Going out of State for College can be Challenging

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Megan Albers

Going out of state for college can be challenging for students.

From a young age, students have in their mind that going out of state for college is something that they should do.  Whether it is due to pressure from their parents, or the misconception that Minnesota schools are worse than those of an out of state college university.

Students are under the impression that going out of state will be the best option, no matter what kind of student they are, when in reality, many students that go out of state return the following semester, or year.

It is not uncommon to find that students are unable to adapt to their new surroundings in an out of state college, and this is a large reason for some students to transfer.

In reality, Minnesota has some of the finest post secondary education options in the country.  With 78 colleges, 43 being public, according to Cappex, there are many options for students with varying needs.

In many cases, students that go out of state end up paying thousands of of dollars extra for their tuition, whereas students who stay in state receive reciprocity from their residency alone.

An example of how in state tuition vs out of state tuition can significantly affect cost is in the case of University of California, Santa Barbara, tuition for instate students is $12,192, but out of state students pay $34,213 per year according to College Express.

43 percent of incoming freshman said that tuition cost was an important matter in deciding what college or university to attend, according to US Mail.

Students with the cost of college in mind often view in state schools as less expensive, which is generally the case.

Other than factoring in the extra cost of tuition being an out of state student, students also need to take note of the cost of traveling to and from college, and also transporting your belongings as well.  If the student plans on coming home for holidays and breaks, the cost of travel via flying or driving can add up.

Furthermore, when going out of state for school, you are isolated from your familiar surroundings for prolonged amounts of time, and this in turn causes higher rates of anxiety and depression.

One out of every four college students suffer from depression according to Health Line, and between difficult classes, and learning your new way of life, being in an unknown surrounding can add to depression symptoms.

Because college is such a life changing experience, it is important to consider all aspects of a potential post secondary education establishment, especially location.

Staying in state for college is not only the best financial choice, but is the best choice for ensuring a happy and healthy college education.