Is it true that if you go to a state college, you don't get much financial aid?

Question

Basically my mother is no help when it comes to me going to college, she wants what she wants, and will lie to get that.

She wants me at a private school, and to commute.

I would rather board, at a public-it'd cost about the same.

BUT-

She's telling me that if I go to a public college, (we live in CT btw) that I will get almost nothing in financial aid?

I barely understand how it all works to begin with-she is gonna do the FASFA, and will not explain it all well to me.

I'll still apply to more than one school, two private ones it looks like, but will I not be able to get aid that I will not have to pay back, if I go the public route?

It's still quite expensive, as I'm paying for it myself.

Anyone go to public colleges that have comments?

Answer 1

Try studentaid.ed.gov

I think that the information you have heard is inaccurate. I could be wrong. You really, really need to talk with someone independently, someone who knows about financial aid. Maybe there is someone at your school, or someone else who would know more about it.

What kind of financial aid is she talking about? Is she talking about grants or scholarships? Or loans? There is no guarantee whatsoever that you will get more grants or scholarships simply because you go to a private school, unless perhaps a given school has its own provisions for such things. If you can get the grants or scholarships, that's a great thing. HOWEVER, if you go to a more expensive school, and end up having to use loans to finance it, you may be setting yourself up for much pain after graduation. You -will- have to repay the loans, unless you hook up with some situation where another party pays back the loan for you (and those tend to have a limit of how much they will pay back). About the only other ways I know of to be forgiven of the loans (the Federal ones, anyway) are to become permanently disabled, or to die. Otherwise, you cannot declare bankruptcy to get out of it; the lenders can make your life a living h**l in ways that other lenders of non-student loans cannot, if you default.

I have heard of people who attended private (read: more expensive) schools who certainly needed financial assistance, but ended up getting much of that in loans, which left them badly in debt. A financial advantage of a state school with in-state tuition is that you simply will need less money to pay for it.

Answer 2

I went to a state school and was able to get enough financial aid to pay my tuition. I did have to get a part time job to pay for my living expenses though. Yes, IN GENERAL, schools are not going to give out financial aid freely. Everyone would be taking it (and there are enough people already defaulting), but I think your mother is really try to sway you to go to a private school. If you do go to a private school, you will not be eligible for federal financial aid, just the scholarship and money that the school offers. Regardless, whereever YOU choose to go, you will be fine and get it paid for!

Answer 3

My daughter applied to many colleges, both state universities and private.  The private ones were MUCH more expensive and offered much better scholarships.  The public ones were much cheaper and yes, as your mother said, you don't get much money.  

Now here's the thing:  If you apply to an out-of-state public school, they will charge you tuition as though you were going to a private college, but they will give you scholarships as though you were going to a cheap public school.  So it's the worst of both worlds.  For example, you said you live in CT.  If you go to the University of Mass, they will charge a Mass. resident about $5,000/yr, but they will charge you maybe three times that.  (I'm making up numbers, but you get the idea.)  If they give a scholarship to a Mass. resident, they might offer $1,500.  You are paying much more, but if they offer you a scholarship, they will offer you the same $1,500 even though you are paying much more tuition.  Just something for you to consider.

Answer 4

Well, if you go to a public college OUT of state, then she may be right, you probably won't get as much.  When I was looking at schools, I was looking at both public and private colleges in CT (I'm also a CT resident).  When I did the FAFSA, then applied for financial aid at all the schools.  When you do that math (price of tuition/room/board/fees/etc. minus your financial aid package) it was about the same for out of pocket costs.  You can get grants (aid that you don't have to pay back) whether you go public or private.  Just apply and see what happens.  It's different for everyone depending on your financial situation.

Answer 5

It depends on your situation. Personally I have had no problem getting enough financial aid to cover my tuition but I'm also 23 so they don't even consider my parents income. I know a lot of 18 yr old students who have had a hard time getting financial aid because the had to list their parents income. Most had to get private loans to cover the cost.

If you have good enough grades to get a scholarship, I have heard that the scholarships are better at a private school than they are at a public school.