<p>Hmmm, at $20,000 limit, it looks like you are looking at:</p>
<ul>
<li>full tuition or higher merit scholarships</li>
<li>low list price schools like in-state SUNYs or cheap places like SD Mines</li>
<li>hope to get lucky at a very generous need-based aid place like HYS</li>
</ul>
<p>If $20,000 is your parents’ maximum contribution, what are you willing to add from student loans (note: Stafford maximum is $5,500 first year, $31,000 total all four years) and work earnings? Many schools expect a student contribution of $4,000 to $9,000 per year, though some students prefer a more conservative lower number.</p>