Tuition Exchange Schools vs. Community College-->UIUC, IU, etc.

College Search & Lists
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>My name is Sam, and I’m going to be a sophomore in high school. Through my dad’s job I am eligible to receive a scholarship that will cover all or the majority of my tuition. Through The Tuition Exchange, member colleges and universities offer an average of 6,000 scholarship awards annually. Each member school sets its own policies and procedures for determining eligibility and requirements for scholarships. The Tuition Exchange scholarships are not guaranteed; they are competitive awards for which you apply. Each institution must maintain a balance between students sent to other schools on the exchange (exports) and students received on the exchange (imports). [Tuition</a> Exchange| Career Institution| College Tuition Exchange Program](<a href=“http://www.tuitionexchange.org/index.cfm]Tuition”>http://www.tuitionexchange.org/index.cfm)</p>

<p>I think it’s a good idea to commute to college so I would be completely debt free. For obvious reasons, that would knock off like 97% of the schools listed here: [Tuition</a> Exchange](<a href=“http://www.tuitionexchange.org/schools.cfm]Tuition”>http://www.tuitionexchange.org/schools.cfm) I live in a western suburb of Chicago called Lisle. Chicago is a bit far off, but I think it would be possible to commute there if possible. Here’s a list of colleges that are within 20 miles of my current household and are part of the tuition exchange:
Benedictine University
North Central College
Elmhurst College
Lewis University
Aurora University
Concordia University
Dominican University
University of St Francis</p>

<p>If you haven’t heard of any of these universities, you aren’t alone, and that’s one of the reasons why I’m concerned about going there. My other thought is I could go to the local community college (College of DuPage) for two years, and transfer out to a more well know school such as UIUC, IU, UM-TC, etc. I’m not qualified for really, really prestigious schools in the midwest such as UChicago, Northwestern, Notre Dame.</p>

<p>Which option would make more sense? Why? I still have plenty of time to decide, I really appreciate all help. Also, I still have a lot of time to think about my major still, but I’m considering a business degree. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>If you are looking for large merit scholarships, there may be additional possibilities, like:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-18.html#post15895768[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-18.html#post15895768&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-2.html#post15889078[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-2.html#post15889078&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>Since you are up there in Chicago-land near most of those colleges, why don’t you start paying quick visits to them? That will give you a sense of what you want out of your college experience, and will help you determine which are easy commutes and which aren’t.</p>

<p>Lots of kids from your high school probably end up at these colleges, so ask your guidance counselor about who has applied where, and who decided to study where. Then get in touch with those students for more information about their decision-making processes.</p>

4

<p>Bump, I really need some help.</p>