<p>My twin daughters 2013, are eligible for tuition remission at a good D1 state school. I’m encouraging both to go there. My theory is that they will both need grad/med school and if they can get their undergrad for free, why not? I’m trying to come up with compelling reasons for even looking at other schools, but in this economy, a free ride to college not based on scholarships is quite rare. Anybody else in the same boat? What did you choose? Are you happy with your choice and why?</p>
<p>Well, the choice should be up to them. There are a lot of reasons for not looking, the first being do they WANT to go to that school? It’s possible for them to get merit aid elsewhere as well and that can add up to pretty much full rides too.</p>
<p>There’s nothing wrong with encouraging your daughters to go to the school that’s offering free tuition. You can paint that school in its best light, point out all of its advantages, and talk to them about the benefits of saving money to use for med/grad school (especially if it will be med or law or vet or dental or one of the other programs where funding isn’t generally available). You should also let them know how much you are willing/able to pay for their college expenses. However, I would not necessarily tell them that this is the only place to which they’re applying. It might not be a good fit for one or both of them. They might get good financial aid/merit money elsewhere. As long as they know the bottom line and stick to it, I’d rather let them have choices. </p>
<p>My D got a full tuition scholarship to a D1 flagship. She applied to 4 other schools as well, and ended up choosing the school that offered the full tuition scholarship. Since we could afford to, we told her to make the decision without regard to money, and it turned out that the scholarship school was her first choice, although it wasn’t a slam dunk and it took her a long time to decide. I feel better about her going there knowing that it was HER choice, and that she had choices. But make no mistake - I’m REALLY happy to not have to write that tuition check.</p>
<p>Not exactly the same situation, but I am employed at a university and can get half tuition there for my dependents.</p>
<p>However, we decided not to take advantage of this because:</p>
<p>1) kids want to get out of town, and I think it is beneficial for them to do so</p>
<p>2) due to our low EFC, they have actually done very well financially at schools that meet full financial need with no loans</p>
<p>3) D’s intended course of study not available at university where I am employed</p>
<p>Sounds like your situation is different - full tuition vs half, for example. </p>
<p>Is the D1 state school in a different city? I felt that my kids needed to learn how manage things on their own, even if in an artificial environment like a college campus. I’m afraid if they stayed here, living at home, that independence would be delayed.</p>
<p>My D is a junior in college; S is finishing up his senior year of HS but was admitted ED to a school that is quite far away. I am happy with our choice.</p>
<p>Will they get “free tuition” or a “free ride”? A free ride would cover room and board as well.</p>
<p>Do you have to pay for room, board, and books for the two of them? Or would they be commuting from home?</p>
<p>Much depends on your financial situation…and your DDs’ stats.</p>
<p>It sounds like they would get “free tuition.” If you’d have to pay for R&B, and your DDs’ have high stats, then there may be other schools that will give them free tuition. Getting free tuition scholarships isn’t that hard if stats are high.</p>
<p>What is the situation?</p>
<p>Have them apply to some other options, in case financial aid and other scholarships gives them other “free tuition” options to consider.</p>
<p>Why not set firm boundaries concerning how much you will pay, then allow them to make their own choices. If they get great offers from other schools, then they will have options.</p>
<p>Walker…</p>
<p>Since you mention the possibility of med school or grad school, so that suggests that your twins are academically strong. If so, they may get merit scholarships that are quite generous elsewhere. There’s a thread on CC that lists schools that give assured scholarships for stats. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html?highlight=automatic+scholarships[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html?highlight=automatic+scholarships</a></p>
<p>As mentioned above, if you give each D a per year budget of how much you’ll spend, they may find similar or better deals elsewhere.</p>
<p>I have regrets about my own college decision, way back when. I received a full-ride merit scholarship to flagship state school, but turned it down for a pricy private school. </p>
<p>I had always planned on going on to a professional/graduate school afterwards. I did continue on to a top tier professional school, but ended up w huge student loans from my undergraduate school. I think I would have had equal probability of being accepted to my professional school had I opted for flagship state school.</p>
<p>When applied for a job, none of the employers cared what undergrad university I attended. To this day, the only school that has mattered professionally is the LAST one I graduated from.</p>
<p>When people speak of a “D1” school, are they referring to sports? If so, I don’t see the relevance in this instance.</p>
<p>In any case, I think it wise to also look at schools where merit or need-based FA might make the cost comparable to the state school. What you don’t want to have happen is to end up with an admittance to an unaffordable “dream” school and a kid who is desperate to go there and begging you to cosign unrealistic loans. So it has to be handled carefully. A family discussion about costs and what can be paid is a good place to start.</p>
<p>There is also the possibility that your twins will get into different schools that cost different amounts. That could turn into a complicated family dynamic.</p>
<p>“When people speak of a “D1” school, are they referring to sports? If so, I don’t see the relevance in this instance.”</p>
<p>The relevance is that D1 is shorthand for a large public state university and sometimes higher a profile Jesuit University. It connotes a middle of the road, respectable university experience (not LAC, not Ivy, not fly-by-night school or CC) which might not be perfectly tailored to kid, but would be serviceable, have many options and confer a degree which would launch kid to graduate or professional degree or job.</p>
<p>tuition free state school or pay? that is the $200,000 question.</p>
<p>Ivys are D1 schools. The Ivy League is a D1 athletic league.</p>
<p>Yes and so is Davidson - the point, without splitting hairs, is that most people knew what OP meant - I have not been living under a rock and understand that they are athletic designations. As I said, “D1 state school” is a shorthand phrase with a meaning that will be pretty clear to most people. Why argue that point.</p>
<p>I just had a fascinating stroll through the arcane rules governing D1 sports on Wikipedia. People must devote their lives to keeping all that straight. 
In any case, there are a lot of academically marginal schools on the list in some areas.</p>
<p>But in any case, I get what you mean about the intended shorthand, saintfan.</p>
<p>Quote from OP: “a good D1 state school”</p>
<p>and now back to our regular programming . . .</p>
<p>I know what the OP sad, saintfan. The fact is that people do not agree on what qualifies as “good.” In most questions like this, the identity of the actual school is key to making a decision or giving rational advice. For example, when people talk about a “state flagship” they could be talking about the University of Michigan or UVA, or they could be talking about the University of Maine or Montana. Big difference.</p>
<p>I wish the OP would come back and give more info.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if the twins would really get a “free ride” or “free tuition”…big difference unless the twins can easily commute to the school.</p>
<p>if the mom is relying on the twins to commute, then getting free tuition is a huge savings. If she still has to pay room and board, then there may be other options.</p>
<p>Also, since the mom is talking about grad/med school, it sounds like the Ds have high stats. If so, then it’s likely they could get free tuition elsewhere.</p>
<p>Is the “tuition remission” related to the parent’s job? Is it only good for this one school? or is it one of those state deals like Bright Futures where the money can be used at a variety of in-state schools.</p>
<p>The parent seems to be assuming that there’s little/no chance of the Ds getting similar deals elsewhere, which may not be true if they have good stats.</p>
<p>Like Saintfan, I think the mom means a state flagship (or Jesuit) that has BIG D1 sports that are televised on TV.</p>
<p>If the children are focused on grad school then another way to look at it is what school will provide them the best chance for a full fellowship in grad school. Exhaust all sources for undergrad, maybe have to pay some, but look at it as an investment for their graduate years.</p>