What are the best affordable colleges for business?

I'm planning to major in business, but cost is a big factor for me. Can anyone share some recommendations for affordable colleges with strong business programs? It would be great to know about scholarships or other ways to cut costs too.

Sure, when looking for affordable colleges with strong business programs, public universities within your home state are often great options since you'd be eligible for in-state tuition. Places like the University of Texas, Austin with its highly ranked McCombs School of Business or the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business are excellent if you're a resident of those states.

However, if you're looking outside your home state, some universities have strong business programs and are known for their generous financial aid packages. For example, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School is notable. If your family's income is 200% less than the poverty guideline, UNC's Carolina Covenant program guarantees an aid package with grants, work-study, and no loans.

Likewise, private colleges often offer generous financial aid packages. Institutions like MIT, Harvard, and Stanford, while having high sticker prices, are known to offer a lot of aid based on need. For example, at Harvard, families earning less than $85,000 aren't expected to contribute to college costs, and families earning between $85,000 and $150,000 pay no more than 10% of their income annually.

As for scholarships, look for merit-based scholarships offered by the colleges themselves, particularly at private institutions. These can vary greatly both in amount and in what they're rewarding – academic achievement, leadership, or special talents, and so on. You can typically find these on the school's website or on Appily.

Also, look into external scholarships, which are awarded independently of a specific college. FastWeb and Scholarships.com are some trustworthy sites that host a large number of them and can match you to scholarships based on your profile. Remember to start your scholarship search early and be diligent about deadlines!

Finally, remember to use the Net Price Calculator on each college's website. This tool will provide an estimate of how much financial aid you might receive if you attend that college, helping you gauge the actual cost of attending that school.

Remember that affordability is relative and what might be affordable for one family might be out of reach for another. It's crucial to research and compare financial aid offerings from different colleges and never rule out a school based on its sticker price alone. The net cost after aid is what truly matters.