Merit aid -- "an elaborate parallel financial aid system" to quote financial columnist Ron Lieber, writing recently in the New York Times -- -- is what makes college affordable for so many students, especially those coming from out of state. Merit aid is delivered directly to students by their institution of choice; how much is detailed at the time of acceptance. Merit aid comes in the form of grants, tuition breaks that are geared to make a college more attractive to a student who is... more