It's expensive to go to college in Maine

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the high costs of attending college in Maine, particularly focusing on private institutions and comparing them to public universities. Participants explore the implications of tuition rates, financial aid, and the perceived value of private versus public education.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express shock at the high tuition rates of private colleges in Maine, noting that Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby are among the most expensive in the US.
  • Others highlight that high tuition does not necessarily reflect the amount students will pay due to financial aid and scholarships, citing examples like MIT's tuition-free policy for low-income families.
  • There is confusion regarding Dartmouth's location, with some participants asserting it is in New Hampshire, while others discuss Maine's lack of a state university.
  • Participants debate whether public universities are considered inferior to private ones, with differing opinions on the quality of education provided by each type.
  • Some argue that private universities may offer more personalized support for students, while others suggest that the cost does not always correlate with educational quality.
  • Discussion includes personal anecdotes about tuition costs in the UK, with comparisons drawn to the US system and reflections on the financial burden of higher education.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the value of private versus public universities, with no clear consensus on whether one is superior to the other. There is also disagreement regarding the implications of tuition costs and financial aid availability.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference specific financial aid policies and personal experiences, which may not be universally applicable. The discussion also touches on the complexities of comparing educational systems across different countries.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to prospective college students, parents considering higher education options, and individuals interested in the economics of education.

turbo
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Maine is a rural state with only a little over a million people. We've got some really expensive private schools, but I was quite surprised to see that 3 of our private schools (Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby) were among the top 25 most expensive schools in the US. Dartmouth is a bit further down the list, but my cousin's daughter was able to attend there on an almost full-boat scholarship (including foreign study) because of her academic excellence and an affirmative-action effort based on the fact that she is about 1/2 Oglala Sioux.

http://www.campusgrotto.com/colleges-with-the-highest-total-cost.html
 
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HOLY <insert multiple swear words here>!

50 grand a YEAR!

Makes me so bloody glad I live in the UK. 5 years at Uni cost me £24K + living expenses.Edit: Actually that isn't as bad as I first thought.
It is important to note that just because these schools have high tuition, doesn’t mean you will actually be paying that amount. Many of these colleges provide excellent financial aid packages. A lot of these schools offer scholarships that often cover most of the financial burden of attending the college. For example, MIT is tuition-free for families earning less than $75,000 a year.
 
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turbo-1 said:
Dartmouth is a bit further down the list...

Dartmouth isn't in Maine. Isn't it in NH? (As opposed to the Dartmouth Campus of University of MA, which is yet another of those universities that tries to co-opt a bigger university's name, which annoys me to no end.) Maine doesn't have a state university, does it? Are there any other states that don't have a state university?
 
Moonbear said:
Dartmouth isn't in Maine. Isn't it in NH? (As opposed to the Dartmouth Campus of University of MA, which is yet another of those universities that tries to co-opt a bigger university's name, which annoys me to no end.) Maine doesn't have a state university, does it? Are there any other states that don't have a state university?
Dartmouth is in northern NH. Maine has a very nice land-grant university (the University of Maine) that is a leader in structural materials involving wood.
 
xxChrisxx said:
HOLY <insert multiple swear words here>!

50 grand a YEAR!

Makes me so bloody glad I live in the UK. 5 years at Uni cost me £24K + living expenses.


Edit: Actually that isn't as bad as I first thought.

Keep in mind, that's for private colleges. Public universities are *much, much* cheaper.

Annual tuition at my alma matter (University of Washington) for a resident undergrad: http://www.washington.edu/admin/pb/home/pdf/tuition/2009-10-tf-annual.pdf".
 
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turbo-1 said:
... based on the fact that she is about 1/2 Oglala Sioux.

"..about 1/2..."

You're going to have to explain that one.
 
lisab said:
Keep in mind, that's for private colleges. Public universities are *much, much* cheaper.

Annual tuition at my alma matter (University of Washington) for a resident undergrad: http://www.washington.edu/admin/pb/home/pdf/tuition/2009-10-tf-annual.pdf".

With such a massive price difference, are public Universities considered inferior to private? Or are public universities the norm and private extra special?
 
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Chi Meson said:
"..about 1/2..."

You're going to have to explain that one.
I knew her father and her mother well. John was about as full Sioux as you could get.
 
xxChrisxx said:
With such a massive price difference, are public Universities considered inferior to private?

In my opinion, no, not at all. You can find the full spectrum of excellent-to-poor education quality in both private and public universities.
 
  • #10
xxChrisxx said:
With such a massive price difference, are public Universities considered inferior to private? Or are public universities the norm and private extra special?

Private just means you spend a lot more money for nothing much special. For a weaker student who needs a lot of coddling and spoon-feeding, a private university might be beneficial, but mostly it's like the difference between designer jeans and no-name jeans...the designer ones might come with a fancy label and expensive price tag, but the no-name ones do just as good of a job of keeping your bottom covered.
 
  • #11
xxChrisxx said:
50 grand a YEAR!

Makes me so bloody glad I live in the UK. 5 years at Uni cost me £24K + living expenses.

Edit: Actually that isn't as bad as I first thought.

Yup, got to remember conversion rate :)
 
  • #12
xxChrisxx said:
With such a massive price difference, are public Universities considered inferior to private?

The best private universities are better than the best public universities. But overall, there's not that much difference. I went to a top-notch public university, myself.
 
  • #13
Pengwuino said:
Yup, got to remember conversion rate :)

Yeah but it cost me 24000GBP for 5 years, which even after conversion means half a decade cost less than 1 year at a private University in the US.

It seems that it's about comparable to public Uni though, I was lucky that I only paid £1250 in tuition fees as I started before the introduction of top up fees. People going now would pay £3200 a year, and they are thinking of putting it up to £6k per year. Which is an utter joke.
 
  • #14
xxChrisxx said:
HOLY <insert multiple swear words here>!

50 grand a YEAR!

Makes me so bloody glad I live in the UK. 5 years at Uni cost me £24K + living expenses.


Edit: Actually that isn't as bad as I first thought.

Keep in mind MIT will probably accept only so many coming from families who make less that $75k.
 

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