Crazy Crazy Week(s)!

Things just went from 0 to 60.  Schools are opening back up (in person) this week.  We hosted guests for the first time in a year (St. Patty's Day dinner).  MH got jury duty.

& then College...

So far, we have ruled out the more expensive and more far away private colleges.  It's official that MM(17) will stay in state.  It's a super rough year on the college front, I already mentioned.  But the east coast college had 70% more applications that prior year(!) and dropped their acceptance rate from 8% to 4%.  Was a stretch anyway, but I think we are pretty shocked he didn't get into his #1 choice (LA college).  Have had some time to digest and move on.  Honestly?  We were supportive because MM was MM.  We were discussing *if* #1 college choice was $40K per year, we would make it work (with help from Grandparents).  He is extremely driven and he knows what he wants to study.  But...  Public school is so much better for *our* personalities.  Private school was so...  Complicated.  In the distance, in the cost of travel.  How MH couldn't work at all because it would just make it more expensive (he'd net nothing after increased college costs and taxes).  How we probably couldn't accept gifts, it would then be too prohibitively expensive.  I kept calling it "mushy gushy."  Public college is just so much more straightforward.  I literally wrote in my college comparison spreadsheet, "Unlimited Income and Assets!" for the public schools.  The cost won't drastically change if our personal circumstances change (for the better).

MM(17) is totally cool and fine.  He is not emotionally wrapped up in college choices.  Still has *no idea* which college he wants to go to and is a hard enough decision with just two college offers in hand. 

{Still waiting to hear back from one private college.  It's the least expensive and mushy gushy.}  

All remaining college options cost roughly the same.  One might be free tuition, the other might be free room and board.  But it all roughly comes out to comparable price (over 4 years) for all the options.  & the least expensive option has some other trade-offs.  Cost is removed as a deciding factor, for what's left.

This was my last post re: public college tuition.

Tuition and fees at our alma mater:  $31,000.  <---  That is total for 4 years (sticker price)

In addition, there is a state grant that I believe was $2K per year.  & MM is a kid who will get some scholarships.  I'd be surprised if we paid more than $15K?

In the end, the other State college is more expensive (full price is $40K; $10K x 4 years) but gave MM a substantial scholarship.  Our cost:  Probably $0.  It depends how the State Grant shakes out.  & he won't need a car there at all, which saves a lot of money.  So probably would be the most expensive school (of the schools he has been accepted to and we are waiting to hear back from), but they just leveled the playing field with a merit scholarship.  

It looks like college is probably going to be a small blip for us financially.  I am just going to enjoy that, for now.   😁 Am not going to bother worrying about any finer details until a college decision is actually made.  When the college decision is made, will work through all those finer details.  If MM needs a car, what we expect MM(17) to pay for, if we even touch his college funds (probably not), etc.  

Edited to add:  Don't have to buy MM a winter wardrobe, don't need to worry about travel/airfare costs, etc.  The cost savings are significant all around.