[Cajundaddy]

After 3 kids and 3 college degrees I agree with your original plan. We paid for state university or equivalent and they could go anywhere they want and cover the difference with scholarships, grants or student loans (their dime). We strongly discouraged entering the workforce with a big fat debt.

Results:
Kid #1 went 2 yrs to JC, AA in photography, and was hired full time by the company she was doing volunteer hours. She is now the Volunteer Coordinator for a major charitable organization.

Kid #2 was offered a partial athletic Scholarship to Bucknell but chose UCSD for the weather. BA in communications w/minor in biology, she served a 1 yr internship and now works as the lead MRI tech at a major hospital.

Kid #3 was recruited to play Womens Water Polo by Princeton and Brown but chose UCSD for the weather. BA in History and Religious Studies, she went on to get her Masters in Education at Claremont (student loans) and was hired by her student teaching school. She teaches high school history.

Bottom line, if your kid has the right stuff for broadcasting, she needs to get into a school doing broadcasting internships that regularly hire the best and brightest. I would discourage the use of college consultants or large student loans. A good college prep counselor has as much or more knowledge about the process as most paid college consultants and they are free.