u/Janzith

My sister got into a private college she really liked, and the aid package looked generous at first. The total cost of attendance is about $78k/year, and everyone was excited because the school gave her a lot of aid on paper. But now that we’re looking at the actual remaining bill after grants, scholarships and federal loans, there’s still around $25k/year left.

Our parents can probably help with $5k-$7k/year, but not the full gap. So the rest would mean parent loans, private loans, extra work, or hoping for outside scholarships.

The school says they “met need,” but it still doesn’t feel affordable. Is a gap like this something people usually appeal/figure out, or is it basically a sign to choose a cheaper school?

My school’s dorms are getting absurdly expensive next year. Housing + meal plan comes out to almost $18k for the year, which is making me seriously consider moving off-campus with 2 roommates.

It looks cheaper because rent would be around $750/month each, but once I add groceries, utilities, WiFi, commuting, furniture, random household stuff, and probably losing the convenience of being near campus, I’m not sure the savings are as big as they first seem.

For people who’ve done both: did off-campus living genuinely reduce your overall college costs, or did the hidden expenses balance it back out?