<p>I agree with DownToEarth, the cost of a private college is outrageous but our family earns too much to qualify for need based assistance. For me that is the end of the discussion. It is not exactly new information that private colleges are out of the reach of the middle class. People seem to forget that when they apply for financial aid they are asking for money and no one owes them anything. Plenty of parents I know made the decision to send their kids to the State schools purely based on finances and their kids seem to be doing great.</p>