Saving money is a big deal nowadays. The financial crisis that hit the nation in 2008 had a detrimental effect on income and savings - which adversely affected the ability for many students to afford college tuition.
Unfortunately, college tuition costs have not adapted to these difficult financial times. According to College Board, the average costs for a private four-year institution in the 2009-2010 school year is $26,272 and $7,020 for public four-year institutions.
However, nearly one-third of full-time students at public schools pay less than $6,000 per year in tuition, so finding cheaper alternatives is possible. Let's take a look at some colleges with great price tags and education to match.
Colleges and Universities with Major Bang for the Buck
According to the Princeton Review and USA Today, the following are colleges and universities that offer very affordable tuition and quality education for their in-state students:
1. Brigham Young University - This Provo, Utah university is a major educational melting pot, combining both heavily religious and secular students to creating a population of over 27,000. While the environment is very friendly and the educational opportunities are stellar, the price is even more inviting at $3,840 annually for LDS students (The Church of Latter Day Saints members). All other students pay closer to $6,500 - still not bad.
2. Florida State University - This Tallahassee, Fla. university offers and impressive price tag of only $4,007 in annual in-state tuition and has a large student body of over 30,000 graduates. But the high number of students and enormous amount of activities doesn't stop students from excelling in its top programs, including biology, business, music and engineering. With eight libraries and 24-hour computer labs, the school makes sure students have no excuse for not getting their work done.
3. Georgia College and State University - This southern university located in Milledgeville, Ga. offers its in-state students a very reasonable tuition of around $4,113 annually. Of that population, nearly 80 percent of the students are eligible for and receive financial assistance of some type (need-based scholarships, loans and grants). Luckily, with most students living in apartments near the campus, room and board isn't as much of an issue.
4. James Madison University - Another school with very reasonable tuition is James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. Offering its in-state students a quality cost of roughly $3,600 annually, it offers just as much quality in its business, health services and management programs, which are all highly regarded academically.
5. University of Central Florida - This is the third-largest university in the U.S. with over 53,000 students and 12 colleges located throughout Orlando, Fla. But what's even better is that the school offers very low in-state, full-time, annual tuition of roughly $3,600. This career-driven university offers a great opportunity for students to participate in a booming community thanks to strong educational programs in business, education, engineering, computer science and mass communications.
6. University of North Carolina at Asheville - This North Carolina university is known for offering the quality education of a private school with a public school price tag. On average, the in-state annual tuition is about $4,300. With a strong focus on liberal arts and sciences, the students leave this university with a wealth of well-rounded knowledge and little-to-no debt if they play their cards right.
7. University of North Carolina at Greensboro - Students at this university could take advantage of yearly tuition with fees at right around $4,200. Very impressive! But what's even more impressive is the school's growing academic reputations and the fact that the school has a great 16:1 student-to-teacher ratio - and 90 percent of the classes are taught by actual professors, not graduate students.
8. University of North Florida - Jacksonville, Fla. is home to this university that offers a very reasonable tuition of about $4,193 annually. Since most of the population is commuter-based, room and board is very often not a factor for students. Currently, the school is on the fast track to academic leadership, boasting top programs in the areas of nursing, nutrition and business.
Some schools will require additional fees per semester for activities, athletics, health services and more that have not been calculated in their tuition. However, the costs are still very reasonable. This means, if you are already living in state and, choosing to live off campus, you could save tons in college costs while receiving a reputable education.
Calculating Your College Costs
As you think about how much school will cost, it is important to consider how much you will pay for tuition, additional fees and room and board, if necessary. If you're trying to save for college, you also want to take into consideration that tuition costs do increase year over year. For instance, according to College Board, the 2009-2010 school year shows a private institution tuition cost increase of 4.4 percent over the previous school year while private institutions saw an increase of 6.5 percent.
If you're seriously considering getting a jump on saving for your child's education, you could utilize this college savings calculator to help you determine how much you might need to save based on the number of years you plan to save - as well as the profession you think your child might pursue.
Financial Assistance
If you don't have a lot of time to save, there are always other financial options to consider. The best option to push for is a scholarship. Since scholarships pay for school costs without a payback requirement, getting enough scholarship money to pay for full tuition and other fees could leave you with a clean slate when you graduate.
However, this is not an option for everyone. Some schools offer access to numerous grants and loans. Of course, grants also don't have to be paid back, but are often limited to those in great financial need. Student loans, both federal and private, are usually more accessible; however, recent reports show that private student loans aren't as accessible as they once were due to the financial crisis. If you think you are interested in federal financial assistance, you could always apply online with FAFSA to see if you qualify.
With college tuition going up every year, it's good to know that there are schools out there willing to charge a little less for a great educational experience. So if you're on the fast track to college and live in one of the above states, why not take advantage of all these schools have to offer?
Alena
http://grantsforeducation.info
