Graceful Way to Inquire About Scholarship Availability?

If it were me, I would not count on any baseball money paying for my kids education.  There is actually very limited amount of money available. I would instead focus on his academics.  You are going to find a lot more money there.  I have found that many of the private schools are fairly well endowed and will attempt to find kids enough academic grant / scholarship money to bring down cost of attendance close to in state tuition.  Some of the private schools have gone to income based tuition.  Thus you pay a specific rate based on your income.  

I've heard other people trying to find that info about how many scholarships are funded at various schools. Haven't heard of anyone who cracked the code. If you do, let us know. You'll be a hero here.

Based on what you hear from parents of committed kids, every program is fully funded and every ride is full. 

So true, JCG.

And remember, that it's always in flux.  Committed money may become available based on acceptance, draft, change or heart, etc., etc.  Oftentimes the player with money committed never enrolls, so the story is always changing.

I don't know anything about the private schools you mentioned, but few private schools can fill their classes with just rich kids. It's often possible for middle class families to get a combination of need and merit money at private schools that makes the price competitive with state schools.

In fact, not using athletic money increases your options when players get cut or decide to hang 'em up. My oldest son went to play football at a small private school with academic merit money. When he decided to move on from football after freshman year, there was no financial consequence to his decision. 

If your son is capable of playing D1 expect 25%. Consider anything over that a bonus. Typically top shelf, gotta have stud recruits get more than 25%. If your son has a 3.5 or better unweighted gpa in high school (current rules) he can receive academic money without it counting against the team's baseball scholarship count. If he doesn't have a 3.5 he won't get the academic money or the coach won't want him unless he's an absolute, gotta have studS. If you're looking at 60k privates you're still looking at paying 45k. I don't know how if and how financial aid affects team scholarship count.

Thanks RJM, didn't know anything about the 3.5 GPA nuances, or the financial aid questions... For the schools he is interested in, a 3.5 won't be good enough for admission. He is a good student so should have GPA in the high 3s (he is still a Freshman but has been a straight A kid so far).

We are not expecting him to be a stud, but I suppose you never know. He's about to turn 15, 5'10", 115 lbs wet, tops out mid 70s, not a lick of facial hair yet. FWIW Doc projects him to 6'2". We plan to focus on building mass this summer so he doesn't fly away in the wind.

Thanks for comment Nuke... thoughts are currently running more generic right now.  Overall program funding rather than what is currently available. 

Clue ... Regarding schools requiring higher than a 3.5 ...

Even the best schools make athletic exceptions. When my son was talking to Ivies they were generally looking for a 3.5 and 1300 on Math and English. Without athletics these schools would be looking for a 4.0 and at least 1500. When my son got injured the two he was talking with walked away due to his 1310. He ended up at a Big 10 where he didn't need athletic slack for acceptance. He was in the gifted program and passed six AP tests. He finished in the top 3% of his class.

Many private programs have endowments available.  These endowments support athletic scholarships. This is a discussion to have during recruitment. If they want you, they will find a way to find the money after determining your financial situation.

thanks to all of you who have contributed. Son's pitching coach is insisting we start getting ourselves prepared, hence the recent traffic (instead of lurking). Best of luck to y'all as your boys zero in on the last of the season.