<p>^ Wouldn’t tithing, by definition, only require 10% of your parents’ income? (I don’t mean to be rude; I am merely interested. And I am really hoping for you to resolve these issues, so that we can hopefully meet in person next fall!)</p>
<p>@91 Shippy Thanks! I hope to meet you too 
Yes, you are correct, it only REQUIRES 10%, but my family is very thankful for what we have, even if we can’t afford Yale 
haha so we give more. 10% is the bare minimum</p>
<p>^ Unless it is impossible to get the loan because you need too much. But agreed. If you can, you must.</p>
<p>Tithing my ass. Nobody sees giving to charity as a necessary expense. </p>
<p>The fact that you parade it around as if it’s a necessary expense just gives the impression that you are all high and mighty.</p>
<p>Nobiody needs to give to charity. If your religion demands it, your religion is lying to you.</p>
<p>ummm Chaospreferable, I think you already know how to resolve your family’s financial problems. Make that 30% charity your Yale tuition money or AT LEAST reduce it to 10%. If your family would rather give to a religous organization than let their own child go to his dream school, then so be it then… Sorry, but I would be much more sympathetic if your family was donating to UNICEF or some other charity dealing with people in real financial NEED. I’m sure your church and synagogue will be understanding if your family tells them about your situation. Unless, the organization you’re funding only cares about the money (which is usually the case -_-) and not the well-being of their congregation.</p>
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<p>Actually the caps have been raised over previous years, from $60k to $65k for full aid and from $120k to $130k for aid based on EFC which “slides” from 1% to 10% of income. The YDN article cited does not mention how aid for families at $130k+ are treated but the original press release provides some elaboration:</p>
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<p>[Yale</a> expands financial aid](<a href=“http://www.opa.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=8113]Yale”>http://www.opa.yale.edu/news/article.aspx?id=8113)</p>
<p>Previous policy allowed for FA to families with incomes between $120k and $200k to have their EFC’s capped at at 10% income (see [Aid</a> policy changes little |Yale Daily News](<a href=“http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2009/feb/12/aid-policy-changes-little-for-2012/]Aid”>http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2009/feb/12/aid-policy-changes-little-for-2012/)). The press release does not specify the percentage level or the upper cap here except to mention “modest adjustments” but it clearly suggests such aid will continue.</p>
<p>Correction: previous policy for $120k to $200k had EFC’s averaging 10%.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that “income” includes a share of assets, too, including home equity. Unfortunately Yale’s FA calculator is still not on-line so more precise information cannot yet be inferred from it.</p>
<p>In regards to the OP’s original query: generally speaking charitable contributions are seen as discretionary expenses and are not deducted from your income. You could try to appeal this to the FA office; they might have some sympathy for religious obligation, but almost certainly not for amounts in excess of those that principles require you to pay. You might consider exactly what those principles require you to consider as “income” and, in particular, whether allowance can be made for educational expenses.</p>
<p>Seriously, you are just throwing away 30% of your income if you give it to your church.
"Pastor: Hah look at those suckers, giving us 50k+)</p>
<p>^ like :ddddd</p>
<p>bzva74: I don’t think you could possibly understand how blatantly offensive you are being, or you wouldn’t be that way. Over and over again.</p>
<p>Do you think it would be OK to mock Orthodox Jews or Muslims for their dietary restrictions? For many religious communities, tithing rises to that level of spiritual and moral commitment. It’s not an “option”; it is part and parcel of church membership and observing God’s commandments.</p>
<p>^I agree, it was offensive. I do believe, however, that while belief systems deserve toleration, there is absolutely no reason they should be held with such respect to the level of privilege.</p>
<p>As far as the tithing goes, this is a case of having your cake and eating it, too. If that is truly where you (or more importantly, your parents) want the money to go, then keep donating-- just don’t expect special consideration for that choice. (Though I do commend your parents for their dedication!)</p>
<p>This is coming from someone who probably won’t get any aid and may not be able to afford Yale, especially with the ostensible reduction(?) in aid for higher income families.</p>
<p>Your family’s sizable donation to charity seems to indicate that you are very devout to your religion. I really don’t have anything against you coming to Yale (I’m a SCEA admit as well) but are you sure Yale’s your top choice? Have you considered more religious colleges like BYU or perhaps other Christian oriented universities? I read a news article at YDN where a preacher was “protesting” at Yale with a sign saying something along the lines of “Yale students are sinners” and a group of Yale students basically stripped down and started making out (both homosexual and heterosexual couples) to make the preacher mad. I’m hate generalizing, but it doesn’t really sound like your cup of tea if you’re particularly religious. </p>
<p>Don’t take this the wrong way, I’m not trying to be offensive or anything - just giving you some food for thought.</p>
<p>Here’s that article, fyi: [Yalies</a> make out, strip, sing for preacher | Yale Daily News](<a href=“http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2010/dec/08/yalies-make-out-strip-sing-preacher/]Yalies”>http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2010/dec/08/yalies-make-out-strip-sing-preacher/)</p>
<p>Just because Yale is ultra-liberal doesn’t mean it’s anti-religious. i’m pretty religious and Yale has been my cup of tea. There are plenty of religious organizations to get involved in, and though many people aren’t religious, they are tolerant and even curious. One thing I can say is that being at Yale is a challenge for religious people, people are consistently going to be questioning you about why you believe what you believe. But this is a good thing! You can’t grow in faith unless you’re challenged. also about the preacher guy, i know all of the people that were making out in front of him, something I disagreed with them doing. but i talked to them about it and we were able to have a really great discussion about religion and society. okay that was preachy but I had to add that. people tend think that yale is an anti-religious school but that’s not the case.</p>
<p>I’m not being offensive at all. Religion is about your connection to a higher being, not about giving money. Redistribution of wealth has nothing to do with your connection with God. It has to do with moral and political philosophies (ie. COMMUNISM).</p>
<p>If you think that donating to charity is so important, fine. But don’t act like its an expense. Don’t think that it should be considered in FA. It’s your choice to throw away your money to those who don’t need it, and Yale shouldnt have to cough up their endowment to a family who clearly cares more about throwing money away than education.</p>
<p>Just for the record, that preacher is not your usual preacher of a mainstream religion. He is an ‘open air preacher’ who was staging a demonstration calling Yale students sinners, saying they will go to hell, and making miscellaneous offensive statements about homosexuals. Some students responded by staging a counter-demonstration in the misguided belief that it would encourage him to leave. </p>
<p>I don’t think the incident suggests in any way that Yale is hostile to religion. The Yale Divinity School is an important part of the university and some of the professors of the Div School even teach in undergraduate courses.</p>
<p>That said, I don’t think Yale should exclude charitable contributions (religious or otherwise) from family income when calculating financial aid. Financial aid dollars are scarce and need to be spread around equitably. OP’s family has a decision to make about priorities- is it more important to contribute 30% of its income to church than to pay for a Yale education?</p>
<p>bzva is right. Why should Yale use their money to support a family that would much rather pay for a religous institution rather than their own child? If these donations were going to CHARITABLE organization such as the Red Cross or Cancer research, it would be reasonable for Yale to make the effort to help out. However, as things are for this acceptee, I wouldn’t be surprised if no special financial treatment was given (and rightfully so…)</p>
<p>And I love Yale just because of that counter-demonstration. Say it’s indecent and a disproportionate response, but as a young, open-minded kid, that is perfect. </p>
<p>And more about the charity, I have no problem with you throwing away money. It’s your choice, man. But something about charity: the money isn’t usually spent the way normal money is. For example, it may go to other nations as aid. But by not spending your money on Yale or any other consumer product (I dont mean to dehumanize Yale, but college is a product that you pay for) you are hurting our economy.</p>
<p>This is why the government wanted to raise taxes to the rich. Once you get over 250k, you stop spending money on our own economy and you start saving it or investing abroad or giving to charity. </p>
<p>I have no sympathy for someone who tries to downplay their high income by saying that they give it to charity. Why should Yale give money to a kid who prioritizes unnecessary spending over the best education on Earth?</p>
<p>@vicariousparent- the counter demonstration was not as much trying to get him to leave as it was embracing their own individual lifestyles and choices. They were merely practicing their own freedoms, as he was his.</p>
<p>Wow, some of you are being very offensive…I did not mean to act all high and mighty; my parents are donating, not me. Unfortunately, I am not that generous (working on it). We do not donate that amount to the church itself. Tithes can go to any charity. We mostly spend it on things like orphans in Bulgaria, building wells in Africa, ect. So please leave your prejudice at the door. :(</p>
<p>As for Yale being my first choice, just because I am religious does not mean I want to go to a religious school. I am committed to learning about other cultures and religions in order to foster peace, tolerance, understanding, and most importantly the EXCHANGE OF IDEAS. I am not offended by your suggestion I am just angry at the other posters who seem to think I am some fundamentalist bigot who looks down on everyone else. A huge part of my faith is LOVE, which is why my family donates and why I enjoy spending time around people who are different from me. </p>
<p>“I have no sympathy for someone who tries to downplay their high income by saying that they give it to charity. Why should Yale give money to a kid who prioritizes unnecessary spending over the best education on Earth?”</p>
<p>That seems kind of heartless to me. It is not unnecessary. I would argue that the money we have spent on nice computers, etc. is unnecessary, so I have no problem with them counting that stuff as a part of my assets, but charity is necessary. I prioritize PEOPLE.</p>
<p>@overachiever92 and others
This does NOT go only to my church; it goes mainly to the organizations you mentioned or similar ones. Also, 15%, not 30%<—taxes</p>
<p>@sgtpepper08
Amen! (lol)</p>
<p>@Descartesz
Although I disagree with your suggestion, you have modeled what it looks like to criticize my practices in a respectful manner, and I hope you know how much I appreciate people like you!</p>