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The following article is sponsored by National Scouting Report. Visit NSR’s web site at http://www.nsr-inc.com/
HOW MUCH DOES COLLEGE COST?
During in-home meetings with potential National Scouting Report prospects and their parents, I always ask student-athletes if they know the cost of attending a four-year college or university.
Their answer is almost always the same: “A lot.”
I laugh. They laugh. But, in reality, it’s no laughing matter.
Higher education is expensive — very expensive — for student-athletes and their parents.
The average cost of a four-year college education ranges from $19,458 at in-state public schools to $43,921 at private schools.
The average published in-state tuition, fees, and room and board at four-year public colleges and universities is $19,458 per year, according to the College Board. The average published out-of-state tuition, fees, and room and board at public institutions is $34,031. The average published tuition, fees, and room and board at private schools is $43,921.
Costs vary greatly by state.
Published in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges and universities range from $4,890 in Wyoming and $6,350 in Montana to $14,990 in Vermont and $15,160 in New Hampshire. Published out-of-state tuition and fees at four-year public institutions range from $10,510 in South Dakota and $15,630 in Wyoming to $33,080 in Michigan and $35,710 in Vermont.
Tuition and fees constitute only 39 percent of the total budget for in-state students living on campus at four-year public colleges and universities, according to the College Board. You also must factor in room and board, books and supplies, transportation costs and other expenses.
Average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public institutions is $9,410 per year. Average room and board costs $10,138. Books and supplies cost an average of $1,298 per year, transportation $1,109 and other expenses $2,106.
Out-of-state tuition and fees at four-year schools is $23,893 per year. Room and board ($10,138), books and supplies ($1,298), transportation ($1,109) and other expenses ($2,106) remain the same.
Tuition and fees at four-year private schools averages $32,405 per year. Room and board costs an average of $11,516, books and supplies $1,249, transportation $1,033 and other expenses $1,628.
Fortunately for student-athletes, most NCAA Division I and II colleges and universities, NAIA institutions and NJCAA schools offer athletic scholarships. Unfortunately, only about 2 percent of student-athletes receive them.
Virtually all colleges and universities also award academic scholarships. In addition, nearly two-thirds of all undergraduate students receive financial aid.
Still, almost three-quarters of all students graduate from four-year colleges and universities with student loan debt. Average student debt for graduating seniors is $25,500 at public institutions and $32,300 at private schools.
Yes, college costs “a lot.”
Want to reduce or eliminate the cost of college? National Scouting Report, the world’s oldest and largest college recruiting organization, has received hundreds of requests from college coaches seeking 2017-20 prospects on all levels. More than 95 percent of NSR’s qualified prospects receive scholarship offers. For more information, contact NSR Area Director Gary Silvers, former Executive Sports Editor of the Bucks County Courier Times, at (215) 480-8764 or gsilvers@nsr-inc.com.