<p>My son was a NMF and was accepted to several CA schools - USC offered half tuition, but it was still more expensive than UC Berkeley. As a computer science major, he chose Cal even though he didn’t get a dime in merit aid. He figured the school’s reputation and connections in his field of study would ultimately pay off, and he was right. There are circumstances when accepting generous merit-based aid at a school might not ultimately be the best move financially, if that school doesn’t have a great dept in your intended major.</p>