Making College Affordable

Filter the negative messages

Here's something you couldn't avoid. Throughout the election process, you heard a lot about the financial hardships facing college-bound students. How do you cut through all that blather? Is it real or is it more about looking for votes or selling newspapers? How likely is it that campaign promises will work their way through Congress? More important, how will it affect you as you head into your freshman year of college? No one has all the answers, but we do want to offer some thoughts that will help you think more clearly about those issues.

There are things we do know. You will be joining millions of other students in our nation's colleges and universities next fall. You will do so during an extremely challenging period for our nation's economy. And you're certainly not alone if you're concerned about how all of this may affect your college planning.

We have two recommendations as you think about all this. First, don't let your plans be overly influenced by what you see in today's economy or hear on the election trail. You won't be entering the job market until 2017. While no one has a crystal ball, even the most pessimistic economists expect things to be better five years from now.

Second, anytime you find yourself with a set of questions no one can answer, the best advice we can give you is to keep ALL of your options open. That means applying to the colleges you believe will best meet your needs. You won't have to make a final decision until next May and, by that time, the college affordability picture is likely to be much clearer.

In the meantime, here's what you should know about Northland's response to the economic challenges facing many students:


Lower and Middle Income Access Guarantee

With the support of an outstanding group of donors, most students are guaranteed that the full cost to attend Northland - tuition, fees, housing, meals - will be the same or less than the published cost to attend the primary public university in their home state. To qualify students must have at least a 3.0 g.p.a. and come from families with an adjusted gross income of $150,000 or less. More details are available at northland.edu/tuition-match

Our intent is to help you keep all options open.


Early Scholarship Awarding

Under our Rolling Admissions and Scholarship procedure, qualified applicants are accepted in the order they apply and then move directly into one of a series of scholarship competitions with awards ranging from $5,000 to full tuition. You can expect both an admission decision and a scholarship decision within a month of the time your application is complete.

Our intent is to reduce the stress of college financing by putting this information in your hands as soon as possible.


Net Price Calculator

New federal legislation went into effect October 2011 that requires every college and university to provide estimates of costs and financial aid. Some institutions chose to provide the minimum required information and, as a result, produce a wide range of costs possibilities. Northland invested in one of the most sophisticated calculators available. You'll find a level of detail and accuracy that far exceeds the federal requirements. You can find it at northland.edu/calculator

Our intent is to give you an early and accurate estimate of your cost to attend Northland.


File the FAFSA

You should hear this advice repeatedly from every college you consider. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA) is available on-line after January 1. This determines eligibility for need-based grants, loans and campus employment from state and federal governments. It also determines your eligibility for additional grant assistance from Northland. You can expect a financial aid award within two weeks of the time we receive your FAFSA.

Our intent is to give you full information about costs and financing options before you have to make a college decision.


Graduating on Time

An increasing number of economists agree that the single most important financial aspect of the college decision relates to how long it takes you to complete a four-year degree. Nationwide, only one of every four students completes a degree in four years. It's not just about spending an additional year(s) of tuition. It's about when you hit the job market...and the earnings that you can never make up. Approximately 90 percent of the students who start and finish their degree at Northland do so in a four-year period. We'll explore this further in the next segment of the Affordability Tips.

Our intent is to get you into your career or graduate school as efficiently as possible.

For now, keep ALL of your options open. Apply to the universities that can best meet your needs. If Northland College is one of those schools, we would be happy to consider your application. You can apply for free online below. We'll work with you at every step of the way to help you make a good college decision...and to find a way to pay for it.