<p>It is absolutely true that some merit-aid offers can make a private institution less expensive than your home-state public U. Some of the people in the Financial Aid Forum might be able to advise your daughter about her list. Here is one thread with links to many others that will help both of you learn more about merit aid: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html</a> There also are two older threads started by momfromtexas that offer unbeatable advice on finding merit aid. The link to the original is about two posts down in this thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/291483-update-what-i-learned-about-free-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/291483-update-what-i-learned-about-free-ride-scholarships.html</a></p>
<p>If you have run the Net Price Calculators at the college and university websites, and you realize that your daughter will not qualify for enough need-based aid to make the institutions affordable, then she may want to consider casting a wider net in the hope of finding merit aid.</p>