<p>Garland, I wrote that, and our 'rich enough lifestyle' includes clothes from St. Vinnies, growing a garden, eating very low on the mostly vegetarian food chain, garage sales, lots of books and library trips, camping vacations, when we could afford that when I was first divorced. We rarely eat out, and I drive the requisite 10 year old car. I worked for tuition at a language camp, and as a result my kids love and are good at languages. Musical education is important enough to me that I wanted my kids to play better than school music level. So I sacrificed for that, and my kids have music scholarships as a result. As they have gotten older, we've had a few trips overseas, but stayed in youth hostels or with family. I wanted my kids to have a feeling for the greater world. My point was that with a parsimonious lifestyle, it was important to splurge on a few things to enrich our lives intellectually and culturally. I could have saved a bit more of that for college. But the colleges that accepted them may not have, had they been less interesting people. </p>
<p>I think many families these days struggle with some of the mindless aspects of the culture, and keeping kids motivated. I was, and am running scared, as I like to think holding to some higher values is important, and it is not always easy to hold to that, for many, and especially in a difficult divorced situation. My ex thinks I'm excessively fixated on some of these intellectual and cultural pursuits, has not been supportive. </p>
<p>You may have had a marriage and a community where doing some of this was easier. I've struggled, though it's been a joyous adventure in many ways. My AGI has never been over $50,000.</p>
<p>You have good points, in that much of what we think 'necessary' really isn't, and thrift can help you afford some great things, including a superior education. I'm all for it. My point, is that some superior education starts well before college, and can also be deserving of financing.</p>
<p>I also do not know where Mini comes up with the $165k salary which will result in an EFC high enough to cover private college tuition. I make substantially less and still do not qualify for aid at the $50k COA. Maybe we just made a mistake in spacing out the ages of our children. A better plan would have been to have them both in college at the same time instead of sending one to college, paying for a wedding and then sending the second to college.</p>
<p>It seems to me that the ability to live cheap and save is largely dependent on the local cost of living. In high cost of living areas, the big factor is the cost of housing including property taxes. Sure there is a mortgage tax deduction but property taxes more than offset that benefit. I view the cost of housing as a necessity, not as an investment.</p>
<p>OP: Here is the answer to your original question! :)</p>
<p>The Office of Financial Aid offers comprehensive services to help you and your family finance a Vassar education. You might be surprised to learn that: </p>
<p>55% of Vassar students receive some form of financial aid. </p>
<p>To clarify the above post, a Vassar Scholarship is financial based, not merit based. Vassar does not offer merit sholarships but is generous with financial aid.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If 100 young people aged 18-25 died in the U.S., then 139 would die in Iraq while serving in the Army and Marines during the same time period.
[/quote]
stats and d*** stats. but what is the risk of any one individual. Those 100 18-25 year olds in the US who died come out of a population of of roughly 25-30 million people ... those 139 who died in Iraq came out of a population of what? (I believe a few thousand) ... the risk for any one individual is remendously higher being in Iraq than being in the US. </p>
<p>(BTW - if we looked at the stats for single parent poor males growing up in very poor sections of big cities it may well be true tht their mortality rate in IRaq is as good or close to as good as if they were "home")</p>
<p>I find this thread has veered off into a strange direction. I can't speak statistically about the death of young men on a college site. Adolescent males are always at higher risk for death from unnatural causes. This risk does,t lessen until 30. Gender role conditioning (and biological proclivity I would argue) are major contibutors.</p>
<p>It is imposible to calculate the risks of ROTC to a particular individual -- there are too many variables. Some will think ROTC a good option; others not. Factors include class, race opportunity, politics, values and familial values.</p>
<p>Although I have difficulty with a stratified socio-economic system that makes military service so much for attractive? only option? for certain ethnic groups, I see no problem with OP raising this as a possibility. My political values would make this an impossible suggestion for me to make to my son or daughter. </p>
<p>That said, the only person we know doing ROTC is a Democtatic waspy young man from rural Missouri D met at an NSLC.</p>
<p>GLM, Kudos to you to be able to do it. When I was faced with raising my then 10 years old D single-handedly with no help from ex, I knew that saving alone wouldn't generate enough to cover college cost, at least not on a professor's salary in those days. I made a choice of giving up my tenured professorship and took a job in industry. Luck panned out, and I was able to return to academia after three years, knowing that I have made enough that will be pay for college and post-graduate professional school for my D. My D is now at a LAC doing great, and I am doing what I love. A degree of luck is needed on top of planning, and saving enough as edad said may be hard becuases of circumstances.</p>
<p>Although I have difficulty with a stratified socio-economic system that makes military service so much for attractive? only option? for certain ethnic groups, I see no problem with OP raising this as a possibility. My political values would make this an impossible suggestion for me to make to my son or daughter.</p>
<p>Which is probably why my younger daughters high school has received national attention for protests against military recruiting in the school.
The PTA and some students feel that the school is targeted more than other local schools- which is true, IMO. My older daughters school was physically just a few blocks away, but a world away from an "inner city comprehensive public school", as it was a small private college prep school, where the classes were less than 20, and the graduating class her year was 18. Two students from that class joined the Marines within 5 years of graduation. ( neither joined ROTC, as neither have attended college- I don't believe the Marines have an academy)</p>
<p>Although there was a recruiting office in the neighborhood, I don't remember the military * ever* coming to recruit at the prep school, although even though I have signed a waiver not to release information to the military re: my younger daughter, she has received quite a few mailings. ( makes it sound like a live action video game)</p>
<p>Anyway- while I wouldn't recommend ROTC for most, if you are joining the military * anyway*, I would agree that attending college first could be a good idea, and much easier to do it before active duty, rather than trying to fit it in, while you are in uniform.</p>
<p>great lakes mom: I agree with you completely and admire your fortitude. I have followed a similar path, although i do have a husband. Sometimes, that brought mooney, sometimes just business debt, but I have found it to be true that with enough commitment it is posible to accomplish thingsnthat seem beyond our grasps.</p>
<p>Yes, padad, you've done well, and your daughter is fortunate. Do you feel you can take breathe a little deeper now? And thanks for the acknowledgment, as some think I should have been more 'relaxed' about things. I've thought a single parent forum on here might be of use, as our challenges certainly can be mind boggling at times. Though is also good to keep grounded in the adventures of people with more normally functional lives and priorities. </p>
<p>Your post brings up a question lurking in the back of my mind. How common are full tuition rides for kid of faculty these days? Ironically, I had my own adventures with college due to the fact that my dad expected me to take advantage of the free ride I'd get from the university where he worked. Then he ended up working elsewhere..and the funding wasn't there for my college.</p>
<p>great lakes - the 'free ride' for kids of faculty is on a school-by-school basis, and generally only in the privates. The packages vary as well. Our best friend is a professor at a small LAC in Maine. The school offers free tuition to all faculty kids -- and will pay 50% of tuition at any other school. Another friend teaches at an upstate NY LAC which also offers free tuition for faculty chilren at their school, but not to any other school.</p>
<p>This was a state university, ASU. I haven't seen this benefit among my professor friends here in Wisconsin, all at state schools, so was curious.</p>
<p>mythmom, I've noticed your posts, and your approach as well as lack of money is very similar!</p>
<p>GLM, As others had posted, it varies with universities. Ours is 75%. My D would have a full ride at our U since she was fortunate enough to be given two additional scholarships. She chose to attend at her present LAC instead, for which I fully support. </p>
<p>Single parenthood is indeed challenging, with so much misadventures. Do I breathe easier? Not when I am talking to her on the phone or visitng her. She keeps me on my toes. I do confess that I don't adjust well to situations where my knowledge is clearly inadequate to win a point.</p>
<p>Someone I know accepted research position at the Medical College of Wisconsin, part of the deal was 100% tuition for all three kids for state college (and U of Wisc. is a good school!).</p>
<p>Medical College of Wisc. is in Milwaukee, part of what we call UWM, as opposed to UW Madison. So it does occur here! Interesting. But I'd think not common, part of a negotiated package only?</p>
<p>Padad, is easy to feel embattled as a parent at this point. Not easy on the self esteem. It is hard, and some kids push harder than others.</p>