<p>I think the best that can be said is that you have this year's data (school cost and your own income) and that you have to make a choice based on what is known and expect that there will be increases in line with past increases (on both sides). On the other hand, George Washington sets their tuition for four years. Families know exactly what to expect, but also realize that their first year tuition is around the highest in the country. </p>
<p>With one in college and one still in h.s., I think it's safe to assume if a particular school is a financial reach for the first year, it will only get worse. I think when you actually have offers in hand, it's easier to see which ones will really work for you. I remember the annoyance of filling out up to three sets of forms for 8 colleges (and that's low by today's standard), knowing s. would only attend one. The paperwork, if not the actual check writing, gets much easier after year one.</p>
<p>I think a good name for the parental affliction might be "senioritis once removed" - it acknowledges that there's a familial component to the disease and hints that it's temporary - once removed, it's gone.</p>
<p>It all gets better - until your next child starts swinging a bat on the on deck circle.</p>
<p>For public U's tuition is determined by state legislatures- I remember the parents session at UW-Madison in mid July last year, the speaker about finances said they didn't know what Minnesota students tuition (the 2 states have reciprocity) would be until the MN legislature determined it (BTW, it was cheaper for Wis students at U of M than for MN residents due to the way the states did things!).</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..."</p>
<p>Wouldn't make me happy one way or the other. If you can afford it, what other better things would you spend your money on? If you can't afford it, it is a non-issue.</p>
<p>That may be true in most states, but UVA has been on an autonomy kick to control its own funding and operation and to have them released from state mandates. For this purpose, as I understand it, they give up some state funds but have the autonomy to control their own tuition rates, how they spend their endowment and income, and (eventually, perhaps) how many in-state applicants they must take each year. The 10%-per-year cost increase was their figure, not mine.</p>
<p>The 07-08 cost of attendance is only 25% of the equation. While you know 5 of 9 schools' costs for 07-08, you know 0 of 9 schools' costs in 08, 09, & 10. You can only go by history and try to get a feel for how well each school tries to keep costs down. It is very hard to tell. The school that looks good this year may have 12 percenter in the works for next year. Who can tell? Good luck.</p>
<p>To add to this beef is the returning student's FA package which won't show up until it's potentially too late to do anything about it.</p>
<p>I am unsettled by the whole thing. </p>
<p>It's quite odd really. </p>
<p>We wouldn't buy a house without knowing all the ins and outs. Nor a car. But we are required to be blindfolded as we go into education of our children. </p>
<p>I'm realizing how lucky I was that the cheapest option for S#2 was also his #1 choice. Now that the end of the second year is coming up, I'm about to start a countdown to March of 2009 (the final payment!).</p>
<p>How do people do this without scholarships and choices made without financial consequences in mind?</p>
<p>"We wouldn't buy a house without knowing all the ins and outs. Nor a car. But we are required to be blindfolded as we go into education of our children."</p>
<p>Good observation. The FA process requires all possible kinds of personal information for the schools to make their decisions, but the information required for you to make your decision is not reciprocated.</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>well while we didn't know all the ins and outs of all the finaid packages- we did know our EFC- since we filed FAFSA January 1st ( even though I also had "modified it" when taxes were filed)</p>
<p>I looked up the info for each school- re how much debt students graduate with--how much if any merit aid is awarded & what % of students receive need based aid, and what percentage of need that covers.( yes I know that doesn't include parent loans)</p>
<p>I compared Ds stats, with those students who were attending the schools, and we targeted in most choices, schools where her numbers were on the high end, hoping that more merit aid would then be offered.</p>
<p>While she applied to 3 instate schools- one who had notified her of a merit award in March, and one out of state school, who also offered merit aid, the only private school she applied to, was one that met 100% of need.</p>
<p>We didn't hear from teh public schools re final packages till after she had already made her decision on the private school. It had been her 1st choice, but a reach ( in both money and in being accepted), so when they sent out that info - mid winter break, all the other schools all but were forgotten ;)</p>