College Admission Help

College crunch: students, parents watch costs during College Admission process
By Catherine Buday
Gatehouse News Service
MARLBOROUGH - As the May 1 deadline nears for committing to a college, guidance counselors in Marlborough and Hudson say many high school seniors and their parents are looking at costs more closely than they would have in the past – a reflection of uncertain economic times.
“A few years ago when we encouraged seniors to apply to the state colleges, many kids would say, ‘No way am I going to UMass,” said Marlborough High School Guidance Counselor Joanne Hanson. “Now they are just thrilled to get into UMass, and even more thrilled about the price.”
Marlborough Guidance Coordinator Steve Bishop said that while students at the top of the class have more options and are getting adequate merit aid, many average students are deciding that the cost of a private college is just too high.
“The highly academic students are getting the benefit of the doubt,” Bishop said. “Kids are making wiser financial choices…when a middle-of-the-road students gets into Northeastern and U.Mass, it’s U.Mass that is coming up more often as the choice.”
“A lot of kids can also use the state program that waives tuition (for students who achieve “advanced” on both MCAS language arts and math), and use it to their benefit when they attend a state school. That’s pretty good money,” Bishop added.
Parents, he said, are putting their foot down if they feel the school isn’t worth the difference. “They are saying that with an unsure economy, their child should go to a state school, at least for now,” he said. “They are playing a bigger role in the choice.”
The local trends mirror those across Massachusetts and the country. Applications to University of Massachusetts’ flagship campus in Amherst have risen more than 61 percent in the past five years, spiking nearly 30 percent in the past two. The U.Mass-Boston campus has seen a 22 percent increase in applications over last fall. North Shore Community College has seen an 8 percent increase in enrollment for the Spring term, and Salem State college’s applicants were up by 700 students over two years ago.
Around the U.S., many students are also taking a fresh look at state schools. A survey by MeritAid.com, a scholarship web site, found that more than half of prospective college students say they are “now considering a less prestigious college due to affordability.” About 16 percent of the 2,500 students surveyed said they are putting college on hold because of concerns about the cost.
Angie Wilcox, a guidance counselor at Hudson High School, is seeing a similar trend.
Students are applying to financial safety schools as well as academic safety schools,” said Wilcox. “The kids at the top are still applying to the very competitive private schools and hoping to get a good financial package.” But she adds that she is hearing about more students attending community colleges, such as Quinsigamond in Worcester.
“More parents are talking to their kids about U.Mass-Amherst,” added Wilcox. “There’s a reputation out there that Massachusetts state colleges are not strong, but they really are.”
While parents fret more, Wilcox said that students are only starting to understand how the economy is affecting their college choices. But the kids do understand one thing: “They worry about paying off huge loans,” she said.



College crunch: students, parents watch costs during College Admission process