Attending colleges that are not in their own state has become quite popular among students in the present day. Most of the time becoming an out-of-state college student can actually be the cheaper option for the students. They generally do not have the huge tuition fees like those at private institutions, but still have huge amounts of resources for their students.
The huge popularity of many of their athletic teams is of course undeniable. One of the main thoughts on a student’s mind, when considering an out-of-state college is of course being independent.
| Benefits of Being an Out-of-State College Student | Drawbacks of Being an Out-of-State College Student |
| Students become more independent | There are n state Scholarships &/or grants |
| Students get to make new friends | State Colleges have less Financial Resources |
| Students can enjoy different weathers | Admission can be harder sometimes |
| There are more Career Opportunities | Students often get very homesick |
| There are more Academic Opportunities | The students will have to arguably spend all their savings |
| There is a huge student diversity | |
| There are more Student Activities | |
| There are more On-Campus Resources |
Advantages of Being an Out-of-State College Student
- Independence :
Moving out of state for college studies means that there will be at the very least some, distance between you and your home. Living at home or close by, means that students have not completely outgrown their dependence on their families. Becoming an Out-of-State Student forces the person to learn complete independence and the family to finally let go.
- New Friends :
Going out to a new state means meeting completely new people. It more or less means that you will not know a single person in that institution at all and gives people that little extra nudge to branch out and meet new people. Getting acquainted with new people and making new friends helps people to develop their own personalities.
- Different Weather :
Experiences help human beings to grow. Though it certainly depends on the Institution that you wish to attend, going out-of-state, has a big chance of resulting in a change in weather. It would be a boon if the change was suited to your liking(s). However even a simple change in weather allows you to gain a new perspective.
- More Career Opportunities :
The number Career opportunities is often based on the location of the institution you are admitted to, for example, colleges in rural areas provide less opportunities. Also, almost every kind of industry has a hub where it is incredibly active and attending an institution in that particular area can bring in better opportunities in that industry than other institutions.
- More Academic Opportunities :
One of the main reasons students tend to opt for out-of-state colleges is because state colleges are renowned for an extremely vast variety of academic disciplines. This is even more important for those students who are looking to study a major that is not that popular and thus not offered by most colleges.
- Diversity :
One major feature of the state colleges is that they generally tend to have a far bigger population of students than that present in other colleges. So, they tend to have a much more diverse set of students, be it on the basis of race or ethnicity or socio-economics, etc., allowing the students to learn more about their country.
- More Student Activities :
Owing to their huge population of students State Colleges normally tend to engage them in a whole lot of mandatory student activities. The number of Clubs, Organisations, etc., is in the hundreds. Not only that, the different Collegiate Athletic Teams are incredibly famous and that feature is one that attracts a whole lot of students to these colleges.
- More On-Campus Resources :
Despite a number of different private Institutions having the resources to possess an array of amenities on campus, their generally small student populations do not seem to require them most of the time. However, due to their huge populations, state schools are sure to have a variety of on-campus resources like, huge gyms and libraries, extra amenities, etc.
Disadvantages of Being an Out-of-State College Student
- No State Grants and/or Scholarships :
Even though a number of states do offer the students who are eligible, scholarships and/or grants for attending college. But that is only restricted for the students from their own state. Unfortunately, the students who choose to attend an out-of-state college do not get to avail that privilege and have to fend for their own.
- Less Financial Resources :
State Colleges always have a very limited amount of Financial Resources. Private Colleges always tend to have more and/or advanced resources at their disposal. Not only that, although a handful of state colleges do provide merit scholarships to a few of the out-of-state students, they are not even close to covering the whole cost of the course.
- Sometimes harder to get in :
Some State Colleges can have academic requirements that are really hard to achieve. They were originally founded to aid the students from their own state. So while a lot of these out-of-state colleges do admit students from other states, they might be looking for candidates who are high achievers and can foot their whole tuition bill.
- Homesickness :
This is an obvious drawback of being in a different state for college. Most students experience it no matter the distance from home. Students who need to cover huge distances to see home again can have a really hard time at their out-of-state colleges. Going home, then becomes a task that requires a lot of time and money.
- Less Savings :
Being an out-of-state college student, means having to settle in a completely new life in a new state. That means renting/buying a new place to stay, money for food, money for commute, everyday expenses, etc. Not only that, visiting home becomes a considerably high expenditure. These will all be expenses on top of the college tuition fees.
Now that we have gone through the different advantages and problems of becoming an out-of-state student, one thing should always be kept in mind that it is an extremely personal decision, which may come to shape the person you become. So extensive research is a must and take time before deciding.
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I’m a former teacher with a background in child development and a passion for creating engaging and educational activities for children. I strongly understand child development and know how to create activities to help children learn and grow. Spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and volunteering in my community.