<p>Have you done the numbers as to what it will cost to go to Rutgers, TCNJ and other instate options? How much can you, the parents pay of that bottom line cost? Can your daughter work this summer and does she have some money saved to put towards college? </p>
<p>She can take out $5500 in Stafford loans in her name freshman year, with relative ease, but beyond that there are conditions. You can maybe borrow from PLUS for what you feel is a manageable amount to stretch the college payments over 10-14 years. But with younger ones, you do have to watch it, as you will owe those amounts as they are going to college. </p>
<p>You can look for schools where her stats make her a stand out and that have nice merit awards, and she can try her luck at some of those. Some of those schools will be ones that there is not a lot of info on, so you will have to do your homework to make sure that they can provide what your DD needs and wants. Ask the GC if some local schools have traditionally been generous to kids from that high school in terms of scholarship money. My son got a nice full tuition award from a local Catholic school, completely unexpected, and has come to find out that a number of Catholic prep school grads are offered this award.</p>