Suny Student Loan

Q. I’m trying to convince my daughter to consider a NY State school. I don’t want to brow beat her into going to a state school…so can anyone give me some input about NY State schools…anyone at one or with kids at one having a good experience or getting a good education….I need some good reasons.
A. -SUNY schools only look inexpensive. If you are depending on financial aid a private college or university can usually equal or beat a SUNY offer, unless the student is top calibre and merit-scholarship material.I offer the plight of one average(parents working class)student in the recent financial aid crunch:NYS private college: full tuition, covered by grants and scholarships, loans: $3,000 Binghamton: $300 state aid, $8400 parent loan, 2600 fed loan Albany: $400 state aid, $5100 fed loans, $1000 Work-studyYou can check out the financial aid stats of private colleges on-line and in several publications, after you have determined which schools are appealing in and of themselves. To maximize your ratio of grants to loans apply to schools where the student’s stats are in the upper quarter or third of admitted students. Also check out any “special” scholarships offered by a private school for incoming freshpersons. Does she play the bagpipes?You didn’t say as much, but the strategy would be different if your child would be attending a SUNY school as a commuter and could forego the room and board expenses, which are higher than tuition (unless you live three to a room and can exist on a modified meal plan).-Although I live in NY, I know very little of the SUNY system. What I do know (rather, what little I’ve heard from friends and guidance counselors) is that SUNY Binghamton is the best bet for your money (it’s also the most difficult to get into). I passed through the town of Binghamton last year while visiting Cornell - it was 10:30 at night, we were lost and were driving circles around this huge cemetery all night, etc. What surprised me was that the entire town was asleep - EVERYTHING was closed (we eventually found an open Hess gas station outside of the city, but we drove 20 minutes before reaching it.) SUNY Stonybrook has an excellent science program, and their medical school is pretty highly regarded. SUNY Buffalo is a very social school, and has the third highest reputation after Binghamton and Stonybrook. .