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I just can't get over the fact that the OP seems to have no problem accepting that the family is paying private K-12 school tuition ... but somehow expects to be able to go to a school costing much, much more for almost free (consider that 25k is essentially half price & OP thinks that's a joke to expect of the family). Just had to vent. Sorry.
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<p>Seconded. And I also can't understand why people who are obviously concerned about education fail to run the numbers and educate themselves about the facts of FA and merit scholarships when they are DEVELOPING the college list, not after most admissions deadlines have passed. All anybody seems to care about if whether or not they can get in, not how they're going to pay for it if they do.</p>
<p>True entomom, but most don't have much hold over what their EFC will actually be, as it is their parent's income and such that affects the number. College is really expensive, but that is partially why I'm going to a public state university, as my family can in no way afford anything else (But I wouldn't want to go anywhere else). They actually want me to go to community college for 2 years, but I'd rather not.</p>
<p>Everyone would love a Jaguar but there's a reason there are a lot more Toyota's on the road. It's what most can afford.</p>
<p>College is no different. Many families can't afford their EFC's so their kids head to state colleges or merit aid schools. </p>
<p>There are people making $95K who drive Jags. It's a priority and they probably don't have other luxuries. There are those making $95K that will pay full tuition at $50K colleges because they've saved a third of their salary every year. Folks do all different things with that income. When families with this income don't save for college, their kids will have limited choices.</p>
<p>so true..nothing irks me more than a parent coming on here complaining that with their $95k salary, that no way they can afford their EFC because they have a huge mortgage payment, car payment, private school payment, ect. Maybe if they had a smaller house with a smaller mortgage payment, didn't trade in for a new car every 5 years, and actually SAVED, then they WOULD have money for college. Everyone has choices on how to live their lives, don't complain after the fact.</p>
<p>Like it's a surprise that colleges cost money? Saving for college is not a new idea. Cut the rant. Parents knew college was coming but did not stash money away. So get on it double time.</p>
<p>Have you been babysitting/cutting lawns/working in a kitchen - or have you been enrolled in expensive summer programs. Have you talked to grandparents about helping out? </p>
<p>Are there three cars in your driveway, a snowmobile, ATV or recreational vehicle. Second home/time-share? </p>
<p>It is not the responsibility of society to send YOU to college. That's you and your family's responsibility. You had 17 years to prepare - so the SURPRISE rings hollow.</p>
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True entomom, but most don't have much hold over what their EFC will actually be, as it is their parent's income and such that affects the number.
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<p>Please read what I wrote. Any student like the OP who apparently has a reasonable shot at HYPS also has a good chance at top merit scholarships if they don't want to attend their in-state public U. But waiting until they get their FAFSA EFC or FA package from a private means they've passed the deadlines for applying to most merit aid opportunities.</p>
<p>I agree with the many others on this thread, it's all about choices.</p>
<p>Before anyone jumps all over the OP for lack of foresight, it's worth remembering that it was the student posting, not the parents. We know very little about their financial situation, and nothing about their lifestyle. The family might be driving a Jaguar, but they might also be driving a well-used Toyota. The $95k income might have been ongoing for years, or something relatively new. There might be a second home...or, maybe, there are extraordinary medical expenses, or a family member who must be supported financially. We just don't know. Sometimes the choices people make financially are for reasons other than living large.</p>
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It is not the responsibility of society to send YOU to college. That's you and your family's responsibility. You had 17 years to prepare - so the SURPRISE rings hollow.
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<p>Hold on there. Cool your jets.
We don't know the facts. As a parent, I didn't know the whole process of FA. 5 years ago my salary was half of what it is. We cannot grasp the whole thing going forward. Hindsight is 20/20. I attended a workshop when my D was 2 years old so I have been conscious of the process for a very long time. But !@#$ happens and life happens and we do the best we can for our kids. I don't think anybody expects to get a free ride, BUT college is way expensive and it it so much more of a commitment than anything else. We did save for our D, much to our own detriment and forgoing some very important things like retirement money, healthcare. It is a crapshoot on who gets what and how much and I think EVERYBODY wants to receive the same benefit. There is nothing wrong with wanting better for our kids.
I would have loved if my D received better FA. My H and I would be in a better position financially but that is the choice we made. So on we go.</p>
<p>^ Thanks, Hillary :(
and thanks to everyone else who was backing me up (at least partially).</p>
<p>Just a couple of sidenotes:
a) I realize that it's nobody else's fault but ours. I was just ranting, really. Geez.</p>
<p>b) We do actually have 2 Toyotas haha: one minivan and one Camry for my dad. Both were used at time of purchase.</p>
<p>3) The salary has been steady from everything I know. He's been in the same job for 8 years, I think.</p>
<p>4) I did apply for 3 full-tuition scholarships at Vanderbilt, WashU, and Davidson, but those are all hyperselective. If I get any of them, it'll be a miracle.</p>
<p>5) I think the main reason that my parents are so confused is that they never had to deal with it when they went to college. Idk if the application process was similar back then (probably way less extensive), but they both just went to state schools on mostly scholarship money and out-of-pocket cash, so they were pretty foreign to this stuff. I'm basically the guinea pig, so I'm sure they'll have their act together by the time my brothers and sister graduate lol</p>
<p>Your family EFC looks in line for the income you report. It's a big shock to many folks when they learn what their EFC is. It isn't going to make a whole lot of difference if the number goes down a bit lower since the only thing EFC is going to guarantee you is the PELL grant and the subsidized Staffords. You are eligible for the subsidy but your are a long way from being Pell eligible. So don't waste time crying over the EFC.</p>
<p>The private schools you are eyeing all use PROFILE or their own forms in addition to the FAFSA and you may do better with that process. Some colleges do take into account private school education. Also some private colleges are generous to families in your situation, Harvard, comes to mind. But with the way things are going lately, all schools are tightening the belt.</p>
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Your family EFC looks in line for the income you report
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Not to me. it doesn't. Not if the info the OP furnished was correct. Not with a family size of 7! Not with no savings. It sounds about $5000 high.</p>
<p>hookem...the college financial situation has changed dramatically in this one generation. When <em>I</em> went to college, the total cost for the year at our state university was about $1200 (maybe less). It was not hard to earn a good portion of that money working during school and working in the summer and on vacations. The costs of the SAME school now are more that 10 times that cost. I went to an "expensive" private school for one year of college...expensive was about $3500 a year. That same school is about 10 times the cost now.</p>
<p>In addition, back in the day, there was no FAFSA. There was a financial aid application form. I was the child of a single mom and I completed this form with very little help from my mom. It wasn't lengthy and it wasn't complicated. I don't recall anything like the Profile even for my private school. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, the financial aid situation isn't as clearly defined as the admittance situation. Our high school only in the last few years has started a financial aid information night for FRESHMAN parents. I actually advocated for this to be done with middle school parents. </p>
<p>You are not the only one who is navigating this process for the first time. It's very unnerving. As I said before...you have done what you need to do. All that's left to do now is wait. At least you HAVE completed the forms. I'm still reading posts here "when is the latest I can submit my Profile"...for many schools, the deadline for the Profile has come and gone.</p>
<p>Maybe the process was easier years ago, but what seems to be different is that no one expected anything. I <em>could</em> have gone to Harvard, but I could NOT have afforded Harvard. If I had bothered to complain, though, no one would have listened (certainly not my parents!). I just found a school I could afford (on my own) and went there. Maybe that's why I don't have a lot of sympathy.</p>
<p>^ That's my point, kelsmom. No, I'm not "demanding" more money, I'm just disappointed. BUT, do I want to "settle" and just "go wherever I can afford"?? Of course not! I want to go to a school that I love, that I am academically qualified enough to enter, not my safety.</p>
<p>And it is absolutely understandable that you are disappointed. I can sympathize. Go ahead & get it off your chest. Just understand that if you don't get what you want, you really will be okay. Honest.</p>
<p>^ yeah, I know. I'm actually sort of hoping (in a weird, twisted way) that I get rejected everywhere I can't afford.</p>
<p>For instance, if I get into Yale, and the FinAid statement tells me I'll have to pay $20k a year, I'll be even more devastated, because for the rest of my life, I'll keep thinking "I could've gone to Yale. Yale let me in, and I could've gone."</p>