“When I was a child, I dreamed of being a Husky at UW. But when it came time to choose a college, I was intimidated by the UW's size—While I know a large university can be the right choice for some people, I found out that I would do better in a smaller community.”

— Abigail M. Dominguez
Seattle Pacific University

Paying for College

Average Tuition and Typical Financial Aid  (for students with the greatest need, 2010)
Tuition and fees:	$27,100
Room and board:	$8,000
Books, Tech, Transportation	$4,200
Total:	$39,300
Scholarships and grants
Institutional grants	13,000
Federal grants:	$6,750
State grants:	$7,700
Student Loans:	$7,500
State/Federal work study:	$2,700
Total:	$37,550
Total Unmet Need:	$1,750

Financial Aid at
Independent Colleges

Don't let tuition be the only factor you consider when choosing a college. Financial aid is available at independent colleges which means that students graduate with less debt than you might expect, compared to the low tuitions at public schools. Plus, students at independent colleges graduate faster and thus get into the workforce earlier.

Source: ICW, IPEDS, HECB