Best State Schools for Financial Aid

Princeton Review Rates Best Value Colleges

Oct 6, 2009
Jennifer Ciotta

State Schools with the Best Financial Aid - Tungsten

Learn about which state schools offer the best college financial aid to their students. These public colleges put value and price first.

This year has given way to a hot new trend: applying in-state. If a student wants the most affordable option and a name that will impress employers, look to The Princeton Review.

This collegiate service has made the search easy by breaking down schools into two categories: private and public. TPR has compiled data from current students and school administrators at 650 private and public institutions, judging factors such as academics, financial aid and costs. Focusing on the latter area, they compiled information from financial aid reports and student surveys, factoring in costs such as tuition, room and board and other smaller fees such as books. Take a look at the list below.

Top Ten Schools - State

Univ. of Virginia (Charlottesville)
New College of Florida (Sarasota)
College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, Va)
State Univ. of New York (Binghamton)
Florida State Univ. (Tallahassee)
North Carolina State Univ. (Raleigh)
Univ. of California (San Diego)
City Univ. of New York (Hunter College)
Univ. of Georgia (Athens)
The College of New Jersey (Ewing)

Inexpensive Off Campus Student Housing

TPR reported to USA Today, "College costs have skyrocketed in the past 10 years. At public campuses, for example, in-state costs are up 37%, according to data from the College Board, a non-profit group that tracks annual tuition increases. This year, it says, average total charges for tuition, fees, room and board are $14,333 for in-state students."

For prospective students, that is an incredible deal, especially compared with the private option. To drive down costs even more, think about living at home. Parents and students should think about buying a pre-owned vehicle for the student to commute back and forth to campus. Investing a couple thousand in transportation may end up saving a family tens of thousands in tuition and room and board.

If living at home is not a possibility, look for cheap off-campus housing in the way of an inexpensive apartment. This is especially beneficial if the student will be attending a school in her/his hometown and already knows a few people to share an apartment with. If not the student can ask the school how to get in touch with other accepted students (or current ones) on finding roommates. Some colleges even offer message boards or ad placement services for finding roommates.

The Princeton Review has put together an accessible list for both students and parents. Review the list and extensively research each college to find out the best financial value possible.