Tuition, Cost & Aid

My tuition at Alfred (which is out-of-state for me) is the neighborhood of 19-20k a year. Compare that to a tuition of 25k a year for Penn State (which is in-state for me). You decide which is a better value.

It was a bit pricey for my economic situation but they most certainly tried to bridge the gap. They we're neck and neck with my first choice school, which was pretty amazing.

The only real draw backs where the location and my not wanting to take extra loans.

Alfred was voted one of the best bang for you buck schools a couple years back, and I would definitely agree! If you come from a family with a relatively low income, or you did pretty well in high school, Alfred's financial aid department does a very good job in making sure you have the proper funds in order to attend. If you are out of state, they do a pretty good job in providing out of sate housing grants, which helps to suck up the expensive housing/dining plans at Alfred.

AU was the least expensive private university that I applied to/was accepted to. I got a fairly good financial aid package. I just finished my first semester and I enjoyed it a lot and learned a great deal so I consider that fairly worth it. It is also very easy to get a job on campus and a majority of them are very flexible with hours.

It iÂ?s extremely easy to find events on campus that offer free food and refreshments.

I'll be honest, I'm paying $43,000 a year for Alfred. That's really steep, but I am very happy with my choice. Alfred is very high up in the Nation's best colleges and it partners with good graduate schools, like Cornell and Yale. There are so many fun and free events to go to that it is worth it, AND Alfred is a private University so on top of all the government aid that you receive, Alfred gives out grants and scholarships left and right! Really I only ended up paying $2,100 after all my grants and scholarships =) (That's including books!)

There is so much space at the University. Its never too cramped and the campus is beautiful.

It's a private school, so the price is more than some people would be willing to spend. That being said, I feel like my money is being well spent. The facilities are very well maintained, the meal plan offers good food at flexible hours, and campus sponsored events are of consistent quality.

I feel like I will receive a more personalized and individually focused education here at AU. I like that my classes are taught by professors with doctorate degrees, not grad students. There are opportunities for study abroad, co-op education, undergraduate research, and design competitions. And, of the four schools I was accepted to, Alfred Univ offered me the best financial aid package, making college affordable for me.