Tuition, Cost & Aid

The only thing possibly more exciting than the acceptance letter is the followup envelope that details the copious amounts of money the school is willing to give in grants and merit scholarships. A liberal arts education isn't cheap, but Allegheny does its best to make tuition payments as painless as possible.

Allegheny has a trustees scholarship that is very helpful, and most students get some sort of scholarship. But even with the scholarships,
I feel that Allegheny is a little too expensive, and the financial aid department is not very helpful at times.

While Allegheny is expensive, the benefits are PRICELESS. I have had so many opportunities here that I would never get at a bigger school. I work one on one with my professors and have had the opportunity to meet with several lawyers and judges-even the interns from the United States Supreme Court. Whatever your major is, there are endless opportunities for jobs and internships that are very hard to get if you go to a bigger school. Our alumni base is huge, and continually growing. Allegheny alumni hire Allegheny students 100% of the time and provide current students with job shadowing experience that is so helpful in the future.

So far, I'm very happy that I came to Allegheny, and while I'm not completely broke yet, sometimes I wonder why I'm paying so much. The dorms are much nicer than some of the other schools I have visited, but some of them could still use a face lift - depending on what building it is, the carpets tend to be stained/smelly, the paint is starting to chip, and the heating systems seem to be barely working. Another thing that I have not been very happy with is the snow removal - for $44,000 a year, you would think that the stairs would be shoveled and salt would be put down. The bookstore is overpriced (although I guess it's no worse than any other college's) - I have never bought my texts there and will never (I buy my books and materials from eBay and Amazon, and usually spend half of what I would've spent at the bookstore). I really like the school's food programs, though - we use fresh ingredients from local farms, and both McKinley's and Brooks rotates meal items every day.

This is an expensive school, but the administration is eager to help support students financially. The overwhelming majority of students use scholarships and financial aid. Allegheny is an amazing school, but it just may not be financially feasible for everyone.

I will not lie, Allegheny is a somewhat pricey school, and for some students, it is a real challenge. However, being a Liberal Arts college, Allegheny is able to provide many students with grants and scholarships based on merit as well as need. It does not take too much effort, and Allegheny starts handing you money. Obviously, we all wish we had a bit more money sometimes, or that the school we were attending was less expensive, but for the education and experience one can gain here at Allegheny, I would say it is worth it.

If you need financial aid they will go leaps and bounds to help you get the aid you need.

The college is rather pricey and I certainly need plenty of financial aid to get by but I do appreciate what I get in return. Most professors are friendly and welcoming even if you are not one of their current or previous students. Also, from the beginning you are connected with ACCEL which helps push students into career and internship opportunities for the future and orchestrate study abroad programs. The college not only wants you to do well but also branch out to greater prospects.

Allegheny is expensive and I initially had some issues with financial aid. However, if you show academic aptitude, Allegheny will give you more money so you will attend--being a small school, they are quite generous. Some students have issues with the EFC calculations and large loan amounts. Yet, I think Allegheny is worth the price, and a student should talk with the Financial Aid Office before completely dismissing the school based on money.