Texas versus Alabama
Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2012 3:34 pm
First time poster here, so thanks in advance.
I am from Birmingham, AL, and will be graduating from a small, private "liberal arts" school in Northwest Georgia this May.
Being an Alabama resident, I qualify for the in-state tuition rates at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa (35) of $18,000 a year.
Because it is so hard to keep Alabama kids in the state of Alabama, I would imagine, UA has given me a three year package of $15,000 a year, costing me $9,000 over three years,
UA is a decent enough school that has given me a great opportunity to more or less receive a free legal education, but there is a serious potential drawback of a degree from UA having limited portability outside of the Southeast. I would imagine that the farthest my connections would realistically reach would be into the Atlanta area.
That being said, another school that I am serious considering is the University of Texas at Austin (14).
Texas has offered me a modest financial aid package of $7,000 over 3 year, but their tuition, even in-state tuition if I were to establish domicile residency, is significantly higher, totaling:
($47,500 - $7000) + (2($35,000 - $7,000) = $90,500 before interest.
Although I would really want to practice in Texas, I can see myself practicing in Birmingham or Atlanta relatively easily. The thing is, Texas would cost TEN times more before interest payments compared to the UA, where I could actually pay my tuition without taking out student loans.
I've asked around, and I want to get a sense from other law students:
At this point in the economy, is it worth paying significantly more money for a significantly better law school?
I've been told that I would be stupid to pass up the huge financial aid package that UA has offered me, but I want to make sure that I don't pass up a great opportunity at a better law school.
Thanks for any input that anyone can offer.
I am from Birmingham, AL, and will be graduating from a small, private "liberal arts" school in Northwest Georgia this May.
Being an Alabama resident, I qualify for the in-state tuition rates at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa (35) of $18,000 a year.
Because it is so hard to keep Alabama kids in the state of Alabama, I would imagine, UA has given me a three year package of $15,000 a year, costing me $9,000 over three years,
UA is a decent enough school that has given me a great opportunity to more or less receive a free legal education, but there is a serious potential drawback of a degree from UA having limited portability outside of the Southeast. I would imagine that the farthest my connections would realistically reach would be into the Atlanta area.
That being said, another school that I am serious considering is the University of Texas at Austin (14).
Texas has offered me a modest financial aid package of $7,000 over 3 year, but their tuition, even in-state tuition if I were to establish domicile residency, is significantly higher, totaling:
($47,500 - $7000) + (2($35,000 - $7,000) = $90,500 before interest.
Although I would really want to practice in Texas, I can see myself practicing in Birmingham or Atlanta relatively easily. The thing is, Texas would cost TEN times more before interest payments compared to the UA, where I could actually pay my tuition without taking out student loans.
I've asked around, and I want to get a sense from other law students:
At this point in the economy, is it worth paying significantly more money for a significantly better law school?
I've been told that I would be stupid to pass up the huge financial aid package that UA has offered me, but I want to make sure that I don't pass up a great opportunity at a better law school.
Thanks for any input that anyone can offer.