The College Board's research finds that you have a fairly good chance to get a discount for your public school tuition too.

Among the findings:

- In 2003-04, an average of more than 12 percent of the tuition revenues were discounted back to students at public two-year institutions and the average discount rate was more than 15 percent at public four-year institutions. At private four-year institutions it was 32 percent.

- More than 65 percent of the institutional grant aid at public two-year and private four-year colleges goes to support the documented financial need of students, while only 40 percent of the institutional grant aid meets students' need at public four-year institutions.

- Discount rates tend to be higher at smaller public four-year institutions and at public institutions with larger out-of-state student populations.

- The discount rate at public flagship institutions averaged 19 percent in 2003-04. Only 44 percent of this aid was given to students with documented financial need.
The discount rate at private four-year institutions has been increasing slowly but steadily since 1994-95, while at public two-year and four-year institutions, the discount rates peaked in 2002-03.