<p>Blackroses, take a second look at that TCOA too. Your family lives in Palm Springs; travel costs will be negligible to you. You might get by on the 12/12 meal plan, which would save you about $1k/year compared with the 16/16 plan (16/16 is too much for my son). Make friends with a rising sophomore, and you may be able to borrow textbooks (or at least HUM books). My point is just that your actual costs can be different from what you’re seeing online, and a second look might yield some ways to reduce your costs aside from the tuition/room/board. OTOH, bear in mind that tuition/room/board will go up a bit (maybe 3-5%) every year. Not sure how this affects need-based aid, but it’s important to know and worth asking the FA folks.</p>