@SBmom0702 : I posted on a different thread, but wanted you to know of our experience with our daughter being a recruited athlete who landed at Brandeis: current first year student. Ask the coach to support you in doing a financial pre-read. Our daughter’s coach suggested it when I balked at committing to paying for something without knowing the cost up front. Worked out great in our case and the estimate we got back from student financial services was just about spot on: actually got a bit more $ in the official offer after getting in ED. I would add that if the coach won’t support your request, he/she has made the decision for you about which school is best for your daughter. For if the coach won’t be their kindest, supportive self before your daughter has committed, that won’t change after your daughter has committed (advice we got from a friend).
FYI: Technically, D3 schools don’t offer athletic scholarships, so any funds you do get aren’t contingent on athletic participation at that school. Therefore, there are no funds available to attract a student/athlete and there is no binding commitment from that student to take the spot the coach is offering (IE: letter of intent signed by student). So ED is the only way a D3 coach knows if the student will be taking a spot on the team.