Finding the Most Affordable College Offer

It is great to have multiple college offers to choose from. However, finding the right one is much more challenging. Every coach will want you to believe their school has everything you need for success. But only you know what is best for your future. There is no perfect school, but consider the following to help you conclude which college offer is at the very least the most affordable one for you.

Know the total cost of attendance

College costs are lightyears apart from school to school. Private colleges have higher costs on average than public ones. But no two schools are exactly the same. Look up online the total cost of attendance, including tuition, other fees, room, board, and other incidentals. You can’t know if a financial aid package is good if you don’t know how much money everything costs to begin with. If a public college has $9,000 tuition and a private college has a $30,000 tuition, then a $9,000 scholarship at the public school is more valuable than even a $25,000 at the other,

Consider athletic scholarship dollars

Full-ride scholarships only go to a small percentage of athletes in an handful of sports. It is possible to get your college paid for. But more often than not, only a percentage of the money you receive will be athletic. Compare the dollar amounts from different schools. If you are getting a half scholarship from one school, and only a quarter from another, it may be a signal that the coach offering more money has you as a higher priority.

Count all of your additional financial aid

Even if you do not receive a full athletic scholarship, the other aid you receive may cover most of your costs. Add everything up first as you evaluate the total number. It doesn’t matter so much where your money comes from, so long as you get all of it that you need.

Gather up all the numbers and compare the schools

When you have all the details for each financial aid package, finding the right school will be much easier. Compare each next to each other and find the one that asks for the lowest family contribution. Money may not be the only decision making factor on your college choice. But this is the best way to determine which one will win that battle. Affordability is as much about what you pay as it is about what you receive. So if the experience at a school you really want to go to more is a bit more costly, you should still considerate.

Coach Rob’s Note: Don’t go under-recruited! I put in the hard work for you to know exactly which colleges already want to recruit you, which ones will view you as a top recruit, and how to get their attention. Book a meeting with me, Coach Rob, and see how easy it can be to get the offers you deserve!

Coach Rob is a recruiting expert and the Founder of SCA Recruiting. He is also the author of the book Winning the Ship: How to Win the College Athlete Recruitment Game. Available now on Amazon.