<p>I think it is a rip off (well, one of many I guess) that many colleges do not feel compelled to even estimate tuition, room, and board rates for 2007-2008 prior to kids making decisions and prior to their determining financial aid packages. </p>
<p>Out of my son's 9 schools, we have 07-08 figures for 5 of them. Two of them I emailed and they won't have numbers until after May 1. Coincidence? It leaves us comparing apples to oranges for costs.</p>
<p>I understand that aid packages are determined with last year's income, but, really, how many people are expecting raises equal to what tuitions often increase by (7% and more)?</p>
<p>That's my vent for the moment. (I'm SO SICK of this college stuff. :( )</p>
<p>I hear you, Weenie. Its a very long road, especially for those of us who are working heavily on fin aid stuff. I have basically been working on this stuff falmost on a daily basis for about a year and a half now. Then I found out yesterday one of my d's schools wants me to document all our medical expenses last year...meaning receipts! Spent a good part of the day on the phone starting to call a list of 15-20 different providers to get statements pulled together. and you know if you are calling a dr it is mandatory to be on hold at least 10 min per call.
D has senioritis...is there a name for what we parents have at this point?!! parent-of-senior-itis?</p>
<p>After all our our kids finally make a decision( based on WHATEVER), let's all set up a time to have "here's to all OUR hard work " toast to ourselves. I am exhausted from all of this. I can't bear another form I must fill out for a school that requires more time (or $). I need another Oreo.</p>
<p>Even having the first year pricing is a crap shoot. You have no idea about the relative rates of increase in subsequent years. One of my points of annoyance is that as D's school raised tuition, the raised the amount of a particular merit award in compensation...but for new students only.</p>
<p>are some of these schools public schools?
In our state- finaid and tuition, isn't set till late spring- or later, because they have to wait till the legistlature allocates the funding for the next year to know what they are going to get-</p>
<p>Weenie, this is one of my big beefs too. D had to register for next year's dorm room today, but there are only last year's prices. It being a state school, I sorta understand, (although it is one of the highest room and board costs in the USA already) but I still feel like they need to be more accountable to "their customers", i.e., students and parents paying bills. It is not shall we say a "customer-focused" enterprise, at least not in this population boom where demand exceeds supply. I remember a very different attitude when I was in college (just a few er, years? decades? ago).</p>
<p>TheDad: I notice at my son's school they no longer offer a "half tuition scholarship." I like that his scholarship sort of keeps up with tuition hikes!</p>
<p>"but, really, how many people are expecting raises equal to what tuitions often increase by (7% and more)?</p>
<p>Income/Assets of those who are paying full-freight will, on average, rise well more than 7% for the year, as they usually do, and prestige private colleges will be an ever-increasing bargain for them, as they have been for the past 25 years.</p>
<p>In an attempt, I believe, to influence others, Princeton announced early that it would not be increasing tuition next year. It is my hope that others follow suit.</p>
<p>"In a "comparison group" that includes other Ivy League schools, Stanford and MIT, Princeton's tuition has been the lowest for the past five years and has also increased at a slower rate,"</p>
<p>Tuition is also the only factor considered for those of us who qualify for the Hope or Lifetime Learning credit. Room and board don't count. So an increase in room and board hurts those who can least afford it....once again. My state U has been very up-front in stating it expects an annual 10% increase in tuition and room and board for at least the next ten years. That means the total cost will double before my next child is out of college. Can it get any worse? Cost of living increase is calculated at around 2.5% this year (IIRC), and most wage earners are lucky to have received 5% total increase, if that, much less the 7-10% of college increases. Mind if I rant? One huge cost of living increase for the middle class is the cost of gas---and for colleges the cost of energy---driven up by the thirst for fuel and the insistence by those who can afford it that it is their right to own and drive gas-guzzlers. Those who can afford to waste fuel cause a rise in oil prices and the poor send their kids to war to defend the profligate waste of fuel by those who just don't care. Okay: Rant off.</p>
<p>not only can't you not count money spent on room and board on taxes, but if you receive a scholarship to pay for them, it has to be counted as income-</p>
<p>I think in many schools living on campus is a huge part of campus life
Increasing costs 19% and expecting students who can't afford that to live off campus seems....
How easy is it to find space off campus at PRinceton?
Is it really that much cheaper?</p>
<p>mini: Well, you'll be glad to know that I am sincerely inclined to send my son #2 to the absolute cheapest school on his list, ignoring any and all other considerations, since we are not in the bracket that can afford virtually any price economics might dictate that the elites could charge.</p>
<p>emeralkity4: Off campus housing at Princeton is virtually non-existent, as well as unbelievably expensive. Son's dorm room is patheticly small, about three feet below grond level so the melting snow seeps into the room through the window, with ceiling heights of seven feet, and lighting is horrible. It feels like a cave! But part of the dorm was an old inn overlooking a golf course, so we're hoping he gets a good room draw number for next year, since they are required to stay in the same dorm for sophomore year. Even so, I love the fact that 98% live on campus - for me, dorm life is a huge part of the college experience and I prefer it over off-campus living for undergrad years.</p>