We were planning to send our daughter to the state university, but we also have a junior college with a good scholastic rating near home. She could go there while still living with us. How should we make our choice?
answer:
You are lucky to have this kind of choice, and wise to consider both of these schools. Many parents forget that state and city colleges, supported by their own tax money, offer good educational facilities. In fact, some of the tax-supported institutions are superior, ranking among the finest in the land. Yet their tuition is generally reasonable for residents of the state or city in which they are located. A few of these colleges are even free.
Your own decision, of course, must depend both on your finances and on your daughter’s personality and desires. If your child can. and will, stay at home while attending a nearby college, so much the better for your pocketbook. You will save all the costs of room and board, which are a big slice of the educational bill. You will also save on travel expenses.
As to your daughter’s attitude, will she feel cheated of campus life if she stays home ? Or can she be persuaded to postpone savoring her independence in order to reduce your financial problems? If the latter is true, she’ll probably be delighted to go to the neighboring junior college.
Has she settled on a future job? Is it a vocation that doesn’t require four years of college? A two-year school can provide an excellent education for the student who has chosen a vocation. At the same time, it can also be a stepping stone into a four-year college if his or her plans change.
Whatever decision you make, it will be a happier one if you can all talk it over and agree among you as a family.
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