<p>I've applied to mostly public schools because they're less expensive - but I've also heard that private schools give bigger packages.</p>
<p>So, overall, which is really cheaper?</p>
<p>This question really can only be answered on an individual basis. There are a group of private schools that give more money on average per student than public ones on average. But that answer is scarcely relevant unless you are applying to those specific schools. Also, it is not not much money that matters, but what the final cost to your family is. You can get a $20 award from a $50K school, and still have to come up with $30k, whereas our state school net cost is about $16K in total without any aid. So even the small amounts of aid that our state school tends to give kids, packs a bigger punch since the list price starts much lower. </p>
<p>There are kids who are in a financial situation where private schools can give them more money than public ones for that reason. We have friends whose daughter got a very nice award of over $30K from a private school in Ohio, which made the cost comparable to OSU, their state school which did not give them a dime.</p>
<p>It depends on the student, the student's family financial situation, the school, etc. The best way to find out is to apply to some public and some private schools. In the end, you'll be able to compare awards and make a decision that is best for you.</p>
<p>Both s and d attended privates, which offered exceptional programs in their very specific major fields, at far higher quality than our state flagship could offer. Through both academic and artistic talent, need based grants, both schools offered packages that made them cheaper than what our state flagship would cost, even after factoring in merit academic scholarships each of the two kids was automatically eligible for.</p>
<p>I'm sure a good portion of the schools' largess was the result of our financial need, and our two kids were both exceptional candidates in their chosen fields of study.</p>
<p>Your mileage will vary.</p>
<p>Depends on the individual and the school. My daughter got a very good merit package from a public university. Her best friend, who had similar stats and financial circumstances, went to Cornell, and got nothing. As the previous poster noted, your mileage will vary.</p>
<p>Three private colleges made fin. aid offers that would have resulted in a cheaper education than our flagship state u. Three others offered much less money than than the first 3 privates and the public u.</p>
<p>So, she is attending a private university for about 2K per year less than the state u would have cost.</p>
<p>My D also attends a private school for less than the state flagship would have cost. We received widely varying financial aid packages from schools.</p>
<p>We found that MERIT packages varied widely--from full rides at flagship state u's (both in and out of state), to nothing for one OOS flagship, and from full tuition at one premier liberal arts college to partial tuition (1/3-1/2 off) at an Ivy and another premier liberal arts college. Yes, I know Ivies say they don't give academic merit aid, but we found otherwise--I think when they really want a student they broaden their definition of need if you can give them a reason to do so (we had little need on FAFSA and CSS forms but emphasized some extraordinary family expenses). This was for a top student by all measures, though...The state U's often post their criteria for automatic merit scholarships. If you look for a private school with good endowments, chances are better for aid of any kind, especially if you are in the top 25% of their applicant pool. The big question is how much will be available for 2009-2010 given market conditions...</p>
<p>"The big question is how much will be available for 2009-2010 given market conditions..."</p>
<p>^^ Trrrue that.</p>