Thanks for the perspective Knowsstuff and WhrlingColleges:
Pertaining opening up options - Auburn was always his #1 school, based on traditions, want, campus, history, family alumni, etc. Attending GA TECH just recently became a potential option as his grades/scores remained competitive and engineering continued to be the chosen discipline. Those are the moments where we as parents realize - our children have more opportunities than we had and to remind them that our history and campuses don’t have to be theirs. “Go where you want” changed fairly quickly to “go to the best place you can get in”.
Pertaining the budget, we knew OOS was more expensive. The GA HOPE scholarship makes both GT and UGA extremely difficult to get into now that tuition is free for Zell scholarship participants.
Since the beginning of H.S., we told our son if he excelled and received the scores to get the highest AU academic scholarship that we would help for him to have that experience if that is indeed where he wanted to go.
AU changed the scholarship policy (for OOS) from a guaranteed $18k to a competitive $15k this July/August, so all of the preparation and test taking left him (potentially leaves him) w/ a $3k/year gap ($12k overall difference).
$$ is not the most important aspect of an overall college experience and education, if both options are w/in financial means.
$40k over 4 years is a lot, but $40k over your lifetime for the experience, friends, classes, sports, growth and education to be where you want to be is priceless.