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While university admissions counselors say the economic downturn hasn't affected the number of scholarships they will offer, the competition for them has increased, prompting many cash-strapped parents to worry about realistic college options for their children.

Parents at a college fair at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington Monday night said they are looking at affordable in-state colleges and are pushing their children to improve their grades for a better chance at landing scholarship money.

"You're more aware of college costs," said David McGrady, a parent of an Einstein High School senior. McGrady pointed out that many parents had invested in college tuition savings programs that were tied to the stock market, which has dipped to its lowest point in years.

"I'm hoping the stock market does come back somewhat," he said.

Many college admissions counselors at the PTSA-sponsored fair said their schools' scholarship funds haven't been affected by the sinking economy.

American University, a private university in Washington, D.C., will still offer the same number of scholarships as last year, said Colleen Newman, an assistant director of admissions.

"We depend on our students," she said. "We know they need our scholarships to get there."

But most schools have had to raise tuition in recent years, said Kandy Mohr, an admissions counselor with the private Florida Institute of Technology. And most schools are inclined to find ways to raise their scholarships along with it, even if that means cutting into their profits, Mohr said.

"We're pretty particular of what we want in a student," she said. "We're willing to spend the money."

So is Hampton University, a historically black private college in Hampton, Va., said admissions counselor Jahnel Bocus. Bocus said the school has set aside a specific budget for scholarships that are handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis.

But that only increases the competition for that money, said Einstein junior Laura Fisher. Fisher said there's a lot of pressure to get scholarships because almost every student can't afford to attend private universities without one.

"Everyone feels so stressed to do well," she said. "Unless I get a major scholarship, I'll probably be able to afford in-state [schools]."

Biniam Tesfamariam, a senior at Einstein, said he's taken all International Baccalaureate classes for that reason. He said all of his teachers are stressing high scores on the SATs and perfect grades.

"It just makes it twice as hard," he said while visiting the table for Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Tesfamariam's father added he's putting more pressure on his son to do well because he's worried about his job security and the plausibility of getting a loan to go to school.

Some state schools, such as the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, have seen their admissions swell because of the economy, said Rebekah Porter, the assistant director for admissions at UMBC. Porter said last year's freshman class at UMBC was the largest ever.

"Students are considering taking another look at in-state tuition," she said. In-state tuition at UMBC is $17,000 a year with room and board while out-of-state tuition is $25,000. But students going to school close to home have the added advantage of living at home and only paying $8,000 a year, she said.

It's why Capitol College, a public technology and business school in Laurel, cut its business school tuition in half, said admissions counselor Spencer Berk.

To promote their business program and the financial advantages of going to a public school, Berk said the business tuition went from $20,000 a year to $10,000 a year.

And if students do manage to get loans that help propel them to college, getting a job in this economy could be even tougher, said Nate Hafer, an alumni volunteer for Penn State who recently finished graduate school.

"The worse the economy is, the more people stay in school longer," he said.