Cheapest option for Student who wants out of state? [Utah]

Will this student qualify as a National Merit Semi-Finalist or Finalist? That would open up lots of options.

Additionally, the family may want to to run the Net Price Calculator at schools that don’t use the CSS profile (the list of schools has shrunk dramatically over the past year…I suspect due to the FAFSA rollout fiasco).

https://profile.collegeboard.org/profile/ppi/participatingInstitutions.aspx

Among the most promising are:

  • Hobart William Smith (NY): About 1600 undergrads and would only work if the NPC comes back with something approachable, as the max merit is $40k, though smaller scholarships for music, civic engagement, etc, are stackable with the merit awards (source). But the family would need to get some need-based aid in addition to the merit aid for this to work.

  • Saint Louis (MO): About 11k undergrads. Their top merit scholarship appears to be full tuition, but again, perhaps if the NPC comes back favorable, it might be able to be combined with need-based aid.

  • Stetson (FL): About 2600 undergrads. This student (initial thread and follow-up thread) received a full tuition merit scholarship to Stetson which might provide some context about how much merit the family you’re helping might hope to receive, and which might be able to be combined with need-based aid (if the NPC indicates that the family would qualify). Looks to have a fairly robust music program here, too.

Lastly, I would just find schools that offer full rides and try to compete for them. For instance, Southern Illinois - Carbondale has really impressed me with the number of its graduates who’ve gone on to earn doctorates in various fields and its Chancellor’s Scholarship is a full ride (applications due November 1): Incoming Freshmen | Undergraduate Academic Scholarships | SIU

I also forgot about U. of Louisiana - Lafayette as an option. Depending on the student’s stats, this could get down to around $8k/year or so (@2plustrio visited with one kid and it’s on the list for another). Here’s the scholarship info: Freshman Scholarships | University of Louisiana at Lafayette

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