For Parents: A question from a student.

If your parents are genuinely low income/wealth, and will be cooperative on financial aid forms, look also at colleges with good need-based financial aid, using each college’s net price calculator to estimate. A net price after subtracting grants of under $10,000 (again which can be covered by a federal direct loan and some work earnings, with lower being better) would be your target.

If you have high stats, you may want to look at automatic and competitive full ride merit scholarship schools. See the lists at http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html . Look for a remaining cost of under $10,000, which can be covered by a federal direct loan and some work earnings – obviously, lower is better to stay away from the financial edge. If you are also Pell grant eligible (the low income/wealth case), and the school offering the merit scholarship allows adding the Pell grant amount to it, then a remaining cost after the scholarship (before accounting for the Pell grant) of $10,000 plus the Pell grant amount would be doable.