* Cost of Attendence = Tuition + Room&Board + misc (books, travel, etc)
* Room&Board on campus is about $12K/year, one can save a little if live off
-campus, save a lot if live at home
* misc: depends on the distance traveling to the college, buy used book or
not, going out frequently or not
* Tuition:
Ivy, Stanford, USC and other popular private schools: $40K and up, and
increase at a rate of 3%~5% yearly.
UC: about 10K, Regents has warned of 30% tuition hike
CSU: about 5K, expect tuition hike.
Financial Aid:
The most elite colleges, Ivy and Stanford don't offer merit-aid (so
called "Scholarship"). Atheletes recruit is an exception. Only need-based aids. If your family income is close to $200K, expect nothing for financial aid.
USC and many non-top privates offer both merit-based and need-based
financial aid. Merit-based aids are used to attract outstanding students.