Which offers better scholarship value: Syracuse or Baylor?

The deciding figure is the four-year net cost: published cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that do not need to be repaid.

Compare each offer using tuition, required fees, housing and food assumptions, estimated books and personal expenses, and any required health-insurance charge. Also separate grants from loans and work-study; loans increase the aid package but are not discounts. Pay close attention to whether the scholarship is renewable for all four years and whether the amount is fixed or can change with tuition increases.

For both schools, ask whether need-based grant aid is likely to change if family finances or enrollment status changes.

Also account for travel: Syracuse may create substantially higher airfare or winter-travel costs for some students, while Baylor may be less expensive to reach depending on home location. The offer with the lower guaranteed four-year out-of-pocket cost, after excluding loans, is the stronger scholarship package.