College for the "well off" but not Rich

Folks, listen closely. There are AMERICAN community colleges (and regular American Transfer Program )colleges out there in Asia or other parts of the world that charge around $1K to $1500 a semester for 15 to 18 credit hours. These credits are transferable to over 3000 colleges in the US. Some have special programs that allow you to do up to 90 credit hours and then transfer (but most allow up to 64). The best part is they have full blown summer classes which means, you can easily do around 45 credits a year. (15 X 3 semesters)

Total cost for 2 years at a foreign community College: With flights, rent, food. social stuff + foreign experience : USD$20K
Safe? I can boldly say safer than some parts of Chicago or Virginia Tech, or Columbine high school or all of Baltimore

ragedogg69 said:   fatxman said:   ---When enlisted, for the first few month, contribute $100 dollars towards the Montgomery GI Bill Buy up Program. This $600 can get you an additional $5400 when using your Montgomery GI Bill.
---Serve your 3 year minimum to get max educational benefits, or go for a military career. Their retirement program is the bee's knees.
---Use all 36 months (8 semesters) of your Montgomery GI Bill first to get your Bachelor's degree.
---Even though you will receive living expenses from your GI Bill, you still may get Pell Grants depending on your area of cost.
---There are many scholarships that target veterans and active duty students. My fiance received $1000 for just that.
---Swap to the post 9/11 to get an additional 12 months (3 semesters) of benefits for grad school.

To my knowledge, all of these benefits are tax free. Source

Like I said, if I had a clue at 18 and didnt luck into an awesome sales job during a decent economical time, I would have done that route with hindsight.

---When enlisted, for the first few month, contribute $100 dollars towards the Montgomery GI Bill Buy up Program. This $600 can get you an additional $5400 when using your Montgomery GI Bill.
---Serve your 3 year minimum to get max educational benefits, or go for a military career. Their retirement program is the bee's knees.
---Use all 36 months (8 semesters) of your Montgomery GI Bill first to get your Bachelor's degree.
---Even though you will receive living expenses from your GI Bill, you still may get Pell Grants depending on your area of cost.
---There are many scholarships that target veterans and active duty students. My fiance received $1000 for just that.
---Swap to the post 9/11 to get an additional 12 months (3 semesters) of benefits for grad school.

To my knowledge, all of these benefits are tax free. Source

Like I said, if I had a clue at 18 and didnt luck into an awesome sales job during a decent economical time, I would have done that route with hindsight.

Additionally, even if you are unable to complete the full term of your enlistment, but receive an honorable discharge, you may still be able to use at least some of your GI bill. I was only in for 8.5 months, but paid into the GI bill for all of that time, and was able to receive 8.5 months of benefits not once but TWICE - once under the Montgomery GI Bill and again when they changed it to the Post 9/11 GI bill.

And yes, it was all tax-free income, and they don't track what you spend it on. The first time around I used it to pay off my car loan.

blackie7955 said:   mythosaz said:   In-state tuition here is 5k/semester at the "big" universities, and that assumes they get NOTHING in the way of assistance. 40k for an entire university education. Considering you're willing to let your kids eat 6k/year in out-of-pocket, you're looking at 24k/child total.

If you want them to see the world, send them to Europe for a summer for some of the $900,000 you'll save off your projected million in expenses.

...or let the army send them for free.

Unfortunately in NJ the state school, rutgers, is quite expensive. Room/board/tuition I think is near $35-40K, and thats in todays dollars. What state are you in?
There's one university in NJ, and going there requires that you live on campus?

None of these are state schools? http://www.nj.gov/highereducation/colleges/schools_county.htm

Arizona, here.

macosx said:   HumDoHamaraDo said:   chripuck said:   HumDoHamaraDo said:   galabar said:   Unless your child gets into an Ivy, Stanford, or MIT, send them to an in-state public school.
Why, there are a lot of non-Ivy Private Colleges that are excellent.

Because you pay for the name, not the education. This is entirely a brand recognition thing. As the OP noted, the college "need" is so over inflated that hiring managers have long since figured out you do not need to hire somebody from South East Tennessee A&T Community College. There's very little learning going on in colleges these days, at least from a real world use case scenario, and since anybody can go to college your best bet is to hire the person who went to the most prestigious and difficult to get in school.

EDIT: And I'll note, this doesn't mean it is a guarantee for a good employee, it's an indicator and should be compared with other components of the people you are looking to hire.
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rank...
Lots of non-ivy, non public are quite good and turn out candidates with real-world skills.


Yes, there are quite a few "regional Ivy's" on the top of that list which are quite good schools to consider, but if value is the game, if you don't already live in one of these states, consider moving to California (Cal, UCLA, UCSD, Davis, UCSB, Irvine), Virginia (UV, W&M), Michigan (UM), North Carolina (UNC), Georgia (Tech), Washington (UW), Wisconsin (UW-Madison), Pennsylvania (Penn State), Illinois (UIUC), Texas (UT). Many of these state systems have additional campuses that are also quite good. NY/NJ (SUNY, CUNY, Rutgers) and other states have campuses that make the second page (still top 100).

The winner for FW biggest bang for your buck is probably University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill, where in-state tuition runs a cool $7,000/year. Less than the price of a Chevy Volt.

While I agree in principle with the fact that there are some schools that have decent local name recognition, it's somewhat laughable to say Irvine/Davis/U of I/William and Mary et al are comparable to the Ivy League. Every time I hear someone defending William and Mary as a "regional Ivy!" it's almost inevitably someone with a chip on their shoulder trying to justify themselves.

codename47 said:   
I was going to suggest something similar. If you are focused on lifting weights and running at an early age (8-10), you probably stand a better than average chance of going to college for free. I don't think getting an athletic scholarship is particularly difficult if you work hard. That said, it isn't particularly easy if you don't want to hit the gym/track. I don't think the chance of going to the NBA or NFL is particularly good for most HS or college players, typically under 2% in HS and 10% in college. That said, there are many schools, including smaller schools where you can go to college for free.
I have actually tried to convince my sister to teach there 6 year old to be a long snapper. A specialty position that if he can master, could easily get him recruited for a full scholarship. You dont have to win the genetic lottery in order to be successful at it. Effort can only get you so far. Larry Bird had one of the best work ethics ever, but he was a genetic freak. If he was 5'9" we would have never heard of him.

ragedogg69 said:   codename47 said:   
I was going to suggest something similar. If you are focused on lifting weights and running at an early age (8-10), you probably stand a better than average chance of going to college for free. I don't think getting an athletic scholarship is particularly difficult if you work hard. That said, it isn't particularly easy if you don't want to hit the gym/track. I don't think the chance of going to the NBA or NFL is particularly good for most HS or college players, typically under 2% in HS and 10% in college. That said, there are many schools, including smaller schools where you can go to college for free.
I have actually tried to convince my sister to teach there 6 year old to be a long snapper. A specialty position that if he can master, could easily get him recruited for a full scholarship. You dont have to win the genetic lottery in order to be successful at it. Effort can only get you so far. Larry Bird had one of the best work ethics ever, but he was a genetic freak. If he was 5'9" we would have never heard of him.

On the safe assumption that no school will carry two scholarship long snappers at the same time, you're probably looking at only 6-7 of these scholarships being given out each year. An academic scholarship sounds much easier to get.


At least 25 of the 121 non-academies in the FBS ranks have long snappers who were awarded scholarships directly out of high school or junior college. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell estimates that represents about a 20 percent increase over the last five or six years.

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goog40 said:   ragedogg69 said:   codename47 said:   
I was going to suggest something similar. If you are focused on lifting weights and running at an early age (8-10), you probably stand a better than average chance of going to college for free. I don't think getting an athletic scholarship is particularly difficult if you work hard. That said, it isn't particularly easy if you don't want to hit the gym/track. I don't think the chance of going to the NBA or NFL is particularly good for most HS or college players, typically under 2% in HS and 10% in college. That said, there are many schools, including smaller schools where you can go to college for free.
I have actually tried to convince my sister to teach there 6 year old to be a long snapper. A specialty position that if he can master, could easily get him recruited for a full scholarship. You dont have to win the genetic lottery in order to be successful at it. Effort can only get you so far. Larry Bird had one of the best work ethics ever, but he was a genetic freak. If he was 5'9" we would have never heard of him.

On the safe assumption that no school will carry two scholarship long snappers at the same time, you're probably looking at only 6-7 of these scholarships being given out each year. An academic scholarship sounds much easier to get.


At least 25 of the 121 non-academies in the FBS ranks have long snappers who were awarded scholarships directly out of high school or junior college. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell estimates that represents about a 20 percent increase over the last five or six years.

Or have all of those soccer practices used as training to become a punter/place kicker or even better - develop a really strong leg and just perform kickoff duties, no real accuracy required, just need to be able to kick the ball to the back of the end zone consistently. The added benefit that a long snapper still needs to have some size on them (as they will get hit every play), but kickers can be any size, and getting hit is a rarity unless you want to be. Great solution for someone with a big leg who may be a couple of steps slow to play competitive soccer.

With my sons I tried to tie their right hands behind their backs to force them to throw left (as a left handed reliever can pitch into his 40s), but that experiment did not go so well.

Also, if you have athletically inclined daughters encourage them to play sports. Due to Title 9, there are many more scholarship opportunities for them (compared to men) in non-revenue sports.

Edit: rapedogg beat me to it.

cheapdad00 said:   goog40 said:   ragedogg69 said:   codename47 said:   
I was going to suggest something similar. If you are focused on lifting weights and running at an early age (8-10), you probably stand a better than average chance of going to college for free. I don't think getting an athletic scholarship is particularly difficult if you work hard. That said, it isn't particularly easy if you don't want to hit the gym/track. I don't think the chance of going to the NBA or NFL is particularly good for most HS or college players, typically under 2% in HS and 10% in college. That said, there are many schools, including smaller schools where you can go to college for free.
I have actually tried to convince my sister to teach there 6 year old to be a long snapper. A specialty position that if he can master, could easily get him recruited for a full scholarship. You dont have to win the genetic lottery in order to be successful at it. Effort can only get you so far. Larry Bird had one of the best work ethics ever, but he was a genetic freak. If he was 5'9" we would have never heard of him.

On the safe assumption that no school will carry two scholarship long snappers at the same time, you're probably looking at only 6-7 of these scholarships being given out each year. An academic scholarship sounds much easier to get.


At least 25 of the 121 non-academies in the FBS ranks have long snappers who were awarded scholarships directly out of high school or junior college. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell estimates that represents about a 20 percent increase over the last five or six years.

Or have all of those soccer practices used as training to become a punter/place kicker or even better - develop a really strong leg and just perform kickoff duties, no real accuracy required, just need to be able to kick the ball to the back of the end zone consistently. The added benefit that a long snapper still needs to have some size on them (as they will get hit every play), but kickers can be any size, and getting hit is a rarity unless you want to be. Great solution for someone with a big leg who may be a couple of steps slow to play competitive soccer.

With my sons I tried to tie their right hands behind their backs to force them to throw left (as a left handed reliever can pitch into his 40s), but that experiment did not go so well.

Also, if you have athletically inclined daughters encourage them to play sports. Due to Title 9, there are many more scholarship opportunities for them (compared to men) in non-revenue sports.


Edit: rapedogg beat me to it.

Uhh, this is awkward, but I think it's "ragedogg".

My plan depends on what state you are in and wither or not they guarantee community college transfers.

First step is to drop out of HS at 16 and take the GED test.
Go to community college from 16 to 17 and than transfer to a local state college as a junior two years ahead of everyone else.

I am currently at TCU and most of my buddies parent are paying for their school in full. My dad had already saved before my sister and I were born. She also goes here with me.

cheapdad00 said:   goog40 said:   ragedogg69 said:   codename47 said:   
I was going to suggest something similar. If you are focused on lifting weights and running at an early age (8-10), you probably stand a better than average chance of going to college for free. I don't think getting an athletic scholarship is particularly difficult if you work hard. That said, it isn't particularly easy if you don't want to hit the gym/track. I don't think the chance of going to the NBA or NFL is particularly good for most HS or college players, typically under 2% in HS and 10% in college. That said, there are many schools, including smaller schools where you can go to college for free.
I have actually tried to convince my sister to teach there 6 year old to be a long snapper. A specialty position that if he can master, could easily get him recruited for a full scholarship. You dont have to win the genetic lottery in order to be successful at it. Effort can only get you so far. Larry Bird had one of the best work ethics ever, but he was a genetic freak. If he was 5'9" we would have never heard of him.

On the safe assumption that no school will carry two scholarship long snappers at the same time, you're probably looking at only 6-7 of these scholarships being given out each year. An academic scholarship sounds much easier to get.


At least 25 of the 121 non-academies in the FBS ranks have long snappers who were awarded scholarships directly out of high school or junior college. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell estimates that represents about a 20 percent increase over the last five or six years.

 

Also, if you have athletically inclined daughters encourage them to play sports. Due to Title 9, there are many more scholarship opportunities for them (compared to men) in non-revenue sports.


Edit: rapedogg beat me to it.

IIRC, alot of those non revenue sports for women do not receive full ride scholarships like football and basketball players receive. This is to spread out even more players in a sport. So they will receive part of the benefits. No athletic scholarship is really a full ride, but comparing a Div 1 football scholarship to a Div women's soccer scholarship is apples and oranges.

wordgirl said:   Don't worry, she won't be flying puddle-jumpers for Southwest.

Hard to fly puddle jumpers for an airline that doesn't own any.

TheDragonn said:   cheapdad00 said:   goog40 said:   ragedogg69 said:   codename47 said:   
I was going to suggest something similar. If you are focused on lifting weights and running at an early age (8-10), you probably stand a better than average chance of going to college for free. I don't think getting an athletic scholarship is particularly difficult if you work hard. That said, it isn't particularly easy if you don't want to hit the gym/track. I don't think the chance of going to the NBA or NFL is particularly good for most HS or college players, typically under 2% in HS and 10% in college. That said, there are many schools, including smaller schools where you can go to college for free.
I have actually tried to convince my sister to teach there 6 year old to be a long snapper. A specialty position that if he can master, could easily get him recruited for a full scholarship. You dont have to win the genetic lottery in order to be successful at it. Effort can only get you so far. Larry Bird had one of the best work ethics ever, but he was a genetic freak. If he was 5'9" we would have never heard of him.

On the safe assumption that no school will carry two scholarship long snappers at the same time, you're probably looking at only 6-7 of these scholarships being given out each year. An academic scholarship sounds much easier to get.


At least 25 of the 121 non-academies in the FBS ranks have long snappers who were awarded scholarships directly out of high school or junior college. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell estimates that represents about a 20 percent increase over the last five or six years.

Or have all of those soccer practices used as training to become a punter/place kicker or even better - develop a really strong leg and just perform kickoff duties, no real accuracy required, just need to be able to kick the ball to the back of the end zone consistently. The added benefit that a long snapper still needs to have some size on them (as they will get hit every play), but kickers can be any size, and getting hit is a rarity unless you want to be. Great solution for someone with a big leg who may be a couple of steps slow to play competitive soccer.

With my sons I tried to tie their right hands behind their backs to force them to throw left (as a left handed reliever can pitch into his 40s), but that experiment did not go so well.

Also, if you have athletically inclined daughters encourage them to play sports. Due to Title 9, there are many more scholarship opportunities for them (compared to men) in non-revenue sports.


Edit: rapedogg beat me to it.

Uhh, this is awkward, but I think it's "ragedogg".

Apologies ragedogg, I will now quit posting from a smartphone.

ragedogg69 said:   If that was an auto-correct I would LOVE to see the kinds of text messages you are sending!

mine does some weird stuff sometimes.
It changed "lets postpone this meeting" to "lets pussypump this meeting"

you know phones learn based on previous words you used ...

OP unless your kids are super smart just send them to your local state school. should be like 5k per year

If any of your kids tend to do well on standardized tests, make them do some practice before taking the PSAT. At least when I entered college (7 years ago), being a National Merit scholar would guarantee full ride scholarship at several public schools and make you very competitive for merit-based scholarships at others, in addition to the (tiny) stipend paid by the actual scholarship competition.