St. 爱德华大学致力于使用这些原则 & 标准 大学成本透明倡议 在学生经济援助中.
那么，你已经申请并被你想上的大学录取了. 你已经提交了 FAFSA (or CSS档案 for international students) and your financial aid offers are starting to roll in. You've arrived at the verge of making a fundamental choice that will shape the course of your life.
At this pivotal moment, you deserve the chance to pause before making that decision. 既然你来了, what's the best way to use all this information to help choose the cornerstone on which you'll build your future?
你不应该做的:只关注你的总奖金或学费
当你开始收到学校提供的经济援助时, usually the first instinct is to strongly consider the school that's offered you the most amount of money. 毕竟，你得到的资助越多，学校就越应该负担得起. 至少很多人是这么认为的. 或者你没有得到丰厚的奖励, another assumption is to think that schools with lower tuition rates might be your better choice financially. These assumptions can cause you to focus on only a few schools while dismissing the rest out of hand, 其中一所可能就是你梦寐以求的学校.
Don't assume just because one college's tuition costs are less than others or because one college is giving you more in grants and scholarships that it's the better value for the money. 情况可能并非总是如此.
What you should do: Compare a school's grant and scholarship offer against what that school will be charging you
One of the true measures of a school's financial aid offer is how much you'll end up owing the school after your aid is applied against your charges.
当你上大学时，你会有一个校园学生账户. 你的学校每学期都会把学费等费用记入这个账户的账单, 校内食宿费用, 和费用. 而学费和食宿费将占你费用的很大一部分, 这是额外的费用，可以真正使你的总成本的差异.
举个例子，St. 爱德华的 typically charges an incoming freshman during the first year of college:
- 学费, 每学期
- 综合收费- 每学期
- 房屋收费- 每个学期你都住在学校宿舍里
- 食物(膳食计划)- 每个学期你都是全日制学生
- 迎新费- 一次性收取
There are a handful of other costs you might be charged, but only if you need them:
- 〇健康保险 每个学期如果你没有自己的保险
- 汽车许可证- 如果你打算在校园里停车，一年一次
- 每月付款计划费用- 每个学期你都要按月分期付款
在其他学校, 尤其是公立学院和大学, 你每年可能要交更多的费用. 事实上，这些额外的费用会在你的学期账单上增加数千美元. Here's an example of the mandatory fees a regional state school charges their undergraduate students 每学期 beyond tuition and 房间/板:
- 田径的费用
- 公共汽车费
- 电脑服务费
- 环境服务费
- 身份证服务费
- 国际教育费
- 图书馆的费用
- 医疗服务费
- 康乐及体育费
- 学生中心费用
- 学生刊物费
- 学生服务费
- 学生成功费
Each school will have its own set of specific fees although you'll find some in common like a car permit. 和学费一样，各个学校的学费也各不相同. So, figuring out your anticipated balance at each school is going to require some research and a little bit of basic math. 绝对值得花时间, 然而, because even though you may have been awarded a larger scholarship at one school than at another, 那所学校最终的花费可能比你想象的要多, 特别是如果他们收取更多的费用.
总计 出勤费用 包括收费和非收费. 出席费用不是账单, 但是对一个普通学生上圣. 爱德华的.
...even though you may have been awarded a larger scholarship at one school than at another, 那所学校最终的花费可能比你想象的要多, 特别是如果他们收取更多的费用.
4个比较成本的简单步骤
- Look at your aid offers and add up how much each school is giving you in scholarship and grants, 你不需要偿还的首选援助类型.
Don't include work-study since you have to earn it over the course of the year by working in an on-campus job; plus earnings are paid directly to you instead of toward your balance. 也, don't include student or parent loan offers since those have to be paid back. - 访问每个学院的网站，找到他们的学杂费部分(这是我们的). 合计你的学费, 房间/板 and all the mandatory fees you'll be charged for both fall and spring. Don't forget that you might also be charged additional fees for optional items and services you choose to purchase.
确保你选对了学年. 一些大学，尤其是州立大学，公布新利率的速度很慢. 也, 通过邮件确认你已经找到了所有可能的费用, 调用, 或者拜访学校的经济援助办公室. 你可以找到你的St. 爱德华的 financial advisor's contact info in both your acceptance and award letters in case you have questions for us. - 下载我们的 比较实际学费 工作表. 此工作表为您提供了汇总每所学校的费用和资助的空间.
- Subtract each school's total grant and scholarship offer from its total costs for tuition, 房间/板, 和费用来计算你的底线.
成本很重要，但不要忘记价值
在做了比较之后, you may be surprised to discover that some of the more expensive schools you've applied to cost less than you thought, 而有些公立学校的学费比你想象的要高. 也许你的第一选择与其他选择相差不到几千美元, 更便宜的选择. 现在你对你的实际成本有了更好的了解, 你可以开始关注可负担性与价值的关系.
对于一些家庭来说, the extra investment in a school that provides opportunities such as a vibrant learning and living community, 班级规模更小, 全球参与的机会, 国家认可的学术课程值得额外的花费. These are the factors that define your educational experience over the course of your college career and, 反过来, 塑造你的人生轨迹. So, 除了比较成本, 研究一下每所学校提供的课程, talk to current students and be sure to visit the campus to help determine which school is right for you.
最后，不要害怕问问题. Speak with each of your school's financial aid office to explore ways to help manage your expenses during your first year as well as subsequent ones. 而一些项目，如学费和杂费通常是固定的, you may be able to reduce costs by exploring less expensive residence halls or meal plans. 就像你为你的大二做计划一样, 初级, 大四的时候, ask about opportunities for continuing student scholarships or even positions like a Resident Assistant which could help cover future housing costs. 所有的圣. 爱德华的 students have a financial advisor who'll work closely with you and your family during your time at the university to develop a customized financing plan tailored to your family's financial situation.
额外的资源
大学理事会的大未来
除了管理P坐, 坐, 和AP考试, the College Board provides numerous resources for college-bound freshmen including guides for understanding your financial aid offers and calculating your college costs.
大学记分卡
This Department of Education website includes helpful information to help guide your college selection including graduation rates, 毕业后收入, typical education loan debt and monthly student loan repayment amounts (for those who borrow).
为所有德州人上大学
This state website includes resources for Texas residents including sections on state financial aid programs as well as state public and private school costs (just remember to pay attention to which school year is listed).
消费者金融保护局
This federal website provides resources to help students and families compare college costs and financial aid offers.