Half the story: Accepted...Now the $$$?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Georgetown University
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<p>TheDukeofEarl -Who ever said it is fair? You’re not the only one in the middle class here who has to make sacrifices or to pay full freight. Dude, you do not need to tell people that the “Super Rich” has it all going for them, or that the poor gets a lot of financial help from colleges. Who doesn’t know that?</p>

<p>You’ve got to move on and stop whining about it. My family is from the middle class and we have had to pay full freight for me and will be paying full price for my sibling. Many middle class families have also had to make hard decisions on colleges based on finances (and finances alone). You act like you’re the only one.</p>

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<p>Yeah, I will admit that the middle class does get shafted in this whole process. I do kind of regret posting my package; in retrospect it was pretty rude to those who missed out and were unfortunate enough to make the tough decision between academics and money.</p>

<p>Anyway, I do agree with what TheDukeofEarl is saying, 50K is too much to expect from a middle-class or even upper middle-class family.</p>

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<p>I dont think Duke is complaining, i think he is just pointing out how the system isn’t working in his favor. I agree with him in that it doesn’t always benefit the middle class. But like Euro says, life isn’t fair. Funny thing is that the middle class evolved from the non college-educated working class…and this may keep them there. </p>

<p>Is it not fair that someone has to go to a less expensive school because they don’t have the money? Not at all…It would be fair to exclude them from any education because they dont have the money, but fair doesnt determine which school you attend</p>

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<p>and simpson, I think I speak for everyone when we say congrats. You shouldn’t regret posting your package at all. Everyone is here for the same reason, which is to discuss their experience. And i know at times its hard to find people to listen to EVERYTHING you wanna tell them, lol</p>

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<p>I think the whole Georgetown Financial Aid system is being oversimplified on this thread…</p>

<p>My family’s income is about $37K, which by the accounts here would put us in the poor bracket. However, Georgetown expects us to pay $30K per year for me to go there. It was by far my worst financial aid package from comparable schools. So, sometimes the lower middle class get screwed too.</p>

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<p>I just don’t get how the system is unfair.</p>

<p>Let say both the 40K family and the 150K family want to send their child to College X, which costs 50K.</p>

<p>And let’s say that the 40K family pays nothing and the 150K family pays the whole thing.</p>

<p>Now, let us also say that the 40K family pays about 30% of its gross income in taxes etc.</p>

<p>40,000*.3=12000. 40000-12000= $28,000 So let’s say that the 40K family lives on 2333 dollars a month.</p>

<p>Now, let’s say that the 150K family pays about 40% of its gross income in taxes etc.</p>

<p>150000*.4=60000 150000-60000=$90000. So let’s say that the 150K family lives on $7500 per month.</p>

<p>Now, assume that the amount $2333.00 per month the 40K family lives on is doable. So this means that the 150K family can live on $2333.00, leaving $5167 dollars for college per month. $5167*12 months= $62004. More than enough for college expenses.</p>

<p>So I don’t see how the 40K family is ‘getting more’. Both families will subsist on the same amount and both families will have a child at expensive college X. </p>

<p>I’m sure that I have done some estimations wrong here, but even supposing that the 40K family has only $2000 to live on a month and the 150K family has only $6000, if the 150K family tries to live on $2000 per month, there is still $4000 over to pay for college * 12 equals $48000, which is darn close.</p>

<p>How is there massive redistribution of wealth here?</p>

<p>I think what is going on here is that you feel that because you must make sacrifices to your lifestyle to afford College X, the 40K family must also. I think what seems unfair is that you are making sacrifices to your lifestyle, while the 40K family is not.</p>

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<p>My dad called the FA office because we were missing a few forms and he wanted to make sure they got there. They emailed him my FA offer. So, if you’re anxious, calling may not be a bad idea… the offers are apparently ready, so they’re probably in the mail, too.</p>

<p>For me, I got a respectable amount, and my parents would end up paying just over the EFC (~$16k), plus my work study (~3k) and loans (~3.5k, unsub). I am reasonably happy, but I’ve had a few better offers and will probably end up going with one of those…</p>

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<p>^ i think it’s still very expensive!! your parents will pay $16000 woaw!! because don’t forget it will be: 16000X4 if you stay 4 years studying… $64000 for your parents! i hope you are an only child!! and on top you will have $3500x4 : $ 14000 in loans… ok this is doable for a student. My D will be going to American ( i know it’s not Georgetown!! but it costs $490000) for $ 6000 in loans. nothing else for us!! the rest are scholarship, and grants( yes she has $2000 WS)… i don’t think it’s worth it having to pay $64000 for an education when you can have cheaper somewhere else! anyways it’s a personal choice.</p>

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<p>skrlvr, it looks good on paper, but its not real. 150k lives in a bigger house and has a higher mortgage payment than 40k. Also likely more debt/credit bills per month as well as nicer cars which equals more car payments and higher insurance. Include a retirement account which many 40k per year individuals don’t contribute to and that $5k has shrunk considerably.</p>

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<p>LaVieEnChocolat: That’s pretty much what I’m thinking, too. :)</p>

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<p>canzior, i have been on both ends of the spectrum… i hated my parents for spending so frivolously… really they do… but they didnt want to pay 1 dollar for my education b/c it was too expensive to maintain their wasteful lifestyle and pay for my ed. It was the 3 of us in a huge house in mclean… but my bestest friend lived in a low income subsidized apartment with her parents. She got free ride to gtown outta hs…but they needed it, brilliant girl now graduated and on the hill… when I went to her place for dinner we ate canned beets and tuna sandwiches.<br>
My parents were just plain selfish and valued palpable things over my education. Now i am 24 and independent and I am poor as hell, in an apartment scraping by, and I truly could use a free ride.
so in summary, yes the rich ppl have a lot to pay for, but they should never forget that their kid will need a good 50K a year for school potentially and adjust their lifestyles accordingly…that is a con to having kids =PP
seriously tho, if my parents forked over the money outta h.s. instead of buying property all over the country, they wouldnt have such a failure daughter at community college now . 16K a year for a future = worth it.
my friend eating canned food for 18 years is totally worth a free ride to gtown.</p>

<p>I plan to save for my kids while they are in the womb because I will never find 123983 dollars for their education expensive if that is what they want and the best for them. seriously. im 24 and blame the inability to do anything college related til I turned 24 on my nasty parents who continuously claimed me as a dependent until I was 24, even if I was living on my own since 18! and NO i could not convince the fin aid offices otherwise…I tried.</p>

<p>p.s. i LOVE how ppl who make little are all assumed as free loaders. The friend I speak of, her father was disabled due to some random thing he caught when he was an author traveling for his book. He has little control over his hands (they shake all the time) and has some psych issues. Fin aid shouldnt help these unfortunate brilliant kids? What about kids who have selfish nasty parents who should have never really had kids but wanted one just to fit in with the Jones?</p>

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<p>Has anyone not received their financial aid package yet?</p>

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<p>JGee: I’m sorry everything turned out like that for you. But… your parents don’t owe you $200k so you can go to an upper tier school full-freight. It’s great when parents can do that and are willing to do that, but it’s not something that should necessarily be expected. Why should a family live on beets for 18 years (if they don’t have to/have money) just to send their kid to a school they may or may not get into? </p>

<p>In some ways I am lucky. My parents are not in that upper bracket, so I have gotten decent FA at most of the schools I was admitted to. The best offers have my parents paying ~$10k, and, lucky for me, they are willing and able to do that. But I was also accepted to Flagship U and I worked hard to get scholarships there. It is not my first choice and I am glad I will not be there next fall, but I do have the option of going there with a grand total of $3k in loans each year. </p>

<p>It’s too bad your parents didn’t want to pay for your education, but you could have found another option. I’m sorry you didn’t. Maybe it’s time to stop blaming your parents, though.</p>

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<p>@alicimoo: I haven’t. I emailed them yesterday and am now waiting for their reply.</p>

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<p>I agree with Savs. Granted, I will save for my child’s education, it wont be at the expense of providing them a good life for the first 18 years. It’s a good thing to do, but it doesn’t make you a bad parent to not pay for their education. It does suck because their income might end up being the reason you can’t get any financial help. Now that your 24, however you are free from their financial umbrella, because according to FAFSA, parents take care of their kids til they are 23. I’d like to meet these parents.
Being angry is pointless though. Let it go and celebrate your success without their help</p>

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<p>So GTown’s FA is kind of hit and miss and a lot times crappy?</p>