Poden ... I went back and read your earlier post and I understand it better now with the context you offered above. We probably aren't that far apart in what we believe. Certainly the net amount left for families to pay after all scholarships is a very important factor in the college decision. Of course, also important are other factors such as the feel of the school, the majors they offer, the distance from home, the coaching staff (though yes that can always change), and possibly even the opportunity for playing time.
My daughter, who didn't know what she wanted to do career-wise when she entered college, narrowed down her choices to one D2 and one D3 school. The D2 school offered her $5K/year in athletic moneys, and when everything netted out it would have been $9K/year less for her to go there. I gulped and let her make the choice, and she opted for the D3 school, I think primarily because it was closer to home and a big city. Had she not made that decision and played all 4 years at the D2 school, she probably would have been out of debt by now, but she had a great experience at the school she went to and neither of us have looked back. The closer to home school also enabled me to attend every college game she played in with the exception of one doubleheader. Meanwhile, she got her 4 year degree ... well, actually it took her 5 years to get the degree, change her major at least once, and be able to play softball for 4 years, but she now loves what she is doing with the education she received.