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The college price tag

P 2013 Parent100+ posts
2013 is starting to receive notice of admission and, in some cases, his scholarship awards (academic). He is a solid student and has worked very hard in the classroom, and it's paying off.

It is clear that he won't be playing DI ball. DII is a possibility, but we're not sure how strong.

DIIIs in our region are very interested and he is liking some of the schools.

That said, when all the calculations are done, the DIII schools, even with lots of academic aid, will still cost more out of pocket than our academically strong state schools (with limited academic aid). This is not to argue the difference in private vs public with respect to class size, student support, or TAs ~ full professors in the classroom, because that is an entirely different debate.

Maybe we're a little slow on the uptake, but we had never considered the fact that we might be paying considerably more for the privilege of (hopefully) playing college baseball.
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RJMRJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007
Don't sacrifice education and/or accumulate unnecessary debt for four years of college baseball. He can play club ball for a large college. Some club programs are stronger than D3 programs. It's the players who tried to walk on, didn't make it and didn't want to transfer.
Last edited by RJM
F FoxDad10,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by 2013 Parent:
DIIIs in our region are very interested and he is liking some of the schools.


Interested how? Just on academics or do they want him to play ball?

Be careful, it's not uncommon to see DIII coaches "recruit" more players than they can keep on the team. Friend of my son is at a local DIII school and there is ~70 players (including returning players) trying out for ~35 positions. Yes, even returning players have to "try out" and make the team.

Welcome to the world of college expenses.

So that said, if he decides on a DIII school, make sure he likes the school before committing in the event he doesn't make the team.
V VaRHPmom100+ posts
My son got a very nice academic scholarship at his D3 school and is playing baseball. And yes, it is more than if he went to a State school. But, we didn't think of it as a privilege to play baseball. He really likes the school and would go there even if he couldn't play baseball. The nice thing about playing baseball is that we know he is getting help transitioning to college rather than being lost in the crowd. Through the baseball program, he has mandatory team study time, older students on the team that he can go to for help, and a coach who is keeping tabs on how he is doing (since we legally cannot now that he is an adult).

Baseball is just the icing on the cake. So make sure you look at the whole package of a small private school vs. a large university.
RJMRJMHSBaseballWeb member since 2007
Many D3's are sub campuses of the state university. A player can play ball there for a couple of years, then transfer to the main campus if he decides where the degree comes from is more important than baseball. Penn State's sub campuses are D3 programs. If the student maintains a certain gpa he's automatically admitted to the main campus for junior year.
Last edited by RJM
RunningawayRunningaway100+ posts
Why go to a 4 year school over a junior college. In my son's case the academic money and other scholarships (he is a commuter) brought the out of pocket price down to 5,000.00. We looked at who the academic teachers were at the various local schools. There are many PHD faculty at my son's D3 school. My son's school is known for the science program so for him I think he is getting more bang for the buck even if it is about 1,500(for him) more than the local junior college. There are also many research opportunities at this school,there is nothing comparable at the junior college.
Last edited by Runningaway
V VaRHPmom100+ posts
My husband put together a chart comparing the schools my son was looking at (baseball and non-baseball). He included a row "Cost of playing baseball" which showed how much more expensive the D3 schools were than the in-state schools. That was until I had him add Penn State which was my son's #1 choice for many years and is an out-of-state school for us. All of a sudden, the cost of playing baseball was less than not playing baseball compared to where he would go if baseball was not in the equation.

Side note: A bonus to having baseball as part of the college decision was that both my husband and I felt that our son would do better at a smaller school rather than at Penn State. Plus, he decided right before school started that he was no longer interested in becoming an Engineer (one of the main reasons he was interested in Penn State and had originally planned on going to graduate school there after getting a B.S. in Physics). At least he has a little time to change his mind again. If he had been at PSU, he would either have been stuck in the College of Engineering or would have had to transfer out (don't know if he could have changed his mind again to get back in).
MizzoubaseballMizzoubaseball1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by Bum:
Why choose a four year school? Have him go to a solid JC program where the costs are far less, he can play ball, and perhaps develop and transfer later.


This is the case with my son. D-1 schools liked him but just not ready to pull the trigger. Then when a consistant JUCO world series participant shows up with %100, it was a no brainer. Chance to pitch as a freshmen, chance to develop as a pitcher, and most importantly, develop as a student.
R RedSoxFan21500+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by VaRHPmom:
My son got a very nice academic scholarship at his D3 school and is playing baseball. And yes, it is more than if he went to a State school. But, we didn't think of it as a privilege to play baseball. He really likes the school and would go there even if he couldn't play baseball. The nice thing about playing baseball is that we know he is getting help transitioning to college rather than being lost in the crowd. Through the baseball program, he has mandatory team study time, older students on the team that he can go to for help, and a coach who is keeping tabs on how he is doing (since we legally cannot now that he is an adult).

Baseball is just the icing on the cake. So make sure you look at the whole package of a small private school vs. a large university.


VaRHPmom is spot on. Great post. Pick schools based on NO BASEBALL. You are paying to get a degree that will start you off well in adult life. That is what the money is for, it's not to play on a baseball team.

Now that you have made your list of schools that make sense without baseball, see who has baseball teams and look at their roster. Are there many Seniors who will be heading out (remember at this time of year most rosters are not yet updated so look at last spring's juniors.) What position does your son play, how does that match to needs. Is he a truly great hitter? Then no worries every team will want him.

As another poster wrote, beware the D3 overrecruit effort. My guy thought he was all set (and thankfully now is) but learned that all players try out every year.

Oh, and my final point is with respect to academic aid. What you are hearing about now is usually the scholarship aid. Once you complete your FAFSA in January you may learn that you are eligible for financial aid as well. And it can be significant.

As to paying for the rest, as much as debt sucks, the federal direct loan programs are excellent. Stay away from private loan programs. The feds even forgive the debt if the student (god forbid) or the obligor pass away. A built in insurance program. The private loans don't do that.

Good luck!
BumBum1,000+ posts
Bum, Jr. went D-1 because he had D-1 ability. Not all do, especially out of h.s. Some have the ability but lack the academics and need time to develop this aspect. Some have the academics but, given time, might easily project to D-1 ability. For both of these types, Juco is a good route.

When Bum, Jr. had to do a D-1 to D-1 transfer he heard from many D-3 schools. He had a lot of options because he was also nearly a 4.0 student. But he was a D-1 pitcher, with D-1 ability. Why go D-3? The exposure options were more limited and the summer college league placement options were another limiting factor.

There's no right way to go. It's individual to the player.
Low FinishLow Finish500+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by RedSoxFan21:
quote:
Originally posted by VaRHPmom:
My son got a very nice academic scholarship at his D3 school and is playing baseball. And yes, it is more than if he went to a State school. But, we didn't think of it as a privilege to play baseball. He really likes the school and would go there even if he couldn't play baseball. The nice thing about playing baseball is that we know he is getting help transitioning to college rather than being lost in the crowd. Through the baseball program, he has mandatory team study time, older students on the team that he can go to for help, and a coach who is keeping tabs on how he is doing (since we legally cannot now that he is an adult).

Baseball is just the icing on the cake. So make sure you look at the whole package of a small private school vs. a large university.


VaRHPmom is spot on. Great post. Pick schools based on NO BASEBALL. You are paying to get a degree that will start you off well in adult life. That is what the money is for, it's not to play on a baseball team.

Now that you have made your list of schools that make sense without baseball, see who has baseball teams and look at their roster. Are there many Seniors who will be heading out (remember at this time of year most rosters are not yet updated so look at last spring's juniors.) What position does your son play, how does that match to needs. Is he a truly great hitter? Then no worries every team will want him.

As another poster wrote, beware the D3 overrecruit effort. My guy thought he was all set (and thankfully now is) but learned that all players try out every year.

Oh, and my final point is with respect to academic aid. What you are hearing about now is usually the scholarship aid. Once you complete your FAFSA in January you may learn that you are eligible for financial aid as well. And it can be significant.

As to paying for the rest, as much as debt sucks, the federal direct loan programs are excellent. Stay away from private loan programs. The feds even forgive the debt if the student (god forbid) or the obligor pass away. A built in insurance program. The private loans don't do that.

Good luck!


Yes, I agree with everything here. Baseball isn't a career for 99.9% of us. It's a tough thing to recognize, because all of us love playing the game. But you go to a university to get a degree. Not to play baseball.

Look at the school ignoring the baseball program. Then, make a decision. Baseball is just a really nice add on.
PD PA Dino500+ posts
Junior college then transfer or a four year close to home and commute. Those would be my two options offered my kids if I were to do it again.

I underestimated what the costs were going to be and I allowed my kids to graduate with too much debt. I believe many colleges are wildly overpriced. For the average middle class family the FAFSA offers no real opportunity - your expected family contribution will be significant, the punchline is you as a parent and your student will pay for college loans for the next ten years. Unless you were wise and saved a significant amount of money along the way. Those who had kids that excel on the field and in the classroom are fortunate but they are few.

For most, baseball will soon be an afterthought so pick your school carefully. Look your financial face in the mirror very closely.
RunningawayRunningaway100+ posts
[quote]Baseball isn't a career for 99.9% of us. It's a tough thing to recognize, because all of us love playing the game. But you go to a university to get a degree. Not to play baseball.

My son made a statement this past week. He said mom I am giving up baseball. I would hate to look back after four years and think my academics suffered because of playing baseball. He also said he didn't want to short change baseball, it wouldn't be fair to his teamates and it's not the type of player that I am. I can't find any fault in that statement. His coaches are the best. They took the news graciously they told him he is a remarkable young man and that the door is open if he changes his mind.


I think some kids can pull off a tough major and play baseball but I think it is a small percentage. He is getting excellent grades. He wants to join the phyics and math clubs. He wants research opportunities. He also has to get a partime job to pay for books this next semester. There is just not enough time in the day even for the kid who appears to be making it work.

I'm sad but proud of him.

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