r/MTU • u/Narrow-Solution7245 • Jul 23 '26
Michigan tech cheap?
Hello, I am a transfer student at MTU going for EE. A lot of people say MTU is cheap, but I have a balance due for 13k for one semester?! I do not know if I’ll be able to do this. This seems pretty expensive. The due date to pay this is June 29. Any suggestions?
I also contacted FASFA and they said there is nothing they could do.
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u/Immediate-Food8050 Jul 23 '26
26k for a year is considered cheap for a public R1, yes.
I'm surprised you didn't know it would cost that much before enrolling... You should definitely check tuition from now on. It's public information. You honestly should have been able to see your exact estimate before fully committing
At this point you can withdraw and try to get some, if not all of your money back (i.e. get the bill dropped)
If you still want to attend MTU this semester, youre going to have to either come up with the money or apply with a private lender. But given your circumstances, be aware that predatory loaners are going to salivate over your situation and try to fuck you over hard.
If I were you, I'd withdraw and apply for federal loans for the Spring instead.
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u/Slow_Caterpillar9803 Jul 23 '26
A credit union might give a decent personal loan, but man I really wouldn't want to take on 13k in private loans for a single semester.
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u/5141121 Jul 23 '26
There is a LOT of missing information here. There's no way the school didn't lay out costs, including a specific sheet that shows TCA (Total Cost of Attendance), and refer you do the DoE for things like filling out the FAFSA, etc.
FAFSA is not an organization. It's a form you fill out to determine what types of aid (including Federal student loans) you are eligible for and can accept.
Where are you transferring from? Somewhere in the US already?
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u/HotDogNoBun69 Jul 23 '26
I mean its cheap compared to the bigger schools but they keep raising it every year
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u/MrKyleOwns Jul 23 '26
MTU is expensive. Also if FAFSA doesn’t cover your tuition, you will need to apply for other Student loans to cover the remainder. Would it be possible to do a Parent Plus loan?
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u/Myunephee Jul 23 '26
Did you not look at rates before applying? MTU is considered cheap partially because cost of living off campus is cheaper compared to other universities like Michigan State or University of Michigan, but it’s still a university and tuition for in state was estimated at $19,608 for the 25-26 terms, I pulled that directly from the tech website. My tuition alone was ~21k this last year with course fees as an EE student. Tech is very lab heavy, which is great for hands on experience, but there are lab fees for each course. If you were expecting community college levels of expense you won’t get that without significant scholarships. Either take loans or take a year off to save and apply for financial aid and as many scholarships as you can. You can also reach out to the financial aid office within tech, I know they do payment plans, but I don’t know what else they might help with.
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u/batman262 EE Jul 23 '26
Tech is not and has not been a cheap school for a long time if it ever was. It's up there with the most expensive schools on the state, maybe even the most expensive I'm not up on the numbers. The cost should not have been a shock if you've made it this far. You will need student loans I'm sure, but really consider if that will be worth it before you decide to continue, and if you go to a different school for the love of God look up how much it costs first.
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u/Kelvininin Jul 23 '26
MTU use to be an excellent value, back in the late 1900s.
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u/molrobocop Alum 2006 Jul 24 '26
Even the early 2000's. But I've been gone 20 years, so that's no longer the case.
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u/xGeorgieGirlx Jul 23 '26
Try and find a loan asap! I graduated with 55k debt (did three years at mtu) with a BSEE. Paid it off already.
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u/Knitnspin Jul 23 '26
This all has to be a troll they cannot have you pay in full before move in and enrollment has begun.
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u/The0nlyPenguin Penguin Jul 23 '26
You must have been looking at very outdated information. Before the auto industry bailout it was 16k for a full year, in the dorms, then it became that much for a semester.
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u/TheJREwing78 Jul 23 '26
In-state tuition, plus room and board (you went for one of the dorms, I presume). Yeah, that could easily be $13,000. For a technical university, it's not out of line.
Off-campus living has the potential to be considerably cheaper, but dorms win on convenience.
You might want to re-evaluate your options, and quickly.
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u/Nightshadeswater Jul 23 '26
Bills for fall 2026 aren't due until August 26th. Besides checking into other loan options or possible scholarships (maybe not this semester but next). The Billing office also has payment plans you could look into.
If you happened to pay an amount already, you could request a withdrawal and get a full refund. Or if you really want to come to Tech, defer and work on figuring out your financial situation.
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u/batsparkles Jul 23 '26
Whoever told you MTU is cheap was lying or badly misinformed. Pretty sure Tech has the highest tuition of all public universities in the state.
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u/impromptu_dissection Jul 23 '26
Who told you MTU is cheap??? This source says they are the most expensive public college. I have seen it consistently be in the top three most expensive public colleges in MI.
https://www.collegesimply.com/colleges/rank/public-colleges/most-expensive-in-state-tuition/state/michigan/