<p>Well, I’ll add my two cents into the conversation although not sure what it’s worth. We are in the same situation- would not qualify for any financial aid but certainly not wealthy enough to write a $60,000 check every year. We made it a priority to save a cushion of money and pay off all debt (including the house, cars) and live below our means. My S applied to schools that he could get scholarships and in fact earned an almost free ride (tuition + housing) at one school. But the real “fit” for him was at his reach school. So this is what we are doing- my job pays for the tuition (we paid off all debt, remember?) through Tuition Management Systems monthly payment. The rest out of the college savings for him. His major is Design so important to have a good fit. No graduate school on his mind as he is very determined to start a career. But with our D, things might be different as a liberal arts degree and graduate school likely. So if she got a school scholarship, we would definitely take them up on it. If your state school is of high quality like Michigan then going there makes a lot of financial sense.</p>