It is normal if you are out-of-state (that is, you are not going to University in the state of your primary residence, or for most high school students, the state in which your parents reside). I've provided two state schools for reference at different ranking levels: Georgia Tech [1], and North Carolina State University [2]. Private schools, on the other hand, can have some very high tuition rates (see Emory University [3], for example -- $169,000 just for tuition over four years).
Some students are able to get grants or other scholarships to help alleviate some of the costs.
If you happen to be in-state with good schools, then the rates are far more reasonable (though still expensive), as other posters have mentioned.
If you'd been an international student in the UK, it might seem less ridiculous. Three years' tuition in a sciency subject at Imperial College costs just about $100,000.[1] (That was 09/10, I guess it's a little higher now.) Granted that's the most expensive on the list, but factoring in living costs, I'd say $75,000 for three years is common.
No, "financial aid" is a broad term which includes loads and many other things which do not have to be paid back. There's a reason the term "financial aid" is used instead of just saying "loans".
All of my financial aid was in the form of grants which I don't have to pay back. However, I am the sole supporter of my family so I get a hefty Pell Grant every semester.
The amount of the grant depends on the cost of tuition, so this only applies to the most expensive schools.
Of course you already knew this. You say it is "hefty" and covers all of your costs, do you go to a community college and live at home with your parents who feed you? If not, please name your college and describe how you are able to stretch $2250 to cover all your living expenses, tuition costs, fees and books over a six month period. I am sincerely interested since you seem to have brilliant financial management skills that others could benefit from learning.
Not OP, but I too got Pell and OTHER grants (Pell isn't the only one). Many schools (UND in my case), have institutional and national grants that are tapped into for students.
Your final paragraph is pretty low class. colkassad did not say his/her only grant was Pell, only that it was hefty.
There's nothing low class in my post, I resent the implication.
The phenomenon of oppressive student debt in the US is well documented. Articles about the problems with this situation often have posters claiming that the problem does not exist, but with few particulars. I would like to know more about the specifics of both your situations. Sharing such information could help other students. Posting claims with no details helps no one.
Being able to afford college on $2250 per six months is a remarkable achievement and he should be proud of it, and willing to share exactly how he did it with others so they can benefit as well.
"do you go to a community college and live at home with your parents who feed you?" and "since you seem to have brilliant financial management skills that others could benefit from learning"
Those aren't exactly phrases that scream, "I want to learn". They do tend to be read sarcastically and indicate a lack of belief.
The solution for me was to go to a state school with a good program and work with a financial aide officer that knew what grants were available. I took out some loans, but they were minimum and easy to pay back (more because I traded work-study money for a loan). Many institutions have grants with their price only being a thank you letter to the organization giving the grant.
I should also point out, I received no help from my high school counselor on applying for financial aide or scholarships. He even cost me a $2,000 per year scholarship . With that, I would have had no loans or work-study. So, if your high school is not actually a hinderance, there are multiple sources of income they can help you with.
My tuition rate is $273 per credit hour (in-state).
In Fall 2011 I racked up $3,283 in tuition and other fees. $1,775 of that was paid for by a grant from the state and $1,500 was paid for by a Federal Pell Grant.
I guess I'd have to agree with some of the other comments here then, if the option of a less expensive education is available then getting yourself into that amount of debt is a gamble if you have no other means of repaying it.
The note bene here is that employers in the US are far snobbier about the pedigree of your school than in say Canada (I don't know about the UK). It's much less common in other Anglo countries to move halfway across the country for school when you have a cheap public school nearby.
I'm finishing my CS degree at a state school at around 25k, which includes the two years I spent at community college. A lot of that was paid for by grants.
