I think it’s quite reasonable for you to do a preliminary cost/merit aid filter and let your son choose from the results. I did a similar filter but for need based aid for my D.
I was surprised that D got merit scholarships at all 4 colleges where she was accepted, ranging from $16k to $27k per year, and in state tuition at an oos university (her safety since she did not want to attend instate).
I see that people have suggested you look at CTCL schools. You have a number of them right in your backyard that you could easily tour to see if any are a fit: Beloit, Knox, Lawrence, Kalamazoo. My D15 applied to all of them and received enough merit aid to make all of them less expensive than our in-state flagships (UCs), so a little more than half of your $45-50K budget.
I guess this info comes from the schools’ CDS data, so theoretically it’d be possible to collect it oneself, and/or maybe get some more specific data.
This data are useful and informative, but they’re just general, aggregated info, they aren’t necessarily so helpful on a more individual level. If there is that kind of info, it would be great to have it!
BTW, I’m in Illinois, and my (older) son is at UIUC. I’d say, don’t be so quick to rule it out. Yes, many of the kids are from Illinois, but many are not. My son is having a great time – academically and socially. Several of his friends are not from Illinois. Financial aid is hard to come by, but the cost will already be significantly below your threshold. I’d strongly suggest including it on your list to have as an option.
Thank you @csdad2 . Illinois will be on the list for sure since we pre-paid tuition back when kids were babies! Main concerns include the size and the financial state of Illinois though. Professors leaving at higher rates all of the time because of lack of funding. Not good. I have a friend whose daughter was in the honors program and she loved it…until she lost status as a junior because of one bad grade and then was kicked out. Didn’t love her experience once she was out of the program. I know she’s only one student. We certainly plan on asking more families about their experience once the time comes. Will certainly be the most affordable school for us.
Ditto, what csdad2 said. I think it’s great you are beginning your research early. I’m in the western Chicago suburbs and have two children currently attending UIUC…a junior and freshman, both in business. Their experience has exceeded our expectations.
Since you are instate, you are probably aware of both the pros and cons of the school so I’ll refrain from mentioning the opportunities there. I will mention something we found helpful when we were going through the college search process. We encouraged our children to focus on skill building in high school while thinking about possible careers.
In that respect I would suggest you check out your local community college. Ours is COD and they had a presentation that was very helpful for my (then high school) son. He is strong in math and science, who was considering engineering. They held an evening presentation with engineers from different engineering areas. Each spoke about their background and what they do in their job. Topics included salary and paths for advancement. At the end there was a question and answer period.
Later, this engineering presentation was a great opportunity to discuss goals and expectations with our son. Not only in regards to engineering, but the approach to take when considering any major/future career. And yes, he ultimately chose business over engineering. Good luck!
