While choosing the best college or university can be difficult, strategizing a way to effectively finance your education can pose its own set of challenges, U.S. News reports. Although many private schools have high sticker prices, a survey by the National Association of College and University Business Officers notes that the average student who entered a private institution in fall 2010 received a tuition discount of nearly 50 percent. With the option of financial assistance, , some students can afford to look at higher-priced schools. Other students may simply explore private schools that offer a more manageable price from the start. Among the 829 private colleges and universities that reported data to U.S. News in a 2011 survey of undergraduate programs, the average cost of tuition and required fees for the 2011-2012 academic year is $27,340…