FSU Costs of Living Outside of Tuition

[RangerNole]

So my daughter is doing her college applications right now. She has to do them early so when/if she is accepted she can schedule her audition. She is going for a Musical Theater BFA. FSU is one of the 8 schools she is applying to and she is only applying to top 10 schools according to play bill. I know what out of state tuition costs; but what are the living expenses? Housing, groceries, car if you can have one; basically all the things besides tuition. We would likely get one of those 4 bedroom quad type apartments; not really a big fan of the dorms, but this is based on 30 plus year old knowledge. Maybe the dorms are better now.
Final question is, what are the rules on being a Florida resident? I know this is sketchy; but I have a mom, dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles etc. in Tally and she could legally declare her residency after a year. How is this looked at when you start as an out of state student? Any other advice or guidance would be appreciated. Well except for you knuckle heads who will provide only very poor humorous advice.

 

[runkpanole]

A lot of the dorms have been or our being replaced. I can advise you not to move your daughter into Tharpe Street apartments (that corridor has more shootings than Chicago recently).

 

[Fijimn]

I think the dorms and a meal plan are the way to go for the first year. And a pre-paid debit for incidentals. In terms of being able to manage monthly cash flow for you and her.

 

[12Nole]

Is this a program she's willing to minor in? Maybe look at Accounting, finance, or computer science as a major.

Please share with her the book "Set for Life".

She could go to TCC for a year, work part time to get Florida residency then transfer over to FSU and pay instate tuition.

 

[travnole]

Granted it was 20 years ago..... my father was military and we lived in CA when I was finishing up high school and about to go to FSU.

We had never been stationed in FL, but my uncle lived here and we claimed residency for tax purposes. I don’t know any details on how my parents did it, but we never got a question about it.

 

[DanC78]

In 2002 the cost of a room off campus was between 4 and $500 per month.

 

[RangerNole]

Is this a program she's willing to minor in? Maybe look at Accounting, finance, or computer science as a major.

Please share with her the book "Set for Life".

She could go to TCC for a year, work part time to get Florida residency then transfer over to FSU and pay instate tuition.

Thanks man. No chance for a minor in Musical Theater. This is her dream and she has been the lead in almost 15 plays since she was in 7th grade. She is directing our middle school play this year as part of her diploma of distinction. Bottom line she wants to be on Broadway. Even as her dad she is really talented and realizes the difficult road she has. She is so gifted in this stuff. Thanks for the input though.

 

[RangerNole]

In 2002 the cost of a room off campus was between 4 and $500 per month.

Really that is not bad. I thought about maybe buying something with others; that is pretty reasonable. Of course it was 16 years ago. I figure with our downsizing and giving my kids my social security even if they get loans they should be okay by late 20"s

 

[Urban Cryer]

Buy her a small house, rent the other rooms out to her friends and have that pay the mortgage. Sell the house when complete.

 

[RangerNole]

Buy her a small house, rent the other rooms out to her friends and have that pay the mortgage. Sell the house when complete.

Would love to; just not sure if that is doable. Plus I do want her to have the college experience and if I owned a home that was cash flow positive in a college town why would I sell it. 2nd homes aren't as easy today as they were a few years ago.

 

[RTM58]

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_re...8,-84.263549,30.419367,-84.337364_rect/13_zm/

https://www.apartments.com/university-tallahassee-fl/

 

[OrlandNole]

Buy her a small house, rent the other rooms out to her friends and have that pay the mortgage. Sell the house when complete.

That’s a great plan, but first she needs to get some friends...by staying in a dorm.

 

[NoleFan2U]

If her grades are good enough she can get a scholarship that will match the out-of-state tuition

 

[squiffynole]

You're looking at $16k per year plus tuition.

https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/florida-state-university/paying-for-college/room-and-board/

Music Theater is on the east side of campus where parking and off campus housing is the worst. Starting out I'd look on campus at the new suite style housing like Wildwood Hall.

Also if it works out your daughter would enjoy the Quincy Music Theater a local gem.

https://quincymusictheatre.com/

 

[GwinnettNole]

So my daughter is doing her college applications right now. She has to do them early so when/if she is accepted she can schedule her audition. She is going for a Musical Theater BFA. FSU is one of the 8 schools she is applying to and she is only applying to top 10 schools according to play bill. I know what out of state tuition costs; but what are the living expenses? Housing, groceries, car if you can have one; basically all the things besides tuition. We would likely get one of those 4 bedroom quad type apartments; not really a big fan of the dorms, but this is based on 30 plus year old knowledge. Maybe the dorms are better now.
Final question is, what are the rules on being a Florida resident? I know this is sketchy; but I have a mom, dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles etc. in Tally and she could legally declare her residency after a year. How is this looked at when you start as an out of state student? Any other advice or guidance would be appreciated. Well except for you knuckle heads who will provide only very poor humorous advice.

Out of state tuition is not as simple to get out of by going to TCC for a year. Over the last 10-15 years admissions has really cracked down on charging people in state if you are from out of state.

If you are from out of state and want in state tuition you have to jump through these hoops;

First you have to prove that you moved to FL for a reason other than for going to college. Meaning you have to have residence there for a year, with proof of bills in your name all the while not attending any university. TCC wouldn’t work. It would have to be a gap year.

Two, the student when applying has to show that they are no longer being declared on their parents W2 tax return docs. In other words, the student has to be a dependent for himself/ herself.

Three, the applying student will have to have a job for a year ( goes back to showing that they didn’t move to FL for the purpose of schooling)

As I said they have cracked down on this immensely. Better to stay in your state IMO.

 

[RangerNole]

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_re...8,-84.263549,30.419367,-84.337364_rect/13_zm/

https://www.apartments.com/university-tallahassee-fl/

Thanks I had no idea so many places were for sale or available. Still need to look at the tax implications.

If her grades are good enough she can get a scholarship that will match the out-of-state tuition

Wow that are a lot of places
Grades are very solid. 4.something and has taken almost all AP class this year and last. SAT/ACT is slightly below average. I don't think she does well on those. Has taken it a few times and had tutoring; still her score hasn't gone up much.

 

[RangerNole]

Out of state tuition is not as simple to get out of by going to TCC for a year. Over the last 10-15 years admissions has really cracked down on charging people in state if you are from out of state.

If you are from out of state and want in state tuition you have to jump through these hoops;

First you have to prove that you moved to FL for a reason other than for going to college. Meaning you have to have residence there for a year, with proof of bills in your name all the while not attending any university. TCC wouldn’t work. It would have to be a gap year.

Two, the student when applying has to show that they are no longer being declared on their parents W2 tax return docs. In other words, the student has to be a dependent for himself/ herself.

Three, the applying student will have to have a job for a year ( goes back to showing that they didn’t move to FL for the purpose of schooling)

As I said they have cracked down on this immensely. Better to stay in your state IMO.

Figured it wasn't as simple as get a power bill in your name. Guess I will pass on that idea.

 

[funksouljon]

........
Grades are very solid. 4.something and has taken almost all AP class this year and last. SAT/ACT is slightly below average. I don't think she does well on those. Has taken it a few times and had tutoring; still her score hasn't gone up much.

Good luck with the grades > single test score. Would hope that high delivery and effort over a 4 year period would be valued over a single exam that is mediocre.

My folks rented and still do some houses for students. They have said that the large increase in student housing off campus has impacted their single family renting to students. Apparently the trend is kids are preferring the all inclusive (cable, garbage, etc) tied to a residence with a pool etc. Obviously you might only consider 1 home, but be aware, the heyday of SFH rentals to college kids isn't as strong as it used to be. As far as roommates goes, we almost always found people off of CL. Mostly good, couple PITA roomies.

 

[nole71911]

I graduated in 2006. I would say gas, food, alcohol, random stuff, rent, lights probably ran me about $1,000 to $1,250 a month. But I kind of stayed in a dump, so I would imagine it being closer to $1,500 a month now-a-days.

 

[GbrNole]

I pay $650 per month for my daughter's apartment rent which includes utilities, cable and internet. She spends about $75 per week on groceries etc. and i think twice that damn amount on socializing!

 

[Gonolz]

I pay $650 per month for my daughter's apartment rent which includes utilities, cable and internet. She spends about $75 per week on groceries etc. and i think twice that damn amount on socializing!

Socializing is a great euphemism for alcohol.

 

[surfnole]

Oldest graduated FSU 2016, one at UF in an apartment now, youngest at at TCC as a freshman hoping to xfer to FSU. 12-14K per year plus tuition.

Rent will be about 600 per month, then food, car, other expenses etc. They might save a couple of hundred per month on rent.

Buying housing is something I am considering for the next three years.

Back in my day, apartments had 9 month leases. Now it's only a year. The dorm alone will be worth the saving due to the 9 months "lease". Additionally, I think every freshman should live in a dorm. It helps get them plugged into campus life. Perhaps avoid the dorms that require the campus meal plan that is outrageously overpriced.

Now to tell you how much better it was in the old days: I lived in Landis during my freshmen year with about 20 other freshmen men on my wing.. The first night we hung out in the hallway and BS'd. We were all in the same situation. Many of us joined fraternities and three others from my floor joined mine. Within two days I had best friends for college and a couple of best friends for life.

Back then we had a communal bathroom, showers, sinks, toilets etc. There are not many better ways to get to know people than spending 24x7 with them showering (separate isolated stalls) , shaving/brushing teeth/ and other things for nine months.

And the pranks, like launching bottle rockets into the shower when some guy was showering. Go to jail today likely. Or stealing a guys towel and making him run down the hallway naked to his room with his hand over his privates. A good friend of mine for years after than happened.

But I digress. A dorm on campus should be a requirement for freshmen.

NOW GET OFF MY GRASS!!!