<p>I agree that I have seen plenty of posts cautioning against debt. However, the question is whether those posts resonate louder than the posts commenting about seeking fit and intellectually “thick” schools. If parents aren’t actively engaged in researching costs and options with students, they probably assume that @ $25000/yr is pretty avg COA these days. Finding affordable options when you are in that range of EFC takes more than simply applying to schools. </p>
<p>A couple of yrs ago I had a friend whose ds was offered a full ride to a school ranked near the top 10 in its region. He was also accepted to UVA full pay. (Instate). He wanted to major in English/lit. Nothing would convince him that the prestige of UVA was not worth the debt even though it meant attending on 100% loans (the family definitely fits the profile of the middle class donut hole.). </p>
<p>I have seen enough of it first hand to know that these bright kids feel tremendous pressure to attend the top schools they were accepted to. They don’t really comprehend that that $22-24000/yr adds up quickly to crushing debt for a low paying job. (The typical “it won’t happen to me bc I am such a strong student” syndrome.)</p>
<p>I don’t feel sorry for them. But that does not mean I don’t see how that arrived in the position they are in. I see it sort of like when people go house hunting. If they just go up to a slightly higher price bracket, they can get more sq feet and nicer amenities. Just switch from a 15 yr mortgage to a 30 yr. It happens to all sorts of adults to get sucked into higher cost items. An undirected young adult is an easy target.</p>