It is funny how many full rides you hear about, especially from friends and family who don't really understand the process. My favorite is all the kids that get full rides to Ivy League. There are many creative ways for schools to reduce your overall cost to attend. I think you should think of scholarships or merit not as awards, they don't give you anything, they just allow you to pay less. I found this video with Tulane RC very interesting when it comes to how very high cost schools think about the financials in the recruiting process. He also talks about his process at other schools. Great view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0K7XfknDBU