<p>yesdee -</p>
<p>I took the original post to mean that the applications had already been filed, which means that the OP is being anxious about things that may not turn out to be important. Until the admissions and financial aid offers (if needed) are on the table, the OP shouldn’t be expending energy on this. </p>
<p>If as you believe this student is making his/her initial list, then you are absolutely correct that money is a factor that must be taken into consideration when creating that list. This begins with sitting his/her parents down and having The Big Money Talk. The OP needs to know what his/her family can afford, and what the colleges are likely to think that they can afford - often two very different things. As m2ck points out, all too many families neglect this step and find out very late indeed that they can’t afford the places where the student has been admitted.</p>