Is free college better than prestigious schools?

I think free is better than prestige.

Employers are going to be impressed that you got the scholarship.

Consider University of Alabama. You would be eligible for a Presidential Scholarship at over $107,000. What you don’t spend on undergrad they let you roll over into law or graduate school there. Sweet deal.

You only need to get a 3.0 to keep the scholarship. http://scholarships.ua.edu/types/out-of-state.html

Presidential scholars at any big state flagship get a lot of special handling and networking opportunities - chances to hobnob with big university admin and alums, internships, early registration, basically treated like the state’s royalty.