<p>"So assuming that colleges expect applicants families to have borrowing power/standard of living that can be significantly cut or assets to sell, yet most folks don't have that- which I agree with, it sounds that most folks are SOL & are in the same position that we were in."</p>
<p>We were in the same position as you (though I think our house is worth substantially less) and are fortunate that the scholarship gods shone down their mercy on our household. (Now if they would only do it again!) We pay about a third of what the state u. would cost. </p>
<p>The reason the publics charge more is, simply, that they can get it. The legislature has given them the authority to set their own tuition rates independent of the taxing authority. The flagship has discovered that OOS are more desirable than poorer in-state ones (or community college transfers), and by raising in-state tuition, demand declines, making it possible for them to accept more OOS applicants. </p>
<p>There are limitations to WUE, of course. (UArizona, for example, only allows WUE for mining or geological engineering. California only has WUE at Humboldt, Stanislaus, and Chico.)</p>
<p>"This is not the case for the offspring of my parents, or for the offspring of the middle class families that I am referring to."</p>
<p>Point taken. But the percentage of middle-class students attending hasn't changed, and those in the middle and upper middle quintiles ($40-$92k) seem actually to be declining, a tribute to the success of enrollment management strategies.</p>
<p>EK, State tuition is another important issue. In 2005 Rutgers-NB was 9200. If you need to live on campus, total cost of attendance is over 21,000. There will be an 8% increase (from what I have read in the past, but don't hold me to it) for the next school year. I guess if your EFC is over 21000, then Rutgers is a good deal, and the higher your EFC, the better the deal Rutgers is for you. If your EFC is less, you might get a better deal at a private college, but I don't know for sure.</p>
<p>It's not just prestige colleges. Tuition & fees at Rutgers were about $600 per year when I attended 30 years ago. Now it is $10,000. That's 16 times more expensive! Nothing has risen that much in that time period.</p>
<p>Most of us can make cuts. Can take out loans. Don't know about the assets, garage sales don't make that big of a dent into college cost, but if you have that pension plan, it can be dissolved. And many of us do all of the above and increase our work load as well. My son worked many hours during the summers in college to meet some of the expenses. Other son is doing the same. Many moms go back to work, dad takes an extra job, start a home business. Move into that apartment earlier than expected; my friend with her son at USC did that--sold the house, bought an apt at half the price, had really hoped to keep the house for grandchildren visits,etc, but the $200k college tab was met in one fell swoop with that transaction. And it was important to the family that their son go where he most wanted to go. People get outraged when you suggest selling the house and moving, but it does come down to priorities. I have a friend who lives in a house in a student ghetto; has wanted to get a place in the suburbs for years. But costwise, she is doing well. Was able to buy some nearby places for a song and is renting them out to students (ok, she is a slumlord of sorts), but she has 8 kids and the resources of the university right there, and the city resources. Sent a kid to NYU pretty much on their dime as they do not qualify for much financial aid; two of the kids went to State U and another commuted to a local U. Most of us would find it distasteful to live in that house in that area. Not much of a family area at all since most of the homes there are broken into apartments. It would be a tough upheaval for a family like ours to make that transition, but I am paying a heck of a lot more for my mortgage, car expenses, and other amenities than she is and I think our family incomes are about equal. She has more to spend for college educations, and that is where she intends to spend her money.</p>
<p>There are some families who 30 years ago, were able to send their kids to Rutgers and Willams-for relatively low amounts.
I am assuming, these families were a small percentage of the citizenry, since it was still possible to support your family on jobs obtained with a high school education & many families didn't even consider sending their kids to college.</p>
<p>Going by the print out social security sends- we are making a little over twice as much as we did 30 years ago.
Considering cost of living has risen more than that, let alone costs of higher ed, it isn't realistic to assume that families can afford higher ed costs- even as a degree becomes more critical to finding a job.</p>
<p>From simba:
[quote]
or to kids whose parents encourage them to apply to expensive schools and only in April they tell kids that they won't pay.
[/quote]
So true. And you'll see the you-know-what hit the fan in the student forums come April.</p>
<p>From mini:
[quote]
What has changed are aspirations of middle-income families to purchase Mercedes-type educations.
[/quote]
Not to mention that it would appear that many Americans simply don't care about, or haven't noticed, the widening disparity between the very rich and the not-so-rich in this country...Also, the easy availability of credit has changed the landscape substantially. We are seeing people sending kids to schools that they clearly can not afford. </p>
<p>From cptofthehouse:
[quote]
It does hurt me, however, knowing that the ideal environments for my son is just financially out of range for us unless we come up with some solutions that we don't yet have.
[/quote]
I hear ya' (we're in the same boat) but just think of the tiny percentage of kids for whom being in an "ideal environment" is a reality. Look at the enormous populations at community college, or those who head off to a huge state U not even dreaming they might have any other choice, or those working while putting themselves through school, or those who have absolutely zero money for college and just get a minimum wage job or join the military. I know it doesn't make it feel any better, but really, our kids have a huge leg up just because they have parents that are going to do the very best we can.</p>
<p>When I went to an OOS public in the late 70's, with room and board, it was about 7000/yr. I took out loans and worked through school. My mom (making about 15000, plus a bit of social security in my name), remortgaged her house.</p>
<p>I think there's some errors in remembering college costs then. I also think some of you were wealthier than you want to call it. I can't imagine what it would have been like to go through expensive private colleges without loans or a care like everyone posting here apparently did.</p>
<p>Maybe that's why i'm more determined to provide that for my kids. Mostly, we've "borrowed" from the past; we never had to cut down our lifestyle because we never ramped it up in the first place. (which sure made H's drastic career change easier to accomplish!)</p>
<p>Garland, my memory on this one is absolutely perfect. $3700 in 1975, and my family was far from wealthy. My mother never worked, father had a regular 9-5 job, we never had enough money for ski club or lots of fancy vacations. And yet, they could afford to send three kids to private colleges or universities.</p>
<p>Fast forward to today. My H and I have considerably more disposable income than my parents did. We can afford ski club and even a fancy vacation or two. And yet that $45K tuition is mighty daunting. So while we appear to have more money, in actuality, educating our children in the same fashion as we were educated is not as easy as it was for our less wealthy parents.</p>
<p>"My top 25 college cost $3700 a year in the mid 1970's. Today it runs around $45K a year. That is not in line with any rise in income at all."</p>
<p>Unless you are in the top 3% of the population. If you are, it is slightly cheaper now, and the subsidiary you receive from the college is greater.</p>
<p>Allmusic, I was a few years later, probably, but I never saw costs near that low. Maybe tuition itself, but not the whole cost. Must've been looking at different schools! I know mine was around 7000, because I know it was half our income. (I got no aid; transfers from OOS weren't high priority. Luckily, I earned academic scholarships after I got there, besides maxing on loans.)</p>
<p>Garland, my first year graduate school tuition (at an Ivy no less ;)) was just about $10K in 1982. That number I remember absolutely perfectly, because I was self-funding (what wasn't covered in grants). I remember my undergrad $3700 figure as well, although wasn't paying it myself. Now that I think about it, it is possible that figure was tuition only, and there was another $1800 in room and board, taking total cost above $5K, which is still a very far cry from $45K of today.</p>
<p>Mini, if one is NOT in the top 3% of the population in wealth, do you agree that the rise in college costs are untenable?</p>
<p>"Mini, if one is NOT in the top 3% of the population in wealth, do you agree that the rise in college costs are untenable?'</p>
<p>No. List prices of colleges at prestige institutions are untenable. But if you are not in the top 3%, you will receive aid of one kind or another, IF you get in. With half the places or more going to folks who can pay full-freight, chances are you're not getting in anyway. </p>
<p>Private institutions that don't meet most need are not tenable for many, and the institutions like it that way. The way to increase their reputation is by providing merit aid to lots of good candidates who don't need it (and some who do.)</p>
<p>The publics are (as you know) where I worry most.</p>
<p>I know, Weenie. And for many kids what appears to be the best option is just a perception; the reality turns out differently. I know that it is not a big deal thing. I bring it up because there is this myth that money is not a deterrant in going to your best choice college. It'll all work out. Not quite. Lots of families get a slap in the face when that EFC comes back, and another when the financial/merit aid awards come. They don't know the little subtleties such as any merit aid you get can reduce your financial aid, that the college that so assures you that you'll get money only gives 50% need on average, and your kid gets 40% with a lot of loans. You find out that the packages can be heavily peppered with loans. And the really big thing lately is that a $25K award can be barely half the cost! I'm still shaking my head over this one. And some of the state Unis these days are running about at that cost. If you want to look at OOS Unis, they can go up over $30 running into private school costs. I remember the days when a NMS award could pretty much pay the whole thing.</p>
<p>Garland, I clearly remember my Rutgers tuition in 1976 because it was cheaper than the $650 tuition at my Catholic h.s. I commuted, so I don't know what R&B would have cost.</p>