<p>Financial aid package questions come up all the time on these CC threads…Stanford and its cohorts on the east coast offer the best packages in the country differing by a few bucks here or there (it seems like they use the same algorithm program)…S, P, H etc offer only financial need packages (no merit awards)…</p>
<p><a href=“Financial Aid Dilemma - Princeton University - College Confidential Forums”>Financial Aid Dilemma - Princeton University - College Confidential Forums;
<p>…the schools mentioned above will not match any school that offer full tuition/partial tuition MERIT awards. Period.
And if your parents really don’t want to pay for whatever reason…and if you or your parents are unwilling to take out 17,500 per year in loans…you will have to seek out possibly attending your top state flagship (honors college) or some of the other private schools that may offer merit awards…</p>
<p>…but, I hate to be blunt…there are plenty of full pay students/parents around the world who are waiting in the wings to happily take your slot.</p>