<p>agreatperhaps: contrary to what you may think most of the posters here didn’t respond merely to be nosey, they are used to being asked to help and if they misinterpreted the purpose of your post it wasn’t to be annoying. Most middle class parents can’t afford to send their kids to a four year college unless they have saved money, have kids with stellar grades and test scores, or are willing to risk borrowing substantial sums of money. The government and some private institutions will help those most in need but that is dependent on income, savings, again grades etc. and other things people were asking you about. The cost of a four year education has far outpaced what has been a decreasing average middle class income (adjusted for inflation). 30 years ago federal grants might very well have gone most of the way towards financing a degree today it barely covers tuition at a community college. To qualify for that federal aid you nearly need to be considered in poverty. It’s not impossible to pay for college but it is extremely difficult. Changes will occur what they will be I do not know.</p>
<p>agreatperhaps: this is a public forum. You have asked a question, and a number of us have answered it. But being a public forum, there will be others with similar questions that follow - and their reason for asking may be similar to yours, or a variety of other reasons. Perhaps not only can we answer your question, but that of others that won’t ask directly. Some of the speculation may serve to help you identify ways that you can pay for college, though you have a late start. It may also help you to understand that you might not be able to afford the type of college experience you hope for - not that you don’t deserve it (no student deserves a particular type of education) but that those who can afford it can because of good decisions and sacrifices made over the last 10-20 years. You will have to consider what sacrifices you can make, and whether those sacrifices are worth the end result.</p>
<p>If you don’t think you question has been answered, please clarify what you are looking for. If it has, don’t worry about the remaining posts - they’re for those who come after you with similar questions.</p>
<p>OP, you said
Yes you did talk about YOUR situation
Next time, state your expectation clearly.</p>
<p>I used my situation as an example of how state schools aren’t the cheapest option, I never asked what I should do.</p>
<p>Without huge merit aid in the mix, it’s very unusual that commuting to your local state school costs more than dorming at a private LAC.</p>
<p>That’s part of why people started asking questions. They want to understand the circumstances under which this unusual situation came about, and also to highlight for other readers who may come along later why the same may not be true for them. No one is telling you what to do, just trying to understand the parameters of the situation you have partially described.</p>
<p>My local state, if I commuted, would cost 12K. One of my top choices St Olaf College, is 11,500 including room and board.</p>
<p>Is part of the award merit based?
Not all schools offer merit awards, but schools in rural midwestern communities find they have more applicants if they do.</p>
<p>St Olaf’s published cost of attendance is $51,860. People have asked, and I don’t think you’ve replied (which is your prerogative) whether you are getting merit aid or need-based aid to bring the price down by over $40K. I don’t see any huge scholarships on St Olaf’s pages, so I (and maybe others) are assuming (yeah @$$ - u - me) that it’s very generous need-based aid. And then wondering if you have that much need, why is your local state still costing you 12K since you ought to be eligible for federal and state aid that would apply at the state school as well. You are under no obligation to explain, but people here will try to figure things like that out in order to help others who come to this thread understand what they might realistically expect in their own college search. </p>
<p>I’m not sure what your original question is, really. As you’ve obviously seen for yourself, there are ways of getting the sticker price down. Most middle class families do not pay sticker price for pricey private or OOS public schools – as you’ve suggested by asking the question, it’s impossible to afford. They pay for college first and foremost by finding options they <em>can</em> afford, which are out there for most students if they know where and how to look.</p>
<p>It’s very generous need based aid- all the schools I’m looking at meet most of my financial need or have large scholarships. I don’t know why my local school is so expensive.</p>
<p>borrow, steal, and beg! :)</p>
<p>Just to answer how middle class affords college. Thus is a combination of factors but it does start with living below your means and saving. I have saved for years. I bought a home worth half of what I could afford. I am paying out of income and savings. Also D had great stats and managed to get substantial merit. She is also expected to work and contribute.</p>
<p>Another reason people are asking questions may be to point out that your faith in these NPCs may be misplaced. NPCs do not promise aid (you can snap back and tell me you know that already). St. Olaf, for one, does not. You may get a very good package, but until it’s in your hand, we’re telling you not to count on it.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, for all your prickliness about anyone asking/commenting about your personal situation, this is kindness. No one here wants to see any kid shut out of college because of finances. This is why we tell you to have a plan B and to reexamine those state school costs. It is also the general answer to your question. How do we pay? We shop for deals. We have a plan B (a safety, if you will). And then all the other stuff about choices and savings.</p>
<p>Omg…that’s it? Yes, that’s a lot of money. But geez, live in PA. That’s a drop in the bucket. 12k a yr. I feel for you, but if you graduated with 40k total in loans that’s unusual? Probably not. My S will have at least 30k. And we parents will have a loan too. It is what it is. We live in possibly the worst state in terms of college tuition costs. You are not in such a bad predicament. Join the club.</p>
<p>*My local state, if I commuted, would cost 12K. </p>
<p>One of my top choices St Olaf College, is 11,500 including room and board.*</p>
<p>How do you figure that your local state school would cost $12k if you commuted? If your EFC s about $300k, then you’d be given about $5000 if FREE money from Pell, and you’d likely get at least $1000 from TAP, and a student loan.</p>
<p>So, how are you figuring $12k? </p>
<p>And if your family can’t/won’t pay the $11,500 for St. Olaf, how would you cover that cost?</p>
<p>Did you use the NPC of your local state?</p>
<p>OP, you live in NY. If a family is fortunate enough to have an income that precludes TAP and PELL, but is living up to every cent made and more so does not have one red cent for college, but is not going to qualify for financial aid for the state schools, then the student’s options are the local state schools to which he can commute which can be afforded pretty much by the Stafford loans, schools that throw in enough merit to make it affordable (my son and some others got some great tuition paid grants from some local private schools making them less expensive than the CC and local public school options) or get enough aid, if that is even possible, from a private school so that it is possible to go there.</p>
<p>If your parents can pay zilch, even if Harvard and other such schools say you and your parents have to come up with say $20K a year, which is about what a sleep away SUNY would cost with no grants, then you know that those schools that give need based only are not possible for you. Not affordable. You have to go to those options that are, and that means schools where you are in the upper crust where enough merit awards are available for you to make it affordable. Fordham gives great merit money to those with the stats, for example, and for those in the NY area is a commutable choice. Columbia will meet your full need, but gives no merit money. The SUNYs have a low sticker price. So being in the NYC area gives a person a lot of choices.</p>
<p>
um… “none of that information is actually any of your business” is sort of rude. you could’ve taken that statement out of that post, and you still would’ve made your point clearly… it’s not surprising that some people snapped back.</p>
<p>anyways, back to your original question… I believe that local state schools are normally easier to get into, which is one reason people might go there if they can’t get into any small LACs. the state school may also be more prestigous or a better college than other small LACs.</p>
<p>Agreatperhaps you mention that over half of UDelaware students come from out of state & you want to know how middle class families afford it.
Students may be getting merit aid, their families are also paying expenses from savings, current income & future income.
“Middle class” also covers a range of sins.
I would wager that if you had a room full of 1000 people who made from $60,000 to $360,000, they all consider themselves middle class</p>
<p>I would wager that if you had a room full of 1000 people who made from $60,000 to $360,000, they all consider themselves middle class</p>
<p>lol…this is probably true.</p>
<p>And, the truth is…the typical “middle class” family cannot afford to pay UDel OOS costs. A NJ friend of mine sent her D to UDel, no aid, but they’re quite affluent. Those who are paying OOS costs for a public are likely affluent people. </p>
<p>And, frankly, if your EFC is around 300, your family may not be middle class. At least to me, that sounds like a lowish income.</p>
<p>If your EFC is correct, that does not necessarily mean that Wooster or Mt Holyoke will give you, for example, $45,000 in an institutional grant and $5500 in loans. Do not assume the Net Price Calculators are giving you an accurate number for what you are expected to pay. Also with an EFC this low, how can you afford to visit these colleges, gas, motels, transportation etc? Your calculated EFC indicates low income. If you have set your sights on a private school, please be advised that if your parents are divorced, never married, then you will be asked for the noncustodial parent’s income. Your EFC will then go up from what you have calculated.</p>
<p>As for how people afford to pay for college for their children, savings, future earnings, present income, and planning ahead, are the most common ways.</p>
<p>I think the trick is to save for 18 years and then to watch your savings drop quickly in 4 years! The FA office at many colleges will “love” the parents who have been doing this.</p>
<p>Regarding OOS state college: I heard that a recent trend for several states is that their state colleges actively recruit OOS students because their states could not fund their state colleges with enough tax money. The state colleges are forced to increase the revenue by recruiting the OOS students from rich families, as long as the “brand” of the school name is still worth something in the eyes of the potential “buyers.”</p>
<p>
Tangent to the discussion here: If the student decides to attend a professional school after college, the debt for only ONE YEAR will most likely be higher than this amount - if the savings of the parents have been mostly wiped out by the time their offsprings are out of 4-year college.</p>