<p>You might want to consider schools that give merit aid and the opportunity to compete for full scholarships. Our daughter applied to several schools, all LACs and 1 public univ. Some used only the FAFSA, but most either had their own fin aid paperwork or used the Profile. She received merit $ from most of the LACs that along with grant $ and subsidized loans that equaled our EFC (what we are to pay). The public univ costs are the same as our EFC, so no $ there. So, no matter where our daughter decides to go, our cost will be the same, at least for the first year. I had no idea that a private college that costs more than $37,000 would end up only costing us what a state school would. Please do not let $ stop you this early in the process. </p>
<p>One school did not give her merit $, but their grant $ was equal to merit + grant at other schools. Since grant $ is recalculated every year and merit is not, that gave us something to think about.</p>