If you’re planning on going away to college, you already know there is a significant amount of planning and preparation that needs to be done before you ever pack a suitcase.
But even if further education means commuting from home, what might surprise you are the dollars you’ll pay in upfront costs before you ever enter a class.
Think of the school you’re going to as the end of the road, and what follows as the tolls you’ll be paying to get there.
The list of toll booths you’ll have to pass through includes college admissions tests, admissions applications, and loan and scholarship forms. You’ll also want to visit a number of campuses to be sure what you’ve heard or read about in brochures matches the real world.
Here’s a rundown of what’s ahead:
– Admission exams. Scores from ACT and SAT I tests are often a required part of the admissions process throughout the country. The ACT costs $20, the SAT I $22.50.
Most students take one or both of these tests more than once.
“I’d estimate that over half the college applicants we see are taking at least one of these exams for at least the second time,” said Jim Ruoti, dean of admissions for Illinois Wesleyan University.
Test dates through the first half of 1998 are already set. The SAT I is scheduled for Jan. 24, March 28, May 2 and June 6. The last day to register for those dates is Dec. 19, Feb. 20, March 26 and April 30, respectively.
The ACT tests dates next year are Feb. 7, April 4 and June 13, with late registration deadlines of Jan. 5, March 2 and May 11.
Both tests carry a $15 penalty for late registration.
– College admissions applications. “College applications fees you’ll pay cover a very wide range,” Ruoti said. “Even between schools, you’ll find fees ranging from no cost whatsoever to as high as $60.”
Illinois State, Northern, Southern and Western Illinois are examples of schools with no application fees; the University of Illinois, Eastern Illinois and the University of Illinois at Chicago charge for processing admissions applications.
Most students don’t apply to just one school.
“I tell my students to consider as many as six places,” said Donna Epton, college and career consultant for Palatine High School District 211. “I want them to pick two `safe’ choices, two middle-of-the-road and two that are a `reach.’ “
“You always want a couple of things to fall back on, because the admissions standards might be too restrictive somewhere, the financial aid falls through, or you realize after visiting a school it’s just not the right fit,” Ruoti said.
Admission fees can be waived if students ask counselors to intervene. “Schools will generally look at waiving fees if a counselor indicates some sort of hardship,” Ruoti said.
There’s no standard waiver form, other than the circumstances should be written and verifiable through someone other than the applicant or his family.
Applicants can expect to wait as little as 10 days to as long as six months before learning if they’ve been accepted.
“It depends on the school’s criteria, your own credentials and the way admissions are handled,” Ruoti said. “Some schools just plug in numbers from your class rank and test scores. Other schools’ standards may be tougher.”
The top schools in the country turn away anywhere from 50 to 90 percent of their applicants, which is why second, third and fourth options are so important.
– Financial aid. Students must begin the process of applying for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Every college requires it.
After submitting the form, students may receive money from a number of sources including federal grants, Pell grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG) and Stafford or Perkins loans.
“The Stafford loan is available to everyone regardless of need,” Ruoti said. “Those that demonstrate need pay no interest or loan costs while in school, and can defer payments up to six months afterward.”
Those without need either pay back just the interest while in school, or can compound it and then pay the entire loan and interest over a 10-year period after they finish.
Many require schools require a financial-aid form known as the Profile. It costs $6 to register the form and $15 for every college it is sent to.
“Profile considers other factors like home equity, if there are kids in private schools, divorced parents, etc.,” Ruoti said. “Students indicate on the form which schools they want the Profile sent to, and they’re charged accordingly.”
Some schools may have their own forms in lieu of more standard applications.
Ruoti recommends every student fill out some financial aid application, regardless of what the present needs might be.
“No one knows the future, and a person’s finances could change,” he said. “It’s like an insurance policy–you’re better off having it on file.”
Remember that the need for financial aid also depends on your finances compared to the college you wish to attend; for example, bypassing a $12,000-a-year state school for a $25,000-a-year private school puts you in a whole new ballpark.
– College visits. The cost of attending college also includes the time and money you’ll spend visiting various campuses.
Epton says it’s also one of those hidden costs that reveals itself later, once you’re enrolled at a school.
“People forget they could spend thousands of dollars in transportation costs and phone bills from being so far away,” she said. “You really have to consider how often you’ll need or want to come home.”
Parents’ weekends, flights home for special holidays, and meal and lodging costs associated with admission to a college can really add up.
For years, families have tried to incorporate college visits with vacations or visiting family members located near a potential college site. You’ll obviously save money by trying to accomplish both.
“People tell us they can usually visit two sites a day–one in the morning and another in the afternoon, so long as they’re within a couple of hours of each other,” Ruoti said.
Colleges also offer recruiting trips by bus from nearby cities to their campuses. It’s another way of getting a “free” ride.
As you navigate through the highway to college, the main signs to watch for, Epton says, are deadlines.
“You have to be sure to meet every single deadline, whether it’s a test date, admission or loan application,” she said. “People pay penalties in so many ways if they mess that up.”
There’s no way to avoid money in the college equation, but whether it’s a choice of school, or finding a way to pay for it, Ruoti believes there are ways of getting where you want to go.
“Moderate- to lower-income families today have a better chance of getting into the college of their choice than they did decades ago,” he said. “There’s a limit to federal and institutional amounts of money, but I’ll say this: There’s not a kid anywhere with at least some academic talent who can’t go away to school if he applies at the right places and fills out the necessary forms.”
