<p>Maybe it’s time for more families to look at the creative ways lower income families have been using to attend college for years. There are military-sponsored, employer-sponsored, and govenment loan forgiveness for work programs. There are Clep exams and CC/online classes for gen ed requirements that can shave a semester or more off the total cost. Working while in school used to be what kids who needed the money or just liked working did - now it’s up to more kids to come up with their book and personal expense money which helps free up their parents to make that remaining monthly tuition payment. Many people, including me, find they were more focused and performed better when they were working a reasonable number of hours while in school. Finally, having no car, no expensive clothing or trips, and very little extra money in college beats being broke for years afterward! It’s a good lesson for later too, like when you’re saving every last dollar for a downpayment on your first house!</p>
<p>That is where the shame is with the state unis. I think the SUNYs are relatively cheap but that is still $18K for someone who is better off going away to school to stand a chance of immersing self in academics and away from home problems. Too many kids in a rut they never leave. The PELL alone is not going to pay for this. </p>
<p>In the “old days” when I was a kid, families that wanted their kids to go to college made the kids save for it too. My family did not have much money, but I had savings bonds and a savings account that made a nice dent towards college costs. I made my kids to the same. I had hoped that money would be start up funds for them after college with some of it going for extras during college years, but the way costs have risen, and because of our choice to send the kids to private high schools, what they have saved is truly going towards college costs. </p>
<p>What I find surprising on the CC boards is how many kids who are college material, and I’m talking selective college material, very selective college material, don’t have a dime saved for college and neither do their parents. There is some disconnect here. I can understand families who are truly living hand to mouth that do not have anything saved for college, and families who just were not in college mode not having savings, but I am seeing this with kids and families where not only was college a goal, but given. Having gone to a school where less than 20% go to college full time after graduation, it’s not as though I lived in an environment where everyone was gung ho about this, but most kids I knew had some kind of savings account, savings bond. We also participated in a number of school fundraisers that gave out scholarships. I remember getting a $1000 award which back then was about 1/3 of a private college tuition, from selling candy bars door to door. I think everyone who participated got some award towards college.
I don’t hear much about such activities these days.</p>
<p>cpt, come on! Candy bar sales for college at these prices! My DH was able to work his way through grad school (painted summers, and worked as a waiter on weekends during the school year). This would not pay for grad school today. I remember quite a few kids who worked their way through undergrad and took out a few loans. It is rare for students to be able to do that today.</p>
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<p>But the Pell eligible are also TAP eligible, which is another $5,000. Then there’s SUSTA for SUNY students, ACG, FSEOG, and subsidized loans. I don’t know any 0 EFC kids who didn’t have their full need met by SUNY this year. The good thing is that TAP awards are made to higher incomes than Pell allows. I know a kid who is working his way through SUNY with only Stafford loans, but she’s also an RA so gets reduced or free room.</p>
<p>SUNY’s are very cheap but they give little aid so it all evens out. The more pricey schools cost a lot but they give a lot of aid. SUNY Buffalo costs half the price of UVM but with aid, UVM is half the price of SUNY Buffalo. Weird how it works.</p>
<p>Chris, depends what state you’re from with SUNY (unless you get merit awards). A low EFC instate kid is probably looking at $5K or less for UB next year.</p>