Question:
I have a question on scholarships for my Daughter who is 16. She has a 3.6 GPA and originally wanted to go to Eastern Washington University which is a state college where the tuition is about $4000 a year. She then received a letter of acceptance to Withworth which is a private presbyterian university where the tuition is about $16,000 a year. Her scholarship for this school was for $4000 a year given she maintains a GPA of 3.7. My question is is this a good deal, or is this a scholarship that anyone can get. Are there other scholarships available? She wants to be a teacher. Is it worth paying the extra money to go to a private school or can this be accomplished by going to Eastern. I am just curious. Also, do the parents pay for the tuition or do the students pay for it themselves or by taking out student loans. Any assistance would be appreciated.

Answer:
P ersonally, if you can afford either school, i think you should let her decide which school fits her, like as a person, because college is about way more than just school, or it is to me anyway and then definately get educated on finacial aid and scholarships and stuff. but this is coming from a girl who's not going to her dream college cause she got a full ride to state U, so take all i say lightly. But, as for tution, most people I know parents pay for it, but, my friends are all upper middle class spoiled brats. I know some people that are expected to pay for their housing or whatnot but thats just me and my little world.

Are there other scholarships available? She wants to be a teacher. Is it worth paying the extra money to go to a private school or can this be accomplished by going to Eastern. I am just curious. Also, do the parents pay for the tuition or do the students pay for it themselves or by taking out student loans.

The "match" between a college and a student is indeed of paramount importance. That, however, does not mean that a student cannot find more than one appropriate fit between school and her/him. Your daughter may want to consult information about a selected group of schools that offer a major in education, then consider each of these based on the personal, social, academic and even spiritual fit that these provide. Start without considering financial aid--let cost be a factor somewhere down the line. I say this not to panic you but to allow your daughter to stretch and dream.

Fact is, many of the more expensive private schools are able to provide a greater amount of financial aid--for need and in some cases for academic merit. For example, let's say your daughter applied to EWU and to Stanford. EWU costs considerably less than Stanford -however, need-based financial aid does not consider the price of the college to which the student applies. In senior year you would complete the appropriate financial aid forms (Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA - see http://www.fafsa.ed.gov for what it looks like) and submit these to a clearinghouse which determines need. A document called the Student assistance Report (SAR) is returned to you with an amount called the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC)--that which has been calculated as a reasonable and fair amount your family could afford to pay for your daughter's education. Let's say the EFC is $8,500. If the cost of EWU is $11,000 (room/board, fees, tuition, the whole package), then your need-based financial aid would be $11,000 minus $8,500 or $2,500. EWU could provide that in one of three ways--outright grant (not repaid), loan (repaid by daughter after she graduates) or work-study (working off the debt with a campus job). Of course, they could offer a package with all three options!