So far this cycle, my MD senior has been offered $23K at Loyola Chicago, $24K at De Paul, and $10K each at Pitt and Drexel. Still waiting on some more decisions but they are from more selective schools and we are not expecting much merit, if any.

Anonymous wrote:DD is not too keen on our in state options in MD and all of her top choices are private colleges and oos publics. We have almost $300,000 saved up for her education but I don't want to spend every last red cent of it on a bachelors degree.

Meanwhile I'd love if my kd could go to UMD for engineering but it's OOS for us and we likely can't afford it and heard they don't give good/much merit aid. Wish we were instate. Jealous.

University of Oklahoma has amazing aid for national merit finalists.

What kind of school does she want?

You can find info on line on percentage of kids who receive merit aid. For example, WPI gives merit aid to over 90% of kids. Many schools are that level officially have tuition rates that match Harvard/MIT but almost no one pays it.

If you read the thread on acceptances (https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1000404.page) you'll see a lot of people talking about merit aid from various schools.

We weren't looking for merit but DC received two offers during EA cycle before having to pull all applications due to an ED acceptance: $9k/yr from Indiana and $30k/yr from a small LAC in Portland, Lewis & Clark. Based on a quick look at the costs, Lewis & Clark would have been the better deal. DC's ED school (also a SLAC) doesn't offer merit aid so we're in for the full freight. Good luck!!

Juniata

UArizona

Elon (only $7,500/yr)

U Mass Amherst

half tuition scholarship at Nebraska

Ohio University

Marquette

University of Louisville

DD is not too keen on our in state options in MD and all of her top choices are private colleges and oos publics. We have almost $300,000 saved up for her education but I don't want to spend every last red cent of it on a bachelors degree.