General Discussion Thread

[Sunflower]

Ouch!  That's got to be unhappy news, Piney.  Any explanation from the college of why next year's aid is so much lower? 

[Hrollo]

The best definition of maths I heard was putting it as "the study of patterns".

So anything that has patterns can be described by maths, which includes music, but also, in fact, many forms of visual art as well (notably a lot of what is classified as "ornamental art").

[Piney]

Ouch!  That's got to be unhappy news, Piney.  Any explanation from the college of why next year's aid is so much lower?

Nope. Their letters are completely impersonal :/

[Vafhudr]

So you received the letter - it stated the amount you received, and there was no explanation as to what decided that amount?
Is this money you get through the school or an external source?

[Fimbulvarg]

So... I just got my financial aid award letter from school today, and it's about $10,000 less than they gave me this year. I'm a bit scared at how my mom will take this news.
(and I understand that I'm lucky to get money at all, but New York is an expensive city and my family's paying three tuitions)

Well, maybe it's time to a) invent a new designer drug *dodges boot* or b) consider a study exchange in Scandinavia where tuition is as good as free?

[hushpiper]

Well, maybe it's time to a) invent a new designer drug *dodges boot* or b) consider a study exchange in Scandinavia where tuition is as good as free?

Ooh, ooh, A, I vote A!

As far as B goes... is it still that cheap for people who aren't citizens (and thus don't pay taxes)? Gotta say though, if you've got $10k to lose in financial aid you ipso facto have more than I ever got. Mind, I went to a small state college in the mountains where $10k would've gotten me through four years including room and board.

[Laufey]

Ooh, ooh, A, I vote A!

As far as B goes... is it still that cheap for people who aren't citizens (and thus don't pay taxes)? Gotta say though, if you've got $10k to lose in financial aid you ipso facto have more than I ever got. Mind, I went to a small state college in the mountains where $10k would've gotten me through four years including room and board.

The University of Iceland has 400$ tuition fee per year for every student regardless of citizenship, to name one example. On top of that you'd have to pay a monthly rent for an apartment and buy your own food and books (books can easily be found second hand though, and not all of them are even necessary - and definitely you're not required to buy any if you don't want to).

[Fimbulvarg]

The University of Iceland has 400$ tuition fee per year for every student regardless of citizenship, to name one example. On top of that you'd have to pay a monthly rent for an apartment and buy your own food and books (books can easily be found second hand though, and not all of them are even necessary - and definitely you're not required to buy any if you don't want to).

Same goes for Norway, except it's an 80 USD fee (yeah Iceland, you greedy or something?  ).

Universities are near-100% tax funded. It's been somewhat hotly debated the last few years with fiscal conservatives (to the extent that Norway has those) obviously taking a negative stance.

[Laufey]

Same goes for Norway, except it's an 80 USD fee

(Ooh Norway, you rich or something?  )

EDIT: on a slightly more serious note, some countries' tuition fees are plain scary. What's the point of having all the students so deep in debt they'll never be able to pay it back?

[Fimbulvarg]

(Ooh Norway, you rich or something?  )

Funny you should mention it, baked dinosaur goop is the shizzles these days.

EDIT: on a slightly more serious note, some countries' tuition fees are plain scary. What's the point of having all the students so deep in debt they'll never be able to pay it back?

People who say the millenials have an easy time haven't seen the amount of study-related debt accrued by the youth of the UK/the US. It's horrendous.

[DancingRanger]

Yeah, it's bad in the US. I am one of the lucky ones, I was going to Berea, a tiny college in the Appalachians, that offers 'free tuition'. To pay you work for the college, but you also had this sneaky little thing called a term bill, that you had to pay. I still owe them $600. I'm looking to complete my education, but finances are really tight. So if anybody has suggestions I'd greatly appreciate it.

[Mélusine]

So... I just got my financial aid award letter from school today, and it's about $10,000 less than they gave me this year. I'm a bit scared at how my mom will take this news.
(and I understand that I'm lucky to get money at all, but New York is an expensive city and my family's paying three tuitions)

I hope you could at least have an explanation for that Do you have any other kind of aid, in US ? It's so different in France that we could have felt a bit guilty and a lot lucky as students, hearing about the cost of only one year.

[Vafhudr]

So okay okay - how exactly did Iceland and Norway and Sweden manage to get these kinds of tuitions?
I have this dire need to study social policies in Scandinavia but I have no idea where to start.

[Haiz]

So okay okay - how exactly did Iceland and Norway and Sweden manage to get these kinds of tuitions?
I have this dire need to study social policies in Scandinavia but I have no idea where to start.

We're so left wing even our most right-wing parties are more left-wing than the left-wingest of US parties

[Adrai Thell]

My college is literally funded by donations. Seriously. And on top of the ridiculously low cost (for the US, at least), I get several semesters free because my dad works here... and I get to live at home, so no housing or food costs...
*Livin' the life*
*in the basement*
*Livin' the life of a no-lifer*