Education is tightly connected with the financial situation of a family and strongly influenced by it. When it comes to college planning, parents and future students analyze their options carefully. And the battle takes place between in-state colleges and private colleges, which puts candidates in difficulty to decide. Staying closer to home is also a priority for some students. And this happens mostly in the South, in states such as Florida or Texas. Luckily, such states also offer quality colleges that students can attend.
Investing in college tends to be one of the main concerns that parents have. The in-state colleges are up to 67% or two-thirds cheaper than the private ones. It makes most families choose to keep young students closer to home and save some money. Statistics show that almost 73 percent of students choose to study at an in-state college and this percent keeps increasing. Also, 53 percent of families from the South like Florida or Texas choose a four-year public college.
In the North, only 34 percent make the same choice, and 40 percent of students go to private colleges. After studying the changes that take place in the education market, the main reason for such decisions seems to be the cost. Also, the location of the college is important for students who choose one over another.
Staying at home during the college years comes with plenty of advantages for both parents and students. For once, they can pay for studies without borrowing money and create debts. It is a great benefit for the students and also for their financial future. There are no other expenses included, but the college tuition. And since the student will continue staying at home, no extra finances are needed. On the other hand, they can keep a close relationship with their families. It is a factor that might be just as important as the financial reason.
Compared to in-state colleges, when students choose private schools far away from home, not only the tuition needs to be covered but housing and living expenses as well. There are a variety of extra expenses that need to be considered. Moving expenses, food expenses and other facilities that a young student needs add to the cost significantly. Buying new furniture, new personal items and possibly a new car can double the tuition value. And most parents struggle with such investments. Even if, for students, all these aspects might seem beneficial, in the long run, they are not considered like that.
Under these financial analyses, In-State Universities tend to become more popular as years go by. And parents, as well as students, have strong reasons for their choices. A common belief is that the way a student builds their career is not dependable on following a private school. Or at least this is not considered to be a condition of professional success anymore. Some students flourish in great professionals and specialists without going to private colleges. It encourages the parents to support their children in following the classes of an in-state college.
