The cost of college sucks!!!

[LostinNY]

I can't sum it up in any other way. One of my daughters' has a few years to go before applying, but we did sort of a pre -planning thing to determine what we could afford. The answer: not much. Financial Aid says our expected family contribution is $12,000 a year! Even without the debt we carry from my husband being unemployed a few years back or from the student loans we still owe, this number is ridiculous. We were also told we are "just over the limit" in income to where she would be able to get a Pell grant or much need-based aid. We are behind in our mortgage and our house has a negative equity.

We told her her whole life if she worked hard, she could go to college. She's worked really hard and has a high, but not "high enough" average for merit scholarships. From the day she was born we promised ourselves we'd find a way to send her. My husband and I are both college grads. My daughter told me last year "Since I was 5, I've wanted to go to Syracuse". And she's already performed in several Honor's Bands there. They have a pretty good music education program and she would like to become a music teacher and also double major in performance. She'd love to play in an Orchestra if possible, and she is an excellent musician. Maybe she could get a music scholarship, but it probably wouldn't be enough, and they are highly competitive.

I just can't find the heart to tell her there's no way she can go to SU. Even at a state school, we'd have to pay it all and we just don't have it. It's tearing me apart because I feel like such a failure. Providing an education was one of the most important things I wanted to give my two daughters. And we're actually a hindrance to her because our income keeps her from getting aid but our bills and low credit make it so we can't help her out.

I know there are many people who don't have food and are homeless. I know my problem pales in comparison. But I feel so terrible. And if my daughter can't get an education, she may be homeless or not have enough to eat at some point. Well that could happen even with an education, I know. A person I spoke with told me to have her marry someone or try to become an emancipated minor because then she's an Independent student. Gee what do I say, pick a friend and marry him for four years so you each can go to college?

[LAGC]

1. That's a tough situation, LostinNY.

Guess there's always the student loan option, if it must come to that. She'd have to seriously evaluate whether its worth racking up tens of thousands of dollars in student debt though, as I'm not sure how well being a music teacher pays...

College was so much more affordable 50 years ago, even a single-parent bread-winner could afford to pay for it. Today's reality is much different, unfortunately, and often the burden lies on the student him/herself having to find a way to scrape up the money.

A real shame what we've become.

[pnwmom]

2. It does suck. But not getting a Syracuse education

does NOT mean she's going to end up homeless someday. OTOH, have you looked into unemployment rates among music education and performance graduates? If job security is of critical importance to you or your daughter, there are probably better fields -- some of them requiring only 2 year degrees.

Above all, it's important for you not to panic or to feel guilty. Your daughter needs you to express confidence in her ability to do well -- with or without Syracuse. (How did a 5 year old ever get stuck on a particular college, anyway? How many colleges has a 5 year old toured?)

Her GPA might not be high enough for Syracuse merit aid, but it probably is high enough at many other colleges. The idea is to apply to schools a tier or two below her dream school; many colleges try to increase their numbers of good students with merit aid. Many students are doing that these days, so she'll find some peers anywhere she goes. Also, she should try to get her test scores as high as possible -- some of the schools with merit aid place a lot of importance on those tests. You might want to look into the costs of test prep courses in your area; at least have her start studying now from test prep books, so the test will be familiar when the time comes to take it. She should also repeat the test to improve her scores; there's no downside to that, except for the time and cost of taking the test. (If a student takes the test at more than one sitting, colleges use the highest score attained in each subject, even if they were attained at different sittings.)

If she's really stuck on Syracuse, another option is to take her first two years at a community college, and then transfer. That can save a lot of money, and more and more good students are doing that, too.

So many students have their hearts broken when they don't get accepted into their dream college -- or don't get enough aid -- but there really are options. Now is the right time to start doing the research, and taking her to see other campuses. If I were you, I'd encourage her to lean heavily toward the colleges that offer the best aid -- there can be quite a difference. Why carry around a mountain of student debt if you don't have to? Good luck!

[renate]

51. I think this is a really useful and practical post

Yes, it will certainly be disappointing to her if she doesn't go to Syracuse. I wouldn't dream of trying to talk her out of the fact that this is discouraging.

However. If she goes to another school she will be just fine. She really will. There are worse things in life than not getting our first choice.

She's worked hard and it is really unfortunate that she won't get to do what she deserves to get to do. And I know, as a parent, that your heart aches for that. However, you will not be the first parent who--heartbreakingly--will not be able to give their child the world on a platter. I would love to do that for my child... but it won't happen. That's the way it is. Some peoples' lives are easier than others. Our lives are easier than those of the majority of the world's population. Your daughter might be disappointed by not being able to go to Syracuse (which, if she went, would probably fall short of her ideals, if she's dreamed of going there since she was in elementary school). My child will be disappointed by not being able to go to the school of his choice, either. It's sad, it really is, but it's definitely not the end of their worlds. Not unless they let it become that. And that would be the real tragedy--not getting what they want is unfortunate, but giving up would be the worst option of all.

I do understand the frustration and pain. I feel it too. But it would be so sad if your daughter just threw up her hands and said "Well, without Syracuse, screw it." It's a big world with many opportunities to succeed. She sounds fantastic--perseverance plus a dream equals success--and I'm sure she will eventually get over her disappointment and do very, very well.

Hugs to both of you.

[PCIntern]

3. It's not a tuition bill, it's an 'altitude'...

insane costs...

Private medical/dental school tuition now approaches 90,000 to 100,000 dollars per year for four years. Impossible...

[divvy]

4. Wait till the Republicans finish PRIVATIZING PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Then you will discover the "market price" for Kindergarten.

[merbex]

16. I have friends on fb, young parents( my kids are thisclose to graduating from college)

who are literally SHOCKED that they cannot afford pre-school for their children~ they feel like 'failures' as their posts are showing and the thought of college tuition for their kids terrifies them.

[End Of The Road]

5. Check out SUNY Fredonia

I think their music program is OK (not Julliard, but OK), and their tuition is about half of Syracuse.

What is her instrument?

I have a music performance degree. I would recommend alternatives. Would she consider double-major of Music Ed + math or anything in science or business?

[LostinNY]

44. She plays oboe.

And tomorrow we go watch her play in an honors band... At Syracuse.

[Uben]

6. Sounds like a smart girl

Don't give up. Where there's a will, there's a way. Keep looking for help. It is ridiculous that college is becoming something for rich people only....and it is. Get her in a community college so she can get some of her basics out of the way at a cheaper cost. She can work and go to school, that's what my daughter did, and she now has an MBA. After a couple of years of job searching, she couldn't find a decent job. So, she got certified as a personal trainer, and now has her own business doing that. Six months later and she is booked up, making good money, and she is now expanding her business to network with other trainers. She landed another seasonal gig with a company where she keeps stats or something for up and coming NBA draftees. She also works for Weight Watchers.
SHe is very resourceful, something she learned while working as a volunteer coordinator for a battered women's shelter in college. Her husband, my son in law, did two tours of duty in the Air Force reserve, one in Iraq, and one in Afghanistan. When he got back stateside, he was determined to get his commercial helicopter's license. So, he worked two jobs and attended classes and finally got his private license. A commercial license takes 1000 hrs of flight time and the way most do it is become an instructor, because flight time is $300/hr.
NExt week, he will complete his instructor's license, and has already lined up a job doing that!
These kids have done it on their own, and as a parent, I am in awe. They are testament that it can be done. They have had to work hard at it the last couple of years without much money, or sleep, but it is now starting to pay off.

[LostinNY]

45. Congrats to your daughter!

We went to a Jazz fest at a local community college tonight, and I told her it might be just the place to start, but I still felt bad.

[Obamanaut]

7. Since you have outstanding student loans yourselves, you kow how long

they stick with you.

You might want to caution your daughter that this may not be the best way for a happy, prosperous future, and to select a less expensive school, or as others have suggested, two years in a community college.

It is possible for a student to work while attending community college and/or the upper level school.

Another thing to look as is research how many music majors actually find work in that field.

[Kaleva]

8. A member wrote in another thread that he was 30 before he got his BA and he is debt free.

I gather that even though you and your husband promised each other since the day your daughter was born, you'd both find a way to send her to college but neither of you saved any money, over an 18 year period of time, to set aside for her education.

You and your husband will just have to be honest with your daughter and tell her that because of your own student loans and debts racked up because of unemployment, that Syracuse is definitely out and she will have to settle for a community college. At least at first.

[pnwmom]

30. I wouldn't use the word "settle." I would say "begin with."

Even though it might represent settling for her, that doesn't need to be emphasized.

[Kaleva]

43. That would be a better choice of words. And many community colleges offer a fine education.

[Change Happens]

9. Please do not give up, there are other sources out there...

I know there are many many other types of funding to help her out...Apply for all other gifts, private donations to help your kid, ask the colleges themselves, including Syracuse. They are things like a person may be offering a one time gift to certain students...etc. Our plan is to tap into everything under the sun about two years before our daughter is going to college.

Keep looking, ask around, talk to non-profit organizations...etc.

[canoeist52]

10. The new reality is that this generation will be worse off than their parents.

A combination of no savings, no education and no jobs to pay for the student loans if one goes to college. I don't know what to say except we should all be very angry. I remember going to college savings seminars 10 years ago where they told us we could afford to send our kids to college because the Pell grants would take up any slack that our savings wouldn't cover.
It was all bullshit. with a family income of 45,000. we only got 5000. a year off. Student loans at 9% had to take up the slack as the college saving plan lost their value in the market.

When will this generation be able to live on their own?

[JVS]

11. Your pre-planning is looking at things backwards. Don't see what you need to do to go to Uni A...

Instead you see what kinds of offers different she can get.

So sign her up for the PSAT tests (these are like the SATs but are used for selecting national merit scholars), sign her up for activities that will allow her to get the right things on her application (stuff like national honor society, a letter in a sport can be really handy for girls because of title 9 requirements that football scholarships be met with equally valuable scholarships for women's sports)

Talk to an accountant about how to arrange your assets so that you best qualify for financial aid. I didn't qualify for any financial aid because my Father had accepted a lump sum pension settlement the year before I started college, thus his reported income was high even though he was only in his late 50s and that was the end of his career. Since you have a few years, now might be a time when you can stockpile some money, but you want to stockpile it in such a way that it isn't counted against financial aid (as cash if necessary).

Get all those ducks in a row and then be ready for applying to different school in different places to see what kind of offer they are willing to make.

[wildeyed]

12. So many people are in or will be in your shoes.

We have been saving since our kids were babies, but the market has not preformed like it was supposed to when we made the plans so we are way behind where we hoped to be at this point. Mine are still young, so we have some time to get it figured out,but it is still worrisome. College education is so ridiculously expensive. And like you, we make enough that we will probably not be eligible for aid, but not enough to actually afford it. I guess we will have to choose between our retirement savings and college for our kids. And that is ok with many politicians as long as the big corps and ultra wealthy don't have to pay their fair share of taxes. Too bad when they need qualified workers.

[WCIL]

13. I have been in your shoes

My son had his heart set on Marquette. He did the work and was accepted, but financial aid was not forthcoming and at 32K/year there was no way we could send him. We also couldn't in good conscience take out that much in student loans so we had to say no. It was very hard, especially because several of his friends did get to attend.

My son instead attends a wonderful school closer to home (Truman State University). The out of state tuition is less than we would pay to send him to University of Illinois (one of our state schools), and while he does have to take out a Federal loan each year we can cover the rest. Every student can get an unsubsidized Federal loan. I believe it is up to 5000/year for the first year, and up to 7500/year for the remaining years. The interest rate is 6 1/4%. It is not ideal, but it is much better than private loans, and the student can take them out himself. We plan to help him repay.

My son did get over the disappointment of not attending his dream school, and is thriving where he is. He understands why we said no and realizes that we were really thinking of him when we did.

[Sancho]

14. Don't give up.

If you really work at it, you can find scholarships (little ones that don't require the best grades) are still out there and they add up. Many more students are working their way through as part time students. I don't know much about SU (except it would be too cold for me!), but you need to visit and talk to the music department. My wife was a music major at a private college (years ago) that was very expensive. Her father died and she couldn't afford it and her mother said "no way"; but she talked to the school faculty. They helped with enough scholarship and work study jobs to make it though. She also taught piano lessons to children while she was in college. Now she has graduate degrees and is a career music teacher.

[merbex]

15. Have you considered a 2 year community college THEN applying

to a 4 year school?

You need to talk honestly to your daughter about the finances and give her this option. It would mean that essentially she would be a commuter for 2 years, delaying that full college experience of living away from home but it could be one way she gets the college education that she wants.

[FourScore]

37. this is very important advice.

There are various ways to get around these problems. One of them, is that your daughter could go to a community college for 2 years then transfer to SU.

Another - rarely spoken about - option is for your daughter to pay her own way. It would look like this: she works for a year after her high school graduation. You do not claim her as a dependent. She is her own adult. After a year, (her income will not be very high) she can apply for the financial help that you and your husband cannot get. My sister took this road and it worked out very well for her. I do not know the details of whether she must also move out of the house or not. But if she insists on an expensive school, then she can try this option.

[JDPriestly]

48. A couple of added advantages to working a year before going to school

are that it makes the prospective student more realistic about how life works and allows the student another year to mature. That extra year is a big advantage I should think.

[Throckmorton]

53. Particularly if she/he can swing a class or two at night

during that year, even fairly fluffy courses at a local university branch or Community college, will usually transfer, and will help her/him get use to the difference between college and high school.

[Occulus]

58. All of this is very bad advice for music majors

I say this as a former oboist and music education major. "Take time off for community college" is not not not an option and easily results in dropping the major entirely.

There are very sound reasons for this. Most community colleges- unless you are very lucky- do not have a full music program, and oboists (and percussionists) especially must practice daily. It's not just the practicing that's important, though; all orchestral instruments really almost require collaborative effort in a small ensemble, chamber orchestra, or full orchestra to stay "in shape".

There's another consideration specific to oboists, though: the lip. Unlike other wind instruments, oboists have a very specific and difficult-to-master embouchure formed entirely by the muscles in the lip; we don't get help from the instrument as is with a clarinet or saxophone. Unless the instrument is played daily, those muscles weaken, and it becomes that much more difficult to do it right the next time. Additionally, again, unlike other wind instruments, oboists make their own reeds, which is a time-consuming, labor-intensive process that is, once again, very difficult to master and should be performed on a daily basis.

I was once told by the head of the oboe studio at my school that if I took time off to get my general education requirements taken care of at either community college or university that it would take roughly twice as long as I was away from music in general to "relearn" everything. He wasn't talking about losing knowledge, he was talking about physical capability.

Music majors are some of the toughest in any university, easily equal to advanced biology or physics courses to begin with. It only gets more intense as time passes; our university had a truly shocking drop rate for music majors. You have to want it and stay with it, beginning to end, or the chances that you'll drop the major increase exponentially.

If the student can find a community orchestra to perform with while going to community college, fine, but they have to stay with it and not take time off, other responsibilities notwithstanding. Please take it from a voice who has experienced the worse outcome; I've personally lived this and really don't want to see it happen to anyone else, especially to someone who sounds like she could be me. The circumstances are so similar it's a little creepy.

[LostinNY]

59. Wow! I didn't really think about this aspect of it, but you are so right!

[Dappleganger]

57. This is what we're doing...

thankfully this state has an excellent community college system with guaranteed acceptance as a junior in most of FL's college system. Our newly-graduated son and many of his friends are taking advantage of this program and will be saving both of us a lot of money.

[Taitertots]

17. Forget about Syracuse for music education

There is no shortage of high quality public universities. There is no shortage of majors that are statistically tied to lower rates of homelessness, unemployment, malnutrition, and poverty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UljMOg-47XA

[FSogol]

18. You need to read this book: "Debt-Free U"

"Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching off My Parents" by Zac Bissonette

[MrsBrady]

19. the University of North Texas is probably the best public music college

in the country.

College is not cheap, but UNT has a superb music program. And I would look into the tuition costs.
Sometimes the out of state tuition is cheaper here, or they will waive the out of state through scholarship. I would ask around.
Find out who in Syracuse might know people at UNT.


If she's been going to summer camps at Syracuse, I would network the crap out of whom you know and ask them
WHO she needs to study with and WHAT and HOW she needs to be practicing to get a scholarship.

There are things you can do. Start asking around.

[TexasProgresive]

22. RATZ! I was gonna suggest UNT n/t

[Melissa G]

24. My Hubby has a Master's from UNT. Excellent music school.

My elder daughter is just leaving for college. She is taking a year off to establish residency in the state she wants to go to college in. She thinks Washington. ( I'm worried about radiation in Seattle) I'm lobbying for NC. Tuition in NC is only about 4 grand a year for residents 8 grand for out of state. GREAT VALUE!

Elder daughter has been accepted to Americorp. She gets residency food and lodging stipend and then 5 grand for college and after a year, if we don't claim her on our income tax, she can apply for grants on her own without our income. Have your daughter think about it. UNT is only about 10 grand a year for in state tuition. PM me if I can be of service. I know a lot since we are doing this right now. Elder daughter refuses to go to college in Texas, so we are having to be creative.

[Wilms]

20. Here ya go.

Wouldn't surprise me if this school provides a superior education. And it's one sixth the cost.



http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/music/index.php?L=2&M=1

[Warren Stupidity]

21. hey doncha know, you peasants dont need no college anymore

rightwing douchebag libertarian billionaires are pretty sure college is way overrated. The promise made in the 60's that college would be accessible and affordable to all has been quietly allowed to die, surrounded by a hoopla of rightwing bullshit about how overrated it all was anyway.

[seabeyond]

23. i have been downgading my kids expectations in choice of colleges for a couple years

he has oppotunity out of state and vaious university and i show him the difference in cost. cant justify a 22k a year difference for education.

[Motown_Johnny]

25. How would the emancipated minor thing work?

Are there some requirements to prove that you are not helping her or is it just filing some paperwork?

[RebelOne]

26. My daughter was fortunate as she got her BA degree for free.

She went to work for Barry College in Miami in the graphic arts department. She was able to get a college education for nothing because she worked at the school. Her only expense was her books. She is now a teacher at a middle school in South Florida.

[badtoworse]

27. If you think education is expensive,...

try ignorance.

[TBF]

28. If she really wants Syracuse you could co-sign the loans,

but make sure she avoids credit cards. I've learned that with student loans you have a lot of options (forebearances, lower payments, etc... they are easy to work with), but the credit card companies are vultures.

You said she has a few years before applying so I wouldn't be freaking out now. Maybe try to cut back a bit more, and she can look for summer employment to save some spending money.

[FreeJoe]

29. Community College

I'd send them to community college for a couple of years to keep the costs down and then have them finish at a more expensive school.

I think that we're heading the wrong direction on college costs. We've been focusing on providing aid and loans, but that has just allowed schools to keep raising costs. We need to find a way to put financial discipline on schools so that they are focused on providing better value.

[shireen]

33. i was thinking the same.

It would really help with the cost.

I'm really appalled by how much it costs to get a degree. In the 1980s, i was in a state college for 5 years and for the last 3 years, I was able to carry most of my expenses working 20hrs/week paying in-state tuition. 25 years later, this has become impossible.

[JDPriestly]

50. Student loans cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. Remember that

is a huge disadvantage.

[ErikJ]

31. Thank Reagan and Reagan-ism

Reagan ended free college educatiion in Calif in the 60's as gov and its been all downhill since he became president. Its all part of the corporate RW plan to kill off the middle class to turn us all into serfs.

[Mimosa]

32. European countries make sure their people get affordable educations. Not so US! n/t

[FreeJoe]

34. Our approach sucked

The approach we tried to take here was to subsidize loans. That meant that colleges had more money available to their customers. Without pricing pressure, they spent that extra money and raised prices commensurately. In hindsight, it would probably have been better to subsidize college costs on a sliding scale where the subsidy decreased as tuition increased. Maybe that wouldn't have worked, but some approach that kept college costs down rather than giving colleges and incentive to raise costs would have been better.

[FreeJoe]

35. This advice is too late for you,

but if anyone else has young children and can spare the cash, I'd strongly consider something like a 529 college savings plan. We calculated what it would cost to send our kids to a top tier in-state public university for five years, factored in expected cost increases and investment growth, and came up with a monthly savings figure. We've been putting that much aside each month since our kids were born. We readjust our savings amount each year. It's a big chunk of change even when you spread it out over 23 years.

[distantearlywarning]

36. 15 years ago, I was in your daughter's situation (right down to the music degree path)

I eventually ended up waiting to go to school when I was 26, so the Federal Govt. wouldn't take my parents' income into account when making financial aid decisions.

Although it was frustrating, in a way it was good for me. I was a much more dedicated student at 26 than the 18 year olds around me, and had more of an idea about what I wanted to do with my life than I did when I was 18. I eventually went into research psychology, and am now about to graduate with a Ph.D. My job prospects in my area after graduation could earn me nearly 6 figures.

So take heart! All may not be lost for the student in your daughter's position...

[FourScore]

38. Why did you have to wait until you were 26?

My sister only worked for a year and a half and my parents were off the hook. She did it all herself.

[fujiyama]

39. I would suggest looking at local community colleges

and articulation agreements they have with universities in the area so all the credits are accepted when transferring. I'm pretty sure the SUNY system in NY has several agreements with CCs all over the state.

She can get the basics out of the way at a much lower cost, focus on studying and possibly working part time without the typical distractions of freshmen partying (nice way to save money or pay for the community college tuition outright), and then finish the last two years (or maybe three or more) at a four year university. I think the lower debt she graduates with, the more grateful she'll be in a few years.

There's no rule that says a person has to go to X school and graduate in Y number of years. It's tough not to get to go to the school you have your heart set on. But that's life. And it's good to be prepared when you're young that things don't always work out the way you want and you don't get always get what you want. And in several years, the school she went to will hardly be a determining factor of her career and life success. If she's determined and a hard worker (which it sounds like she is), she will do fine wherever. And if she wants, she can always go to Syracuse or whichever other university for graduate school. My friend that did a similar thing. He went to a smaller liberal arts school which gave him a lot of money, did really well and had good internships and is now at one of the best tech universities in the country.

Good luck to you and your family.

[Generic Other]

41. I second this...

I know many community college students who transferred on to prestigious institutions. It is not the school. It is the person going to the school who you are investing in.

[fujiyama]

46. I started at a four year college

flunked out, went to a community college, went to another four year university and got myself a degree. It took me some 5-6 years but eventually I made it. I credit a lot of that to the CC I attended.

Community colleges are likely some of the best institutions in terms of value for higher education in this country. For me it gave me a second chance to basically figure out what I wanted to do and re-calibrate myself according to my goals. For many others it gives them a start to explore what one wants to do at a MUCH lower cost than at a four year college or university - sometimes just the associates degree will be enough to launch a career.

For the courses I took, the courses were no less rigorous or challenging than comparable courses at a four year institution. The instructors were no less competent or qualified. The class sizes were also not ridiculous and there was some flexibility as well in class schedules (some being offered in evenings and on weekends). The only downside is your class "network" those two years may not be as strong since people don't typically stay on campus (and there's usually no housing per se either). So you may not gain the close friendships you would have otherwise. But it allows one the independence in a different sense and allows more focus academically. Some CCs may not have the right course selections either, but as I mentioned, it's best to coordinate that with academic advisers at the four year college/university you are transferring to.

[entanglement]

40. Sorry to hear that. With the intensifying RW assault on state schools

(exhibit A: University of California system), I don't know what to suggest. Maybe community college and a transfer after 2 years is her best bet.

[Ninten12]

42. No need to tell me...

My GI Bill expired and so I have to foot the bill for my own education. I get a scholarship that covers half the tuition BUT - the cost has more than doubled since I started!

When I started, 5 credits (with all fees) was about $650. Now, it's about $1400! They have also just announced a 12% increase...

Coming down the home stretch, I am wondering if I can ever finish. It sucks having to drop classes and skip quarters altogether because of the cost.

Welcome to America... Let's destroy education so that the masses cannot justify higher living standards. This is EXACTLY what the wing nuts and Ray Gun were/are all about!

[JDPriestly]

47. One way that students can improve their SAT and Merit scores

is to really work on their vocabulary skills and to do lots of practice exams. You used to be able to buy books that had practice exams in them.

We did not get the practice exams for our kids. It didn't cross our minds that you needed to prepare for those exams. But because our children were bilingual, my husband worked with them on widening their vocabularies. And English-speaking children could take the same approach. Give your daughter a set of three by five cards and a pretty good sized box for them and tell her to fill the box. Sit down with her every day and go over the new words. It's an easy way to improve SAT English scores.

[LostinNY]

49. Thanks everyone!

I am still hoping that we can come up with scholarship money, her grades are low to mid 90's and she is all-state level on her instrument. She doesn't take the SAT for a few years. I'm looking into getting a job at Syracuse, even if I work in a dining hall for 3 years she would get full tuition paid, but I don't know if I can give up my other, better paying job. At least our health insurance is from my husbands job so we'd keep that even if I took a lesser paying job.

To answer some questions, we have considered community college and might go that route. She's in love with Syracuse because it's local (although must live on campus for 2 years),she's spent time there for some music programs, sports camps and her father went to SUNY ESF, which is the state environmental Science and Forestry school, and is located at Syracuse University but a state school with state tuition. That's where she wanted to go until High School, when her love of music took over.

Here in NY, public school music teachers do make a decent wage, if you can get a job, but that's the story in any field right now. She also still hopes to go into performance as well.

We still owe student loans because I went back to school a few years ago for an advanced degree that didn't get me far in this economy!

Oh, one last thing, another reason she wants to stay local is because she has a neurological medical condition and would like to stay near home and her doctors if she needed our help. Does this make any difference? It is mostly controlled with medication, but not always. I give her so much credit for what she has achieved.

[blueamy66]

52. Have her go to work at a union shop

They paid my way through AZ State///AT&T

[NNN0LHI]

55. My employer paid for all my college because we had a union contract

I worked with a fellow who put himself through law school and it didn't cost him a dime out of his own pocket.

Unions used to set the pattern for wages and benefits for everyone. Even non-union workers benefited from that.

Then a lot of people began supporting non-union workers over union workers when they had that option and this is where we find ourselves today.

Don

[blueamy66]

56. Even though I lived in AZ, a right to work state.....

I paid my $10 yearly dues and CWA paid for my last year of college at ASU. Gotta love the unions!

[Zywiec]

54. How about ROTC?

I haven't seen any suggestions for that, and plenty of people get a full ride for college using this method.

:patriot: