<p>With a parental contribution of $25,000 per year, your yearly net price limit is:
- $25,000 with no loans or work.
- about $30,000 with federal direct loans (up to $5,500) or work.
- about $35,000 with federal direct loans and work.</p>
<p>Run the net price calculator on each school’s web site to check need-based financial aid. However, expect disappointment because:</p>
<ul>
<li>Out-of-state publics other than UNC-CH tend not to give good financial aid, so only the ones with lower out-of-state list prices may be within your range.</li>
<li>Most schools with good financial aid consider both parents’ income and wealth, and require both parents’ cooperation with financial aid forms. So include both of their income and wealth in the net price calculators, unless the school uses FAFSA only. A total income of $180,000 may result in a net price significantly larger than $25,000 to $35,000 at most schools.</li>
</ul>
<p>You may want to look at large merit scholarships or low cost schools. Lists of such can be found at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html</a> .</p>