The main issue here is cost. I want her to go to public university, which is less expensive. She wants to go to a private university; it will only be $15K more than the public. Both schools are about 1.5 hour drive from us, so I know it's not that she wants to get away from me. Both schools are excellent for the field she's going into. Her reasons to go the private is because the student body is smaller, smaller campus, and likes the close knit feeling. The public university was her first choice initially and have raved to her friends, her school and everyone else that public is where she wants go to. Her choice changed when we visited the private and immediately fell in love with it.

We got into a heated argument last night that basically resulted into me telling her I'm the one paying for her school, so she needs to go the public because of cost, plus I don't want us and her to be thousands of dollars in debt after she graduates.

I've had relatives and friends 'make' their kids go to their alma mater, even though the kids wanted to go somewhere else, and they turned out fine. I want what's best for us and her and need to know if I'm in the right to make/force the decision for her.