Help for the Not So Needy- merit aid

Parents Forum
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<p>These days, given the grim reality of how much it costs to send a student to college, more and more families are finding they need to add colleges that offer merit aid to their students “wish lists”. </p>

<p>“Consider the schools that will want you,” “That’s how you will uncover the best deals.”</p>

<p>Wise advise from a college counselor, </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/education/edlife/a-rise-in-students-receiving-merit-awards.html?hpw[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/22/education/edlife/a-rise-in-students-receiving-merit-awards.html?hpw&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>That’s a tricky one. I do agree that is makes sense to take advantage of merit aid. My son could have had a full ride to any number of 2nd tier schools, but none of them had as strong a computer science program as he wanted. So we ended up paying full fare at the state flagship, which has one of the best CS departments in the country. It has already paid for itself 10 times over in the internships he has gotten and the job opportunities lined up for him after graduation, partially by virtue of the school he attended.</p>

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<p>Gift horse, and so forth.</p>