<p>"The truth about 'adequate' financial aid is that it only negatively affects the middle class, some of whom are accustomed to living certain ways, did not feel the need to save for their child's college tuition, or simply don't feel like paying. The truly impoverished students are given full rides. "</p>
<p>Not true at all. </p>
<p>First, very few college in the country cover ALL of the expense of college through grants. By "all", I mean tuition, room and board, clothes, transportation, equipment like computers, etc. Probably the only ones that do this are the service academies, and of course one pays a price for their generosity.</p>
<p>Places like Harvard are generous with very poor students, but such students still have a self help component to provide through work study, working durin the summer, and at virtually all of the most generous colleges, by also taking out some loans.</p>
<p>Most very poor students lack the educational background and intelligence to go to the most generous colleges, places like Harvard. I am not denigrating poor students: Most students of any socioeconomic background lack the academics and intelligence to gain acceptance to a place like Harvard.</p>
<p>In the case of the poorest students, however, due to their typically going to weak schools (since schools are largely supported by propery taxes, which means schools in the poorest neighborhoods have the worst teachers, equipment, fewer APs, etc.), their high education options are much more likely to be things like community colleges and third tier colleges. Neither type of college tends to have a lot of need-based aid.</p>
<p>Typically, the less competitive colleges are, the less need-based financial aid they're able to offer. They simply don't have the financial resources to meet students' demonstrated financial need. They also have a far higher percentage of needy students than do the most competitive colleges, which have a disproportionate number of students from wealthy families who can donate big bucks.</p>
<p>Poor students also are less likely to have the scores and grades to qualify for merit aid that several states now offer to their public colleges. The students who get the bulk of such aid are solidly middle class. I've seen students literally driving Lexuses who are getting full tuition paid through state-sponsored merit aid. Meanwhile, I;ve seen students whose parents are disabled, in prison, etc. having to literally sell their blood in order to get money for college. They also tend to carry a staggering amount of debt-- and may be working and sending money home to help support their parents, siblings grandparents.</p>
<p>It's an oft repeated myth that the poorest students have it easiest when it comes to financial aid. Clearly, the people who have it best are wealthy people for whom paying even $50 k a year in tuition is a drop in the bucket.</p>
<p>For middle class people, however, college still is attainable without that much strain -- if they take the cheapest options. I see middle class students complaining here because their parents say they students won't be able to go to schools across the country that cost $50,000 a year. Such students often complain that they'll have to "settle" for something like their in-state flagship or live at home and commute to a 4-year public, something their parents may be able to afford relatively easily.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the poorest students are having difficulty affording a community college that they can commute to from home. They may not be able to afford a car or insurance (which tends to be sky high in inner cities, far higher than in middle class suburbs), public transportation is typically inadequate, and if they live at home (which may be small and crowed), their parents may need them to chip in and help with the bills.</p>
<p>No way is it easy for poor people to get the financial assistance they need to go to college.</p>