There was a time in your life when you heard about applying to different colleges and universities. Maybe some of those times were when you were in high school, and your teachers talked about positive references for those colleges.
Or maybe it was during one of your practice SAT classes where your teacher started talking about the differences between colleges.
This time might be where we first learn about the differences between public colleges and universities, private colleges and universities and the daunting out-of-state colleges and universities.
Whenever you hear about out-of-class colleges and universities, you think about how expensive it is. It is no hidden secret that out-of-state colleges and universities cost more.
Sure, they may not cost as much as a private university, but it is out there.
Out-of-state colleges and universities cost $26,382 per year. It is this high because public universities receive funding for their state legislature, and those who come from different states have to pay more because they didn’t pay any taxes for the state.
Not everyone can afford $26,382 a year, increasing over time. We have reached this amount since 2018, so who knows how much it will be in another four years.
Out-of-state colleges are not worth the college debt.
Think about it, why do people attend private universities? The person has a career goal that the private university could provide connections or build a portfolio.
Out-of-state colleges may have prestige for different career goals, but they are not worth the hundreds of thousands of college debt.
To make out-of-state colleges more affordable, students have to apply for different types of grants and scholarships.
Unfortunately, not everyone has someone to pay for their schooling. You may hear that someone’s parents decided to pay for your education, but you have to pay your way to get a higher form of education most of the time.
Unlike in-state colleges and universities, visiting an out-of-state campus takes more planning.
First, you have to buy the plane tickets. Then figure out a hotel for you to stay in, where a car rental place is and finally, book a college visitation time on the website.
With in-state colleges, you have to know where you are driving too, book a college visitation time and have enough gas to get there and back.
What if something terrible happens to you while attending this out-of-state college? Your first instinct is to call your parents or someone you trust to help you. Unfortunately, it can take hours for your trusted person to show up when this happens.
What happens if you got in a wreck while driving and your parents are a few states away? It will take hours or even days to show, and during that time, you wait for them.
Then, you are alone in your thoughts. You can become highly lonely during this time because you feel like you are going through it alone even though someone is coming to support you.
Out-of-state and in-state colleges all have their own set of pros and cons when attending them. It is your job to decide whether in-state or out-of-state colleges are for you.
