EFC Gap and Early Decision

Paying for College
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<p>Sorry for the insults. I came off harsher than intended. </p>

<p>The NYC privates that I know, have usually ended up reversing what they input. Having had my kids in a number of them and working with the fin aid people on this, I’m very much in the loop about this. I don’t know anyone whose fin aid was lowered due to a SAHM and the schools I know and they represent the most well known of the independents. I think they are trying to encourage this trend as all schools are looking hard for money, and the number of people asking for aid has sky rocketed as tuition has gone up, the market has crashed and jobs have disappeared. Sometimes the issue is that neither parent is employed any longer, not just one unemployed parent </p>

<p>Whatever rules an institution makes regarding dispensation of their funds is up to them. But I can tell you that in the cases of the NYC school, well known, I might add, the free labor of the SAHMs far outweighs the employed ones. Not even close. It 's not even a subject for debate as it is not even one bit close As former president of more organizations than I can even list without research, all school related, and having worked for schools in a SAHM capacity, and still doing so on a much reduced schedule, I know how this works up, down, left, right and every which way. I have a lot of kids, they are spread over a lot of years, they went to a lot of schools, and that was my life. I’ve sat on many boards when this has been debated, and in enforcement and follow through, it gets ditched. The economy really threw in the curve ball as even primary wage earners are finding themselves furloughed …a lot, and even the feds have acknowledged this with a dislocated worker category. </p>

<p>I’ve told parents who are so asked to put down that they work for the school and estimate what their wages should be.</p>

<p>As for college, that has not yet happened, as far as I know, but you know, they are going after 401Ks and qualified retirement plans, at some PROFILE schools. You know they don’t ask that value without something in mind. So even retirement is not sacrosanct, or the funds you are putting away towards it.</p>

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<ol>
<li><p>As to homeschooled, they could seek to over rule finaid decision. But presumably, they should be looking for a job after youngest kid in college.</p></li>
<li><p>Captain, while you may be right that many SAHMs have had private school decision reversed, it may be that only ones with legitimate issues have contested. It is much more likely that at a private school student has younger siblings, than a college student’s mom. Many people do believe that the private schools will be doing this increasingly. There is limited money, and it should be spend fairly. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>As to the value that SAHMs bring to the school, as I said, many flex-time and part-time WOHMs do to. And this is not even getting into the arguement that parent’s assocation groups can exclude people if they do not “fit” their image, and may be spending more time and effort than is necessary. But in any event, colleges do not get this benefit (generally). At best, colleges should regard SAHMs as contributing services to their kids K-12 school, and like every other contibution, should be regarded as discretionary use of funds. </p>

<p>If schools are going after 401Ks and retirement plans, I think they should ask both parents to work.</p>

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<p>Closing thread since it has gone off the rails and Op has not returned</p>