Looking for advice from those who have gone before us. D has visited many schools and has fallen in love with Samford. It’s a great fit for her, but we will be a full pay family. I guess I’m trying to decide if it’s worth the financial sacrifice that will be required to make it happen. Any advice from parents who have faced a similar decision?
We are also a full pay family that has looked at Samford. Is your D competitive for any of the academic scholarships? And to what degree do you mean financial sacrifice? Loans? Or just committing to pay more than your in state public?
I do think it’s a great school for the right student, but I’m not sure that I could be on board with massive loans. We’ve taken the approach of targeting schools at which S is likely to receive merit that will bring the cost in line with what we are willing to pay. Sometimes we’ve had to eliminate schools from the list- which has been a bummer. I’m not sure if this is helpful, but it has been our approach to a similar situation.
I do get the falling in love with Samford part though, my d is a rising freshman and she already has her heart set on Samford.
Thanks so much for the reply! We won’t take on loans for school. We will cash flow whichever school she ends up at. That being said, it will require me to go back to work and for us to cut our lifestyle significantly. All things we can do, but I guess I’m struggling with the wisdom of paying significantly more for a private, out of state school vs. in-state, public. We really value Christian education so perhaps it is worth it. I’m not sure if my daughter will qualify for merit, she’s an amazing girl, but I’m sure she’s very similar to most applicants. Good luck to your freshman daughter! I have a freshman and a senior - time flies!!