h110us
Jerz, how much saving should be enough in addition to scholarships? Saying that I will be with my wife.
It's nearly impossible to answer that question, since so much depends on which school you go to, how generous their scholarships are, how well you qualify for scholarships, cost of living in the city the school is in, etc. MDF's estimate of $160,000-$190,000 is probably a bit on the high end for Chicago but not unreasonable. But then I have friends at Fuqua who pay 1/3 what I did in rent so their total costs are going to be much less. Each school publishes estimates of total cost of attendance, which includes estimated living costs based on what students tell the financial aid office they spend. You should look at those to get a better idea what the school will cost. As for how much to expect to borrow, going into it you shouldn't plan on using scholarships since it's so hard to say whether any scholarship money will be coming. Rather, plan on financing the whole amount through loans and savings, then any scholarships you do get are a bonus and can reduce the amount you borrow.