I'm sure there are several threads on this but I'm starting a new one.
What is an actual all in number people are paying to attend A$M? Before and after scholarship, grants, etc.
Also, what resources are you using to help find financial assistance?
Thanks for the help!

A&M direct cost = pencil in $8K per semester roughly with fees, parking, sports pass, etc. That's 12-13 hours range.

The wild card with really drastic room for error is off campus expenses. Living, shopping, eating, going out, dues/fees, etc. For example, our oldest is about $800-$850 all in on rent with bills per month but that's an old, never been updated, house fit for dudes. You can easily double or even triple that if you so desire.

Food, gas, F around $ is another add on.

Boy vs girl - add additional 25% or more for girls alone, most anyway.

I don't count car or insurance as that would be the same regardless.

You could always say "here's your budget for all things off campus and you make it work". I tried that but my wife had other ideas.

The easiest, most straight-forward situation to look at is living on campus. Both of my kids lived on campus their first year and the total cost was right at $14k/semester for each of them. Tuition, fees, parking, sports pass, dorm, meal plan. Of course some dorms are a bit more than others but that's pretty close.

If they live off campus, it can start to vary quite a bit. Rent, utilities, food, etc. will be different for everyone. I have one kid that's currently lower than that $14k number and one that's above, but their housing situations are quite different.

$30-$35k/year, realistically.

Call any 2nd tier private school in the state (i.e. not Rice). Find out what their aid looks like for good students. They all make the final #'s look like A&M with no assistance. And, the answer you will get is $30K, give or take.

On campus, in the Corps... everything paid to A&M, including tuition, fees, full meal plan, dorm, garage parking, sports pass, uniform fees, etc has been about $25k per year, give or take.

RevX27 said:

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On campus, in the Corps... everything paid to A&M, including tuition, fees, full meal plan, dorm, garage parking, sports pass, uniform fees, etc has been about $25k per year, give or take.

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corps is a great deal and easy for parents...write your big check each semester and you're pretty much done

It was a super deal when I was a fish. Less than $1,500 per semester all in. I just paid for brasso, shoe polish, dry cleaning and a bus ticket back to Houston on holidays.

Corps dorms are on the lower end. There are some that are less. Many of them are more, with some being significantly more. That meal plan makes up for it though. Pricey and mandatory. You can definitely attend for less outside of the Corps. But it's easy to end up spending more as well. Especially if you have a room in Hullabaloo.