<p>OP…you need to read the Duke website. They offer some limited need based aid. They also have the Robertson Scholarship. I don’t know if that has a need component.</p>
<p>Other threads indicate you are taking a trip to see MIT, Cornell, Princeton. NONE of those schools offers merit aid and MIT and Cornell require the Profile with non-custodial parent info. Princeton has their own financial aid form, and last I hear, they also used non-custodial parent info. If you can’t pay for these schools, you might consider adding some where you might garner merit aid to the list. There are some great schools offering Engineering programs…how about Lafayette and Lehigh…Villanova. All are places where you would likely get some merit aid to offset your costs.</p>
<p>UT is a bargain for you as an instate student. There are other schools in the Texas system that offer engineering too. </p>
<p>And as an editorial comment (which is really OT)…you also mention going to the Hamptons after your college visit trip. Is this a vacation? Just a note…most of us can’t afford a vacation home in the Hamptons.</p>