college savings

BlueBirdMB · July 2015

Hi All!

We're in the process of starting supplementary retirement funds and we just talked about college savings. We don't have any children now. We plan on having one child and would like to be able to pay for college, so we thought it'd be best to start now before we have a baby. I don't even want to know what college will cost in 20 years. A terrifying amount, I'm sure.

I know nothing about college savings plans. Details??? Thoughts???

cbee817 · July 2015

We have our state 529 plans for the girls. They're in an age based aggressive fund right now because they're young. Our state allows you to declare up to $10,000 per year in contributions for a family as a deduction ($700 tax credit)- we did that last year to start the fund but are now on a monthly transfer for each. The amount is based off a calculator we found on vanguard (see link)- you can enter the school, whether or not to include room and board, and it projects the cost out for each child. We went with our largest public state school that is local (DH and I both graduated from there with bachelor's and master's degrees). If they want to go somewhere out of state or private, they'll need to come up with the rest- whether it is scholarships or loans.

https://vanguard.wealthmsi.com/csp.php

smerka · July 2015

Here is a good tutorial. http://www.clarkhoward.com/clarks-529-plan-guide

hoffse · July 2015

Our state has a $50 credit per $1,000 contributed, up to $10,000 (or a $500 tax credit). Each state is going to have different rules on that. You can contribute more than that per year without generating a gift tax, but for our state, that's the max before the tax credit phases out.

529's can change beneficiaries, so if you want to start before you have a baby, I would open one with either you or your H as the beneficiary. Once you have a baby and baby has a SSN, you can make baby the new beneficiary on the account. Here are the FAQs on 529s from the IRS's website:

http://www.irs.gov/uac/529-Plans:-Questions-and-Answers

The only thing I would caution against is that 529s do tie up your money, and if you withdraw it for non-qualified expenses there is a 10% penalty. If it were me, I would probably wait until you were pregnant and had made it through the first few months before starting those contributions. You would still have a few months head start if you did that.

Alternatively, you could contribute now with the intent of using it for baby or yourself if your plans ultimately change for whatever reason.

hoffse · July 2015

I will also add that H and I's strategy is going to be to make 529 contributions up to the point to cover tuition, room, and board for a large state school in the state where we live. If we have kids that go out of state or private, we will likely still cover most of it, but we will probably use external investments to do so. H and I both went private, but it's not necessarily realistic to expect that our kids will do the same, and we don't want to tie up so much in a 529 that we incur a penalty after their education is over.

This could change if we end up with kids who really excel in school and start to express an interest in Tier 1 private schools... but we ought to have a few years notice to ramp up contributions for any given child if it looks like that's where they are headed. When they are really little, we're going to assume large state school.

Ideally we would like for it to be (mostly) spent down by the time they graduate or perhaps with just a little leftover that we could gift to any future grandchildren we may have.

If our kids end up going to a school where they receive a scholarship, we will hold on to their 529 for use in graduate school (assuming they attend). You can also typically withdraw any amount that your child receives in scholarships penalty-free (though I think you will have to pay income tax on any gains, which is to be expected). So don't worry about being financially penalized if your kid gets a scholarship - 529's aren't designed to do that.

brij2006 · July 2015

I'm going to agree with Hoffse. I wouldn't worry about starting a college fund until a baby is here. At that point, I would start an ESA and do the maximum annual amount (I believe $2,400) each year. If you started that from the day baby is born, you will have more than enough to pay for their schooling. This way you also don't have a bunch of unneeded money tied up in a college account, if they were to choose not to attend college or you needed it to avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy.

vlagrl29 · July 2015

I wouldn't do a fund until you have a baby either. We aren't doing college savings because we need to make sure we can retire. lol. Us and grandparents have separate savings for DD but it's not in a 529 or anything. I decided against the 529 in case she doesn't go to college.

BlueBirdMB · July 2015

I definetely agree on only saving enough for state tuition. We could make up for a private tuition by other means when that time comes. Lots of good info here, thanks all.

We're not in a hurry to start a fund, but we're trying to do a little financial planning to get an idea of how we'd like to save in the next couple years. Both of our parents did the best they could to pay for our college tuition. I worked, but my parents made a lot of financial sacrifices to help pay for college. My husband's father (as well as my husband) worked a second job to make sure his children wouldn't be unnecessarily burdened with student loans. This type of dedication towards ensuring a good head start in life for ones child is very important to us.

Are there any non-529 plan options?

BlueBirdMB · July 2015

Holy shit. I just put in the big state school here and... I'm horrified... gahhhh... in 20 years the estimated cost for 4 years of room, board, tuition is $318,000. GAH.

simplyelise · July 2015

BlueBirdMB said:

Holy shit. I just put in the big state school here and... I'm horrified... gahhhh... in 20 years the estimated cost for 4 years of room, board, tuition is $318,000. GAH.

To be fair, it's very unlikely that you would need to pay the full room an board price for more than one or two years. Living in a dorm and paying for a meal plan was significantly more expensive than renting a shared apartment when I was in school a few years ago. Of course you need a dash of conservativeness with this kind of planning, but how many people who go to state schools pay the full cost of tuition and full room and board for four years?

BlueBirdMB · July 2015

simplyelise said:

BlueBirdMB said:

Holy shit. I just put in the big state school here and... I'm horrified... gahhhh... in 20 years the estimated cost for 4 years of room, board, tuition is $318,000. GAH.

To be fair, it's very unlikely that you would need to pay the full room an board price for more than one or two years. Living in a dorm and paying for a meal plan was significantly more expensive than renting a shared apartment when I was in school a few years ago. Of course you need a dash of conservativeness with this kind of planning, but how many people who go to state schools pay the full cost of tuition and full room and board for four years?

Almost everyone I know with college age children these days. I lived at home, which saved a ton of money. I've literally heard parents say that their children MUST live on campus to have the full "college experience". My personal opinion is that this is an extremely expensive way getting an "experience" and if living on campus can be avoided either by living at home or in a cheaper apartment, then this is preferable.

simplyelise · July 2015

BlueBirdMB said:

simplyelise said:

BlueBirdMB said:

Holy shit. I just put in the big state school here and... I'm horrified... gahhhh... in 20 years the estimated cost for 4 years of room, board, tuition is $318,000. GAH.

To be fair, it's very unlikely that you would need to pay the full room an board price for more than one or two years. Living in a dorm and paying for a meal plan was significantly more expensive than renting a shared apartment when I was in school a few years ago. Of course you need a dash of conservativeness with this kind of planning, but how many people who go to state schools pay the full cost of tuition and full room and board for four years?

Almost everyone I know with college age children these days. I lived at home, which saved a ton of money. I've literally heard parents say that their children MUST live on campus to have the full "college experience". My personal opinion is that this is an extremely expensive way getting an "experience" and if living on campus can be avoided either by living at home or in a cheaper apartment, then this is preferable.

They live in the dorms with a meal plan for all four years? Really? I only graduated college in 2011, so maybe this is a regional thing. In the midwest, most live on campus for the first year. Some stay on living on campus their second year. But the only people who stay in dorms after that are in residential life employees or just really odd types.

vlagrl29 · July 2015

I lived at home which helped save a ton of money during those 6 years. DH went to an art school in denver so he had to stay at an apartment near campus. There are some schools that require you to live on campus for your entire bachelors.

vlagrl29 · July 2015

you could also put money into a money market account and invest it instead of a 529 but not sure the rate of return. We just have money in a childs savings account for DD. I'd like to say we can afford for DD to go to college, but most likely we won't because the cost for college is SO crazy high now and I can't imagine the cost when the time comes.

BlueBirdMB · July 2015

simplyelise said:

BlueBirdMB said:

simplyelise said:

BlueBirdMB said:

Holy shit. I just put in the big state school here and... I'm horrified... gahhhh... in 20 years the estimated cost for 4 years of room, board, tuition is $318,000. GAH.

To be fair, it's very unlikely that you would need to pay the full room an board price for more than one or two years. Living in a dorm and paying for a meal plan was significantly more expensive than renting a shared apartment when I was in school a few years ago. Of course you need a dash of conservativeness with this kind of planning, but how many people who go to state schools pay the full cost of tuition and full room and board for four years?

Almost everyone I know with college age children these days. I lived at home, which saved a ton of money. I've literally heard parents say that their children MUST live on campus to have the full "college experience". My personal opinion is that this is an extremely expensive way getting an "experience" and if living on campus can be avoided either by living at home or in a cheaper apartment, then this is preferable.

They live in the dorms with a meal plan for all four years? Really? I only graduated college in 2011, so maybe this is a regional thing. In the midwest, most live on campus for the first year. Some stay on living on campus their second year. But the only people who stay in dorms after that are in residential life employees or just really odd types.

I think it might be a regional thing. Or just a upper middle class ridiculous thing. Who knows. My kid will definetely not be staying in a dorm all 4 years.

lbonga1 · July 2015

I think online degrees are going to start becoming a more popular option. I'm considering getting a Masters in computer science from Georgia Tech...their online program is only around $7500.

jtmh2012 · July 2015

vlagrl29 said:

you could also put money into a money market account and invest it instead of a 529 but not sure the rate of return. We just have money in a childs savings account for DD. I'd like to say we can afford for DD to go to college, but most likely we won't because the cost for college is SO crazy high now and I can't imagine the cost when the time comes.

At least in our case, the 529 plan has the same fund options that exist in our IRA and general investment accounts. You could just invest the money in a normal investment account in whatever funds. This would beat the money market option. However, do look into the tax implications to make sure it is the right option for you.

jtmh2012 · July 2015

BlueBirdMB said:

Holy shit. I just put in the big state school here and... I'm horrified... gahhhh... in 20 years the estimated cost for 4 years of room, board, tuition is $318,000. GAH.

I just looked up the school I went to. Told it tuition/fees only and it said $32.7k/year. That's $130k by the time he completes 4 yrs of school.

While I know the cost of everything goes up over time, I do think that there's a certain point where this craziness must stop.

als1982 · July 2015

jtmh2012 said:

BlueBirdMB said:

Holy shit. I just put in the big state school here and... I'm horrified... gahhhh... in 20 years the estimated cost for 4 years of room, board, tuition is $318,000. GAH.

I just looked up the school I went to. Told it tuition/fees only and it said $32.7k/year. That's $130k by the time he completes 4 yrs of school.

While I know the cost of everything goes up over time, I do think that there's a certain point where this craziness must stop.

Holy cow. I just checked mine and its $3,254 a semester. A freshman living in the dooms is estimated to spend $14,880 including housing and books. Loved my D2 state school!

formerlyGDaisy09 · July 2015

BlueBirdMB said:

simplyelise said:

BlueBirdMB said:

simplyelise said:

BlueBirdMB said:

Holy shit. I just put in the big state school here and... I'm horrified... gahhhh... in 20 years the estimated cost for 4 years of room, board, tuition is $318,000. GAH.

To be fair, it's very unlikely that you would need to pay the full room an board price for more than one or two years. Living in a dorm and paying for a meal plan was significantly more expensive than renting a shared apartment when I was in school a few years ago. Of course you need a dash of conservativeness with this kind of planning, but how many people who go to state schools pay the full cost of tuition and full room and board for four years?

Almost everyone I know with college age children these days. I lived at home, which saved a ton of money. I've literally heard parents say that their children MUST live on campus to have the full "college experience". My personal opinion is that this is an extremely expensive way getting an "experience" and if living on campus can be avoided either by living at home or in a cheaper apartment, then this is preferable.

They live in the dorms with a meal plan for all four years? Really? I only graduated college in 2011, so maybe this is a regional thing. In the midwest, most live on campus for the first year. Some stay on living on campus their second year. But the only people who stay in dorms after that are in residential life employees or just really odd types.

I think it might be a regional thing. Or just a upper middle class ridiculous thing. Who knows. My kid will definetely not be staying in a dorm all 4 years.

It might be a regional thing, I don't think it's a class thing. I lived in dorms, on campus all four years (I was part of residential life staff the last 2 years), my family is most certainly not upper-middle class. I think the full campus emersion had a huge impact on who I am as a person, plus not having to worry about grocery shopping, meal planning, or finding time to make or pack meals while I was writing my thesis and studying was huge, I don't think I would have graduated with the GPA I had if I'd lived off campus and been off the meal plan. My parents liked that they didn't have to worry about what I was eating, if I was eating, the liked the comfort of knowing I had access to the dining hall and would not be going hungry. (our campus was small enough that there was only one meal plan...unlimited access to the dining hall).

hoffse · July 2015

BlueBirdMB said:

simplyelise said:

BlueBirdMB said:

simplyelise said:

BlueBirdMB said:

Holy shit. I just put in the big state school here and... I'm horrified... gahhhh... in 20 years the estimated cost for 4 years of room, board, tuition is $318,000. GAH.

To be fair, it's very unlikely that you would need to pay the full room an board price for more than one or two years. Living in a dorm and paying for a meal plan was significantly more expensive than renting a shared apartment when I was in school a few years ago. Of course you need a dash of conservativeness with this kind of planning, but how many people who go to state schools pay the full cost of tuition and full room and board for four years?

Almost everyone I know with college age children these days. I lived at home, which saved a ton of money. I've literally heard parents say that their children MUST live on campus to have the full "college experience". My personal opinion is that this is an extremely expensive way getting an "experience" and if living on campus can be avoided either by living at home or in a cheaper apartment, then this is preferable.

They live in the dorms with a meal plan for all four years? Really? I only graduated college in 2011, so maybe this is a regional thing. In the midwest, most live on campus for the first year. Some stay on living on campus their second year. But the only people who stay in dorms after that are in residential life employees or just really odd types.

I think it might be a regional thing. Or just a upper middle class ridiculous thing. Who knows. My kid will definetely not be staying in a dorm all 4 years.

It depends on the school too. The college I went to required on-campus living for the first 3 years, and then they lotteried like 100 students who could live off-campus the 4th year. They have now built enough dorms that living on campus for all 4 years is required. I went to a private school though.

als1982 · July 2015

BlueBirdMB said:

simplyelise said:

BlueBirdMB said:

simplyelise said:

BlueBirdMB said:

Holy shit. I just put in the big state school here and... I'm horrified... gahhhh... in 20 years the estimated cost for 4 years of room, board, tuition is $318,000. GAH.

To be fair, it's very unlikely that you would need to pay the full room an board price for more than one or two years. Living in a dorm and paying for a meal plan was significantly more expensive than renting a shared apartment when I was in school a few years ago. Of course you need a dash of conservativeness with this kind of planning, but how many people who go to state schools pay the full cost of tuition and full room and board for four years?

Almost everyone I know with college age children these days. I lived at home, which saved a ton of money. I've literally heard parents say that their children MUST live on campus to have the full "college experience". My personal opinion is that this is an extremely expensive way getting an "experience" and if living on campus can be avoided either by living at home or in a cheaper apartment, then this is preferable.

They live in the dorms with a meal plan for all four years? Really? I only graduated college in 2011, so maybe this is a regional thing. In the midwest, most live on campus for the first year. Some stay on living on campus their second year. But the only people who stay in dorms after that are in residential life employees or just really odd types.

I think it might be a regional thing. Or just a upper middle class ridiculous thing. Who knows. My kid will definetely not be staying in a dorm all 4 years.

I don't know a single person who lived in the dorms all four years. I found that apartment living made for good life - and college - experience. Learning how to balance bills, school, on campus activities, a job, and lots and lots of beer.

I also lived in my sorority house senior year and in hindsight, wish I would have lived there more than just that one year - SO much fun!!!

hoffse · July 2015

I'll also second Gdaisy and add that when most (all) of the students live on-campus all four years it's a pretty unique college experience. It's obviously very expensive, but it was very cool.

I moved to an apartment for law school (attended the same school), and I didn't like it nearly as much. People were scattered around the city and there just wasn't the same community feeling as we had in college. Plus having to commute was a pain in the butt. I really liked living on campus and being able to get from my room to the classroom in under 3 minutes walking.

If it hadn't been required, I'm sure my parents would have encouraged me to get an apartment to save money, and I probably would have done it. I'm glad I had the on-campus experience though, along with virtually everybody else in my class.

Xstatic3333 · July 2015

I think it's school by school, not regional. I lived on campus all four years only because my scholarship required me to. Most of my friends moved off junior year, and I was pretty jealous. I really prefer cooking for myself, and the dorm security rules were a drag. I was at BU, such a massive school that I don't think sharing that gives away much about my identity.

formerlyGDaisy09 · July 2015

hoffse said:

I'll also second Gdaisy and add that when most (all) of the students live on-campus all four years it's a pretty unique college experience. It's obviously very expensive, but it was very cool.

I moved to an apartment for law school (attended the same school), and I didn't like it nearly as much. People were scattered around the city and there just wasn't the same community feeling as we had in college. Plus having to commute was a pain in the butt. I really liked living on campus and being able to get from my room to the classroom in under 3 minutes walking.

If it hadn't been required, I'm sure my parents would have encouraged me to get an apartment to save money, and I probably would have done it. I'm glad I had the on-campus experience though, along with virtually everybody else in my class.

our school also required it for the first 3 years. And the seniors who moved off campus often regretted it and spent most of their time trying to figure out how to sneek into the dining hall. The community feel was amazing. I also think given the drinking culture among most college communities it was much safer having everyone on campus, no one was drinking and getting into cars and driving around. Again, this was a small private college.

simplyelise · July 2015

I went to the large, public state university. I lived on campus only the first year, which was pretty much required. The second year, it was about 60% of my friends that stayed in the dorms a second year. They actually didn't even have enough room for all the incoming freshman that year, so they had to contract out a building at a nearby private student apartment complex and pay to have constant shuttle buses to campus. But after about 5 years of record enrollment, they've gotten enough dorms built that they can handle the freshman and sophomores who stay.

The big problem in our town (I still live in the same college town) now is luxury student apartments. I first moved here in 2007 and the first one went up in probably 09. Now they are so prevalent that it's a constant issue at the city council to figure out how to stop taxing the utility infrastructure with these quick-up complexes. They've got about 5 or 6 different luxury apartments downtown (and a few more elsewhere) and the rent is over $600/bedroom for a 4-plex. And most of the tenants seem to still drive to campus even though it's within a mile's walk. For comparison, DH and I rent a 2BR/1Ba apartment here for $690 with a carport and cable and internet included. Most people I knew in college paid about $200 or less per bedroom in a duplex.

Based on the type of tenants we see as they ignore all traffic rules and run around on the downtown streets during rush hour, most of these kids aren't paying that rent themselves. And since they're downtown,most are over-indulging in the bar scene. The luxury student apartment boom has definitely started spreading out from our town to the other public universities in the state. I doubt these parents are saving much compared to dorms.

simplyelise · July 2015

simplyelise said:

I went to the large, public state university. I lived on campus only the first year, which was pretty much required. The second year, it was about 60% of my friends that stayed in the dorms a second year. They actually didn't even have enough room for all the incoming freshman that year, so they had to contract out a building at a nearby private student apartment complex and pay to have constant shuttle buses to campus. But after about 5 years of record enrollment, they've gotten enough dorms built that they can handle the freshman and sophomores who stay.

The big problem in our town (I still live in the same college town) now is luxury student apartments. I first moved here in 2007 and the first one went up in probably 09. Now they are so prevalent that it's a constant issue at the city council to figure out how to stop taxing the utility infrastructure with these quick-up complexes. They've got about 5 or 6 different luxury apartments downtown (and a few more elsewhere) and the rent is over $600/bedroom for a 4-plex. And most of the tenants seem to still drive to campus even though it's within a mile's walk. For comparison, DH and I rent a 2BR/1Ba apartment here for $690 with a carport and cable and internet included. Most people I knew in college paid about $200 or less per bedroom in a duplex.

Based on the type of tenants we see as they ignore all traffic rules and run around on the downtown streets during rush hour, most of these kids aren't paying that rent themselves. And since they're downtown,most are over-indulging in the bar scene. The luxury student apartment boom has definitely started spreading out from our town to the other public universities in the state. I doubt these parents are saving much compared to dorms.

Actually just found this 2013 NYT article that is specifically about my town/school and the luxury housing boom: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/15/us/in-luxury-student-housing-gym-tan-and-study.html?_r=0

I didn't realize we were so much at the epicenter of this thing.

BlueBirdMB · July 2015

Wow this turned into an interesting housing discussion. It personally annoys me that schools require that students live on campus- it's just a money maker thing. I will never be convinced that an "experience" can be worth, well, by the time my kid goes to state school, over a hundred grand.

formerlyGDaisy09 · July 2015

BlueBirdMB said:

Wow this turned into an interesting housing discussion. It personally annoys me that schools require that students live on campus- it's just a money maker thing. I will never be convinced that an "experience" can be worth, well, by the time my kid goes to state school, over a hundred grand.

in our school, living on campus was more of a safety issue than anything else. My school charged a "comprehensive fee" rather than tuition + room and board, all students were on the same meal plan (all you can eat whenever the dining hall was open), and almost everyone lived on campus. (seniors could get a portion of their comprehensive fee back if they were approved to live off campus). The city my school was in had some real drug and violence issues, the year before I arrived on campus two seniors from the football team were stabbed to death just a few blocks off campus. Students living off campus had to have their off-campus residence approved by the deans office (I think they mainly ran a check that no where in that neighborhood had had any major crimes in the last few years.) There was a refugee population in town from a country so war torn and stricken with poverty theft and violence were a "normal" part of their culture, there was also unrest about the influx of that population among the locals that caused a lot of tension.

There are definitely valid reasons, besides money, that students were required to live on campus.

hoffse · July 2015

BlueBirdMB said: Wow this turned into an interesting housing discussion. It personally annoys me that schools require that students live on campus- it's just a money maker thing. I will never be convinced that an "experience" can be worth, well, by the time my kid goes to state school, over a hundred grand.

The school I went to didn't have as much crime as Gdaisy described, but it was still in a big-ish city. There were a couple shootings on campus while I was there, and there was a homeless population around. While I was in law school I would not study at the school at night unless my H was with me, because I would have to walk off campus to the parking lot to get my car.

I also want to point out that when Gdaisy and I talk about "experience" we don't mean dorm parties. I'm talking about the opportunities schools like that provide to their undergraduates. I got to do some pretty amazing things. I won't get into a laundry list, but I'll tell you about one of the coolest things I got to do.... my senior year the school gave me a grant to travel to Washington, DC to get into the Smithsonian archives for research. That will forever rank as one of my top 5 life experiences.

That's what we mean when we say college was a cool experience - there's this community of people who are there and present and living to learn. Everything about those four years - even the living situation - is designed to immerse students in their education.

Obviously this won't be worth it to everybody. But yeah, that experience was worth it to me. It was worth it to my parents also.

Finally... sticker price doesn't mean that's what you pay. My school's sticker price was over $40K while I was there. My entire undergraduate education - on campus living and all - cost less than $100K. In fact, more than half the undergraduates were on serious merit scholarships while I was there. Take those numbers with a huge bucket of salt, because many many students don't pay the price listed online.

formerlyGDaisy09 · July 2015

hoffse said:

BlueBirdMB said:

Wow this turned into an interesting housing discussion. It personally annoys me that schools require that students live on campus- it's just a money maker thing. I will never be convinced that an "experience" can be worth, well, by the time my kid goes to state school, over a hundred grand.

The school I went to didn't have as much crime as Gdaisy described, but it was still in a big-ish city. There were a couple shootings on campus while I was there, and there was a homeless population around. While I was in law school I would not study at the school at night unless my H was with me, because I would have to walk off campus to the parking lot to get my car.

I also want to point out that when Gdaisy and I talk about "experience" we don't mean dorm parties. I'm talking about the opportunities schools like that provide to their undergraduates. I got to do some pretty amazing things. I won't get into a laundry list, but I'll tell you about one of the coolest things I got to do.... my senior year the school gave me a grant to travel to Washington, DC to get into the Smithsonian archives for research. That will forever rank as one of my top 5 life experiences.

That's what we mean when we say college was a cool experience - there's this community of people who are there and present and living to learn. Everything about those four years - even the living situation - is designed to immerse students in their education.

Obviously this won't be worth it to everybody. But yeah, that experience was worth it to me. It was worth it to my parents also.

Finally... sticker price doesn't mean that's what you pay. My school's sticker price was over $40K while I was there. My entire undergraduate education - on campus living and all - cost less than $100K. In fact, more than half the undergraduates were on serious merit scholarships while I was there. Take those numbers with a huge bucket of salt, because many many students don't pay the price listed online.

the dorm parties were only a minor part of the experience...and again my parents loved knowing that if I was drinking I was on campus. Small schools that keep all their students on campus build a different sense of community than others. We had several campus-wide picnics while the weather was nice. the dining staff put together a lovely (my school continually ranks in the top 10 for best food) community dinner just before the holidays. there were always concerts and other events going on on campus, community coffee houses, etc.

Because everyone lived on campus, everyone was much more intune with everything that was going on on campus. It just built a different sense of community than what I think you get at a bigger school. I'm a bit of a social hermit, when I'm in new situations, I would have definitely been a bit of a loaner and not made many friends in school if I had chosen to go to a larger state school. being in a small school where you got really close with the other students in your major (there were only 6 of us majoring in chemistry in my class), you feel like you know everyone in your class, and you become friends with students in younger classes (and older classes) I have close friends who graduated between 2007 and 2011.

I just encourage everyone to help your children to pick a school that is truely the right fit for them, my personality would have crumbled in a big school and I probably would not have been as successful afterward. Pay what you can, but don't prevent your children from going to schools because you don't agree with the school's model. I defintely agree that H and I will plan to be able to pay in-state tuition for our state school, however if our children would like to go to a private college I'm certainly not going to stand in their way. I thank my alma mater for my job, in 2009 I had a job before graduation because employers were seeking out graduates from small private colleges,...seriously the job was never posted, my advisor passed along a personal e-mail she received asking if she had any new graduates who were candidates for the position.

My sister on the other hand thrived at a larger university and would have been bored at my school and would have probably applied to transfer.

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