<p>Travel was an upfront cost…except that we didn’t realize that we’d have to get our son to school and out of school within a narrow range of time. Or that shuttles to and from school would be as expensive as they are (considerably less than a limousine service or cab, but more than we anticipated). We’re used to shopping for bargain rates by flying at off times; with our son, we’re usually can only find one flight that meets the schools parameters, and it is NEVER the cheap flight! For that reason, his flights plus shuttle usually end up costing almost twice what we pay when we visit him for parent’s week-end. </p>
<p>So yes, an important consideration and an unexpected extra strain on our budgeting.</p>
<p>On the upside, his school gives a stipend for books and supplies that more than covers his costs for books, notebooks, pencils, etc. And he was given a generous grant toward a laptop. So we’re thankful for those things–and yes, when we were comparing awards, they definitely tipped the scales away from one school toward another. </p>
<p>The price of tuition is definitely a consideration. Our son was offered virtually the same grant at two schools–both very generous offers–but one school was about six thousand dollars more expensive than the other. It suggested to me, though, that applying to schools with lower tuition fees upfront might be a consideration for those seeking FA. Schools have to stretch their FA dollars, and they won’t necessarily be able to offer more aid than the next guy just because they cost more.</p>