<p>How are they on financial aid ????</p>
<p>Pretty good, especially if you're from in state.</p>
<p>and out of state....</p>
<p>Honestly, publics typically aren't very generous with aid for out-of-state students. </p>
<p>Occasionally, if you're significantly above the average, you can rely on merit aid. But that's mostly at slightly lower tier schools.</p>
<p>Frankly I think they're terrible on aid. One of my kids got into other honors programs with $ but got no grant at all from Penn State (in-state). He got offers of signficant dollars from Ohio and NY schools, but nothing from his own State University. It was cheaper for him to go to another State's University as an out-of-state student than to be an in-state student at PSU. </p>
<p>Another kid attends PSU and is a Junior Deans' List student, and has never won or been awarded a grant or scholarship through the school. (My cost for tuition, room, fees and board is about $22K per year with some nickel and diming, like a mandatory $30 "lounge fee" in the honors dorm.) My secretary's kid was in the top 5 of her graduating class of 300+ with high SATS, leadership, varsity sport, great recs, etc. She was offered the honors college with a small scholarship, but is attending a highly ranked private college for less money than PSU. </p>
<p>We get asking for contributions and sometimes get an email that a scholarship was funded for a particular program, but considering the huge endowment and large number of presumably successful alumni, I've been surprised at how little aid there is.</p>