Is free college better than prestigious schools?

Parentof2014grad
Mon, 25 Jul 2016 19:36:46 +0000

We are arizona residents and my first two kids have similar stats to yours. Both are going out of state to college on budgets similar to what your parents have given you.

You will be eligible for scholarships at the Arizona schools which cover nearly all of tuition, leaving $15-20k/yr in room and board, books, and other expenses. If you are a national merit finalist, it could cost even less. Many top students attend ASU and UA.
If you are not eligible for financial aid, and really want to go out of state, there are still many excellent schools for you to choose from that will be in budget if you can get automatic or competitive scholarships and you’ve set yourself up for a shot at those. It takes a lot of research to find the best fit for you. Examine the lists on the financial aid and scholarships forums. If you think you’d like a smaller school, try the Colleges That Change Lives. Many of those offer large competitive scholarships. one of my kids was a finalist for top merit scholarships at three CTCL schools and will be attending one of them. The other won a competitive merit scholarship at another school on the lists on this site.
If you want prestige, you have a shot academically at least. The prestigious schools are very unlikely to meet your parents’ budget and you should have a talk with them about what would happen if you got in, so you have realistic expectations before you apply.