided up equally among the terms, for books and supplies.
Monthly Housing Allowance (paid to the student): We base this amount on the local Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for E-5 with dependents and pay it monthly. Online students get half of the BAH national average.
https://www.vets.gov/education/gi-bill/survivors-dependent-assistance/
Well, there are some great in-state Washington universities. We love University of Washington, and we have friends who really like CWU.
But please confirm: What year did your dad retire? That really matters. If it was 3 years or less, veterans and their dependents may potentially receive in-state status in all 50 states, but they have to be using the particular programs listed.
There are other exceptions. Please read the articles below for starters. I would also suggest you check with the financial aid office of a target out-of-state public university where you are thinking of applying.
https://www.military.com/education/2015/11/13/veterans-now-eligible-for-resident-tuition.html
https://www.ausa.org/blog/state-tuition-veterans-and-military-families
Is your dad eligible for the Post 9/11-GI Bill? If he served for 30 years, he almost certainly is.
If your father is eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill and hasn’t already used the benefit (on himself, his spouse, or an older sibling), then he could potentially use that for you. The GI Bill covers full tuition and fees for all public school in-state students. AS @Picapole mentioned, if he was discharged within the last 3 years, he may be eligible for in-state tuition rates at all public schools in the 50 states, which would mean that the GI Bill would potentially cover full tuition and fees at any public university in the country.
Check out more about the Post 9/11-GI Bill here: https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_gibill.asp
There is also an add-on benefit to the GI Bill called the Yellow Ribbon Program. Many private colleges and universities participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Basically, they will kick in a scholarship that covers some or all of the gap between the in-state public university tuition in their state and the total tuition and fees at the university, making their university more affordable (or effectively covering tuition and fees completely). For example, the national maximum that the GI Bill will cover is about $24,000. Let’s say Private University in Good State charges $40,000 for tuition. Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, Private U will cover some or all of the $16,000 difference, so that the family would only have to pay room and board. (And even for room and board, you may also be eligible to receive a monthly housing allowance that would be equivalent to the BAH for an E-5 with dependents in the school’s location.
Check that out here: https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/yellow_ribbon.asp.)
Generally, there’s no harm in looking out of state and applying to some colleges to see what kind of package you get. Some well-resourced private colleges (and a few public ones) may offer you substantial scholarship money and/or great financial aid packages that make it very affordable for you to attend. Many schools have scholarships for children of veterans, particularly children of veterans who have been injured in the line of duty.
However, you should also strongly consider our Washington state public universities! Washington has some really great public universities. And there is something really positive to be said about graduating debt-free.
Don’t you think they’ll realize your plans when the tuition bills come in?
If you’re expecting their financial input, then I think you owe them honesty as you’re applying.
It depends if you can afford it. You’re going from free tuition to paying full price at triple the in-state cost. Chances are, you’re not going out of state even if you wanted to. The maximum student loans you can take out for a 4 year degree is 27k. Your parents pay the rest. The only way to go out of state is to get a big scholarship.
There are going to be financial options that may make studying OOS affordable to your parents, but you need to be open with them from now, and you also must accept the outcome of that discussion, even if that means staying in your home state for college.
If you have the academic credentials to get into a better university, chances are, you will be eligible for generous financial aid packages from wealthy private universities, or big merit scholarships from solid public universities. And as juillet pointed out, there are potential benefits that your father may be eligible for that you may not have considered.
But attending UDub for a free as fallback option is a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. It is one of the best, and most beautiful, universities in the country.