<p>*It doesnt matter if it’s private or public. I’ve just noticed that private tends to give **more **out in merit money *</p>
<p>As you know, “more” merit can be relative. When private tuition is $30k per year and you’re given $13k in merit, then that isn’t as meaningful as when public tuition is $20k (or less), and you’re given $10k per year in merit.</p>
<p>What are your D’s stats? Do you live in Texas?</p>
<p>Perhaps we can recommend some schools that will give enough merit that leaves you with less to pay. </p>
<p>Can you clarify…Will your D be commuting from home to this school that you have in mind or will she be living on campus?</p>
<p>I will certainly agree that sometimes privates end up costing less. My D went to Vandy for less than I paid last year for my S at an in-state school (even with a scholarship).</p>
<p>we are in Calif. the budget situation is terrible here. the coa is very high and graduation is most likely 5 yrs. with costs increasing at alarming rates. we are looking at private schools in Ca. also. </p>
<p>p.s. yes, I noted the room and board for Baylor. Thanks for the info.</p>
<p>From your statement that your D was given a $13k merit scholarship from Baylor, it looks like your D has about a 1900 SAT or a 28 ACT. The Calif schools that might give good scholarships for those stats might be: URedlands, Whittier College, Cal Lutheran, Azusa Pacific. </p>
<p>You might also try: U North Arizona, U New Mexico, Truman State, and U South Dakota.</p>
<p>it’s not a myth. it’s happening. the schools are impacted and kids cant get the classes they need to graduate so many are turning to taking classes at community college during the summers to help with the fall and spring terms.</p>
<p>I can believe it as the same has happened to my kids at SUNY schools. Sometimes classes are full before their registration date but, more often, there is only one section of a particular class offered which conflicts with another needed class. This doesn’t happen in the upper division classes but made getting through gen eds and pre-requisites in two years a challenge. It’s been relatively simple, aside from the hassle of learning a new registration system anid checking to make sure the credit transfers properly, to find a suitable class that’s offered online or in the summer. t’s still been much less expensive for them to study at their SUNYs and they will graduate on time. </p>
<p>One thing that has been invaluable is for them to sit down with their advisors each semester, prior to registering for the following term, to make sure they have selected appropriate classes and have approval for any outside coursework. Every student should do this anyway, but it seems that many don’t. They also need to carefully consider the comibination of classes they’re registering for and make a real commitment to completing them. Dropping classes is probably the biggest reason that students don’t graduate on time.</p>
<p>My entire extended family lives in Calif and several nieces and nephews have gone to or are still going to UCs or SLO…they have graduated or will graduate on time…all of them.</p>
<p>Those who don’t graduate on time often cause the problem THEMSELVES…</p>
<p>1) they drop classes that they’re not doing well in.</p>
<p>2) they change their majors.</p>
<p>3) they refuse to take classes at “inconvenient times” (don’t want an 8 am or 3 pm class)</p>
<p>4) they don’t take a full load each quarter or semester.</p>
<p>5) they don’t pay close attention to the req’ts of their major or their changed major.</p>
<p>Many students who are diligent about paying attention to their req’ts, don’t drop classes, and don’t change their majors DO graduate on time. </p>
<p>BTW…the same things happen at other schools. Many kids change their majors, drop classes, etc…so there’s no guarantee that your D would graduate on time at Baylor…and she’d lose her scholarship for that 5th year.</p>
<p>I think certain frequent posters need to be more careful with their facts before they start making statements that could cause another poster to make an unfortunate financial decision. Perhaps it’s good to remember the maxim that free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it - especially when it comes from anonymous posters on the Internet.</p>
<p>As you noted on that other thread, the info on that page is confusing since it does mention FICO scores. Which is one reason why it appeared to me (and probably others that would look at that page) that FICO is used at some level.</p>
<p>If it’s true that FICO isn’t used, then the Parent Plus website either should remove the part below or at least include an immediate notation that FICO isn’t used.</p>
<p>A Parent’s Credit Report and PLUS Loans
*
How is credit judged?</p>
<p>Credit scores are numerical indexes based on an algorithm developed by Fair Isaac Company, called a FICO® score. Scores are negatively impacted by events such as late payment, incomplete or partial payments, defaults, and judgments or liens, and range from 300 to 850. The actual algorithm is a trade secret of Fair Isaac, but the following breakdown approximates the weighted values that compose your score.*</p>
<p>That said, there have been families who have posted who have said that they do not have late payments, etc, yet their Plus loans were denied for following years because they had too much debt. Yes, they could be lying, but it seems odd that someone would post an unnecessary lie if their credit was bad and they were denied. Why post at all? </p>
<p>Either way…when someone already has a lot of credit card debt and is considering the route of taking on more debt via Plus loans, they have to consider the possibility that throughout the next 4 years there may be various “financial issues” that a family might face which could cause some “late payments” and jeopardize the ability to qualify for those later years. I know that we’ve never gone 6 months without some odd “surprise” expense (car repairs, major appliance repair, home repair, etc)</p>
<p>One thing the OP (and others in similar situations) need to check is how merit scholarships are viewed at their child’s college. In MOST cases, merit awards reduce your financial NEED, not your EFC or family contribution. If you receive a scholarship, your need is that many dollars less, and need based aid does not need to be awarded for that any longer.</p>
<p>There are some schools that DO allow “stacking” of merit and need based awards up to the cost of attendance. How schools will treat a scholarship in relation to need based aid is unique to the schools…but most do not reduce the family contribution.</p>