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Affordability is a conversation to have with your kids before they apply,

To get your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number, you can use the EFC calculator on the College Board site.

he kids who get the full ride with merit scholarships are a tiny minority; they are generally kids with great potential and no money.

Only Divisions I and II schools offer athletic scholarships; Division III teams do not.

Excluding the glamour sports of football and basketball, the average NCAA athletic scholarship is about $8,700 -- nowhere near a full ride. For track or baseball, it's generally about $2,000.

As for scholarships in general, thinking local tends to yield more money. Better to try your local civic organizations where there is less competition for money. Remember, it takes a village.

The good news is that at most state and private colleges and universities, the equity in your primary home is a non-issue,

There are, however, roughly 260 schools, nearly all private, that are quite interested in the value of your house and how these schools treat home equity varies dramatically,

These colleges use an additional financial aid form called the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE.

Sometimes, schools don't identify loans as loans but insist on calling it "financial aid."

For some, it may be.