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It costs to stay- With the rise in tuition, it costs to stay at home and attend a Cal State, such as Cal State Los Angeles. (California State System)
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Wanna get away? No, it is not an advertisement for Southwest Airlines.
It’s the question that is popping up in most transfer students’ minds.
What most will want to consider when choosing a college is location, educational advancement program opportunities, entertainment value, and above all, finances.
The fact is college is not cheap. It is going to cost a pretty penny to get that degree and it should be worth it.
Not only are California students going to have to pay for tuition and fees, the full cost of a college education includes textbooks and school supplies, room and board, and other living expenses.
Unless there is an incredible financial aid that requires no return, the costs of college will bring about potential problems.
According to Mark Yudof, President of the University of California, in September 2009, “the university has half as much money per student today as it did in 1990.”
What that basically means is the state must increase the costs of attending college in order to combat the current economic crisis.
The size of the increase was 32 percent, approved by the University of California Board of Regents this past year.
The standard costs of living on-campus at a California college are: community college: $12,384; Cal States: $19,576; UCs: $26,985; and private universities: $45,147.
Many public universities in California have total tuition costs of more than $20,000 for local residents.
For example, to attend UCLA, it will cost more than $12,000 for the year, which does not include the costs of living or books and school supplies.
Once added, these extra necessities, the price will be well over $20,000.
If you live on-campus and are still a California resident, it will cost more than $29,000 every year.
Even if you commute, you are still paying more than $21,000.
An undergraduate degree at USC will cost a California resident $53,618 per year.
Clearly staying in the sunshine state may cost you more than what your guidance counselor might tell you.
For these prices, they should be lining the books in gold leaf and practically giving out the answers to the tests.
Schools across the country are now so eager for students they are offering waivers for those from out-of-state.
This means, the fees will be waived after a certain amount of time though you are still considered from out-of-state.
For example, Eastern Oregon University does not charge out-of-state costs at all.
The entire tuition for a year, including books and travel is less than $18,000.
Even going down south is a cheaper option than staying in California.
Full-time out-of-state students at Georgia State University tuition average around $12,140.
Southern Illinois University, Washburn University in Kansas and Northern Michigan University offer in-state tuition after you have resided in the particular state for six months; however, you must register to vote in that state and pay local taxes, but the fees drop drastically.
So, does it seem worth it? Well, dependent on the program you desire and potential job offerings, California is a great place to attend college.
However, there are many options outside of California that offer ample opportunities for great educational programs, with outstanding networks, at a much cheaper price.
Obviously there are thousands of more options throughout the country, but these were just a few examples of how easy it is to find other schools outside of California. Don’t stop looking until you find that right fit for you.
Whatever degree you are seeking, it is always in your best interest to do a little research.
There is the right program out there with the best options at a reasonable cost.
Whether you choose to stay in California or go to an out-of-state school, the best opportunities will come only when you put in the most effort.