<p>UT is an excellent option to have. We are in the same spot, paying for 3 in private school. We looked at it as an investment. Would the amount of merit aid at least match the COA for the private? In our case so far it has and you situation appears even brighter, with the UT option AND what would be substantial merit aid offers for HYPS quality students as the next tier schools. I can tell you that in many cases schools that use the PROFILE will consider private school expenses. We we asked for documentation in most cases, but it was worth it. Give yourself a wide range of options when making your application decisions. Sometimes the offers can vary dramatically being in your situation.</p>
<p>You do have a great option in UT, and yes, look at schools that give full need + have merit options. Be warned though that the competition for those awards is very, very stiff. Admissions alone at Vandy and Davidson is not a cinch. They are no one's safety schools.</p>
<p>My impression as we did the same thing with one of our kids- but let me give you the parents perspective.</p>
<p>Public schools weren't appropriate. Graduation rate low, class size high, etc.
I myself did not graduate from high school & my husband barely did, we reasoned that a college fund does not make heck of a lot of difference to a child who isn't prepared for, or doesn't graduate from high school.</p>
<p>By procuring the best K-12 education that we could for our oldest- we felt that she was much better prepared to have broad options for after high school.
She could get merit aid and she could get need based aid- which she did.</p>
<p>I don't know how many sibs you have, but private colleges take into account somewhat private school tuition and 100k will still get an EFC that is less than the cost of the private schools you mention.</p>
<p>You do need to clarify with your parents, how much money they can afford with loans/savings/current income, to pay toward your college. That will give you a starting place.
Additionally,as others have mentioned, you can win outside merit awards, work summers to apply toward EFC, work during the school year for books and personal expenses & average about $5,000 in loans each year with Stafford.</p>
<p>While you may not be able to attend a school that only administers need based aid, if you and your parents cannot manage the EFC, you still seem to be well prepared for college and so perhaps have more choices than if you had attended a school that didn't provide you with the background you needed.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reassurance, guys :)</p>
<p>what is this "PROFILE" a couple of you mentioned?</p>
<p>also, to owlice, yes, because of my grades and ECs at the school (my sister in high school is fairly involved too) they've been pretty generous trying to keep us around. Nevertheless, it's still thousands of dollars lol. And, even though I don't have an automatic full ride to UT, one year guaranteed is fiiiine with me :)</p>
<p>To get financial aid at colleges, you have to fill out FAFSA to find out if you are eligible for federal grants and loans. That is really all the FAFSA guarantees at certain EFC (expected family contribution ) levels. Schools that use just FAFSA tend to be the larger state schools that do not typically guarantee to meet full need. Most private schools use PROFILE in addition to the FAFSA, and determine how much they will contribute to your need using numbers generated by FAFSA. In general FAFSA is not as exhaustive, but many PROFILE schools do recognize things like private school or other special training costs for sibliings as they so value some of the outcomes of those programs. Most aid comes from the colleges themselves, so how much they want you often comes into play in how generous their packages are and whether they are grant or loan heavy. UT tuition instate is a sigh of relief compared to most private schools costs unless you get substantial aid/merit.</p>
<p>....or win the lottery <em>crosses fingers</em> lol kidding</p>
<p>OP, the "PROFILE" is the financial aid application from the College Board. It is used by a number of schools around the country and figures finaid need somewhat differently from the FAFSA. You need to check the finaid pages of your prospective schools and see if any require the Profile. It may be to your advantage to seek out Profile schools, as the app does ask for sibling tuition.</p>
<p>Frankly, I think you are right at the point where a good need-meeting private is a better deal than a public flagship. I know that Vanderbilt is costing us less than UMich in-state would cost, due to their financial aid. If you make too much for Pell grants, you won't get much in aid (other than loans) at publics, no matter what your expected family contribution is ... but the top need-meeting schools do have grants to fill the gap. And it is true that some of these schools do take private school tuition for siblings into account.</p>
<p>My advice is to realize that you might not get to go to a private college, no matter what. You might not get in at a school that would make itself affordable for you (or you might get in at a great school & NOT be able to afford it). Do your homework & find some strong schools that give good aid to families in your situation, and apply to those. Then find some schools where you would have a decent chance of getting a great scholarship ... and apply to those. Finally, find a school you like that would be affordable if all else fails. Apply there. That way, you'll be covered.</p>
<p>If you're good enough to get into a top college, you also are good enough to be able to get lots of private scholarship money -- if you take the time to research scholarships and do careful applications. You also may qualify for excellent merit aid at the top tier colleges that offer such aid.</p>
<p>You also can work and take out loans.</p>
<p>So....I agree with your father. </p>
<p>Your excellent prep school education also has given you skills and sophistication to be able to do well on scholarship apps. If you are good enough to get into places like Harvard, you should be good enough to get merit aid at places like Vandy, Wake Forest, etc.</p>
<p>Read the Questions? thread in this section and count your blessings.</p>
<p>Rice U might be a good option. We pay about the same now w/ son at Rice as we would have if he attended UT.</p>
<p>If you have stats to get into those great schools, you surely have potential to receive scholarships (especially local) that are merit based. Get busy and even if you get a couple, your parents will be pleased and no matter where you end up, you will be able to apply/use the $$$ from the scholarships!</p>