<p>I got a few merit scholarships when I was at CMU. Even wound up scoring one for $2k a semester from my department.</p>
<p>If you’re looking to save money, move off campus ASAP. Cheap housing can be had in Squirrel Hill, Oakland, or (sometimes) Shadyside, and you’re never more than a fairly quick bus ride away. Also, make sure your kid learns how to cook. $5 a meal sounds like a great deal at first (at least compared to campus food), but then you realize you can only eat lunch at Subway and Orient Express so many times.</p>