<p>^not sure if you meant me–but I did not say other, private options cost 200k MORE. I said they cost 200k, which was more than we could afford to spend.</p>
<p>The actual COA difference between the public (OOS) honors college with merit aid, and the private schools which offer only need-based, (and offered us only loans for FA) for 4 years is about 100k, +/-. If she’d chosen an instate honors college it would have probably been more like 150k less than a private for the 4 years, assuming w/ instate tuition plus merit aid.</p>
<p>If a family qualifies for more FA (or student gets into an ivy, which are usually more generous), the gap between the honors public and the private may be quite different. We are very fortunate but not rich by any means.</p>