Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Cost of Higher Education

I have been working through a budget for Josh for the next year at LSU. The expense side of the budget covers tuition, fees, books and modest supplies, room and board, airfare, a very modest sum for clothing and spending money, and his health insurance. It is a sobering moment when you add all the figures before subtracting scholarships. The cost?.... $32,500.

If he had a car, like he will have next year? Add another $3,500.

Depending upon the college, the non-elite private colleges would be about another $8,000-$15,000 a year more.

Fortunately his scholarship knocks $15,500 off that sum and makes attending LSU to be more affordable than going to a public college in Virginia.

FYI... I have intentionally used red for this post... the color of blood.

3 comments:

Jenn said...

no wonder so many people go into debt just for a degree!!!

Barbara said...

wow! Good thing he has a scholarship.

Stephen said...

A higher education should be seen as an equal opportunity for every person that qualify's academically.
Unfortunately too many young people fail to even consider higher education due to their financial circumstances.
I've never read any studies on those European countries where universal higher education exists and any corelationships it has on the future of those who come from a background of poverty.
We are trying to put every penny we can get our hands on for our children's RESP's. It's tough these days - and quite disconcerting when I look at the significant loss when it comes to these funds over the past 8 or nine months.