<p>10k? 20k? </p>
<p>Is this why most students attend a state university, because it's a lot cheaper? I've heard some liberal arts colleges offer good financial aid packages, but I still end up paying 20k for a 50k school?</p>
<p>What are you thinking is the middle class?</p>
<p>60k to 80k.</p>
<p>15K for the colleges with better financial aid packages.</p>
<p>1) What income/assets do you consider to be middle class?</p>
<p>2) Which privates are being considered? Most schools can’t meet need and will gap you. Some middle class people have to pay for all the costs of a private.</p>
<p>3) What are your child’s stats (students with higher stats can get into schools that give better aid and/or get merit scholarships.)</p>
<p>4) how much do you feel that you can pay each year?</p>
<p>5) What state are you in?</p>
<p>Edited to add…</p>
<p>Cross posted with new info…$60-80k </p>
<p>Many assets? (home equity, savings, investments, non-retirement accts, rentals, etc)</p>
<p>Size of family?</p>
<p>I am from an average family with 3 kids and little to no savings. I am not interested in the details of assets, etc. I am simply wondering how much the average family pays for private college tuition.</p>
<p>Google for the “Common Data Set” of schools; check section H2j. It gives the average financial aid package of all students who were awarded aid. Compare that to section G1 which gives the costs of attendance.</p>
<p>Most of the middle class families I know aren’t sending their kids to private colleges, didn’t even consider it. Of the ones I know that are they all did so with the help of merit aid, none are full pays. So you are wondering how much they paid out of pocket … I would guess, and I’m just guessing here, is that between $15,000 - $20,000 was the amount left for the family.</p>
<p>Remember, it’s not like they picked a private college and that is the deal they got, (I know you know that). They applied to a list of schools and one gave them that kind of deal. I know plenty of kids who had to turn down their first choice private college because there was no aid to help them attend and the family just couldn’t afford to be full pays.</p>
<p>The difference between in state and private college tuition is typically in the $20K to $35K range (x 4 years or more). So that’s $80K to $140K. Many private schools offer better FA than state schools but much of that are loans/work study that have to be repaid. Even with some scholarships and grant money, there’s usually a big gap unless the student is top notch (at or near a full ride). Also, there’s the logistics of coming up with the EFC money during all four years. Many families just can’t do that for a costly private school.</p>
<p>To follow up with an example, our S applied to three schools (one state but we’re OOS) and two private schools (tuition @$40K/yr). The state school came back with a nice partial scholarship and honors college admittance. Unless one of the privates comes up with a full ride (or very close), we’re going with the state school. We can save up for grad school if needed with the money we save now.</p>
<p>Answer depends:</p>
<p>1- list cost of attendance for the school (see post #9)
2- minus need-based aid
3- minus merit aid
4- equals net cost of attendance</p>
<p>The middle 50% of incomes (~40k to ~95k/ family of 4) DO commonly get need-based financial aid - question is “how much” and that varies school-by-school</p>
<p>If a student is in the top 5-10% of the class at a private school they DO commonly get merit based aid. Question is how much - varies school-by-school.</p>
<p>Good range for net cost is $15k-20k. Average nationally (includes the full pays) for 4 year colleges is $29k</p>
<p>Ways to increase eligibility for merit: pick a school where you are top notch. Friend’s kid (was accepted at BC) went to Quinnipiac insetad specifially to get LOTS of merit aid and be one of the Big Fish at that school. Got almost a complete full ride!!!</p>
<p>* I am simply wondering how much the average family pays for private college tuition. *</p>
<p>there’s no way anyone can answer your question. </p>
<p>As mentioned above…the “average family” doesn’t even send their child to a private school because of the expense. Most kids can’t afford to go away to school…not even to a public.</p>
<p>Which schools are you interested in?</p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>What state are you in?</p>
<p>Do you have a non-custodial parent?</p>
<p>Depends. I’m(lower) middle class. My financial aid packages from colleges varied by up to 8k</p>
<p>Rocket!!! How are you sweetie!!! How’d your first year go???</p>
<p>This: [Project</a> on Student Debt: What’s the Bottom Line?](<a href=“http://www.projectonstudentdebt.org/ncoa_chart.php]Project”>http://www.projectonstudentdebt.org/ncoa_chart.php) might give you a rough estimate.</p>
<p>As others have said, it depends. Apply to a school where your S or D is in the upper 25% and they are more likely to get merit aid in addition to any FA they receive. My S will go to a very nice midwest private for the Cost of R&B next fall. The COA this private school will be less that our State U. Do your homework and there is no need to pay full price. You really need to know if the school is know for meeting full need without loans and where your S or D stands in regards to merit.</p>
<p>@OP - answered you on a different thread somewhere. Please Google “FAFSA calculator” for guidance estimating your expected financial contribution (EFC), which applies anywhere. The EFC doesn’t just depend on your W2 income; assets, child support, other kids in college, other factors all play a role. That’s why nobody can give you a pat answer.</p>
<p>There will be one gap between a school’s total cost and your EFC. If the school offers financial aid, the purpose is to fill the gap, not reduce your EFC. In theory, you are supposed to pay the same EFC anywhere. Of course it makes a difference how much aid is in loan and how much grant. </p>
<p>If in real life, you can’t afford the EFC that makes a second gap. That one is harder to fill, people typically need to use private loans, home equity lines, etc.</p>
<p>Thinking back to my own experience years ago. I got a typical aid package from one private school (loans, grants, work-study). Then I got a larger package from a second private school that was 90% merit. But Mom and Dad’s EFC was the same in both cases; they ended up paying the same.</p>
<p>Anyway, good luck. I would suggest public schools instead of taking on a large debt for private school. I would not have wanted my own parents borrowing a lot of money way back when.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Unfortunately, you have to be interested in these things. They will partially determine how much you end up paying. There is no such thing as an “average family”.</p>
<p>Private colleges can vary in cost from free to $60K+ in sticker price. They can offer merit awards up to 100% of the cost to the few kids they want the most, or offer no merit money at all. There are only a few colleges, and they do tend to be private, that will guarantee to meet financial need as they define it. At the $80K level, it will depend on your assets, age, number of dependents, kids in college, and the school itself as to how much they think your need is. Most school will offer loans to meet need with varying amounts of grant money, and can offer loans up to 100% of the cost of the school to the parent or student with parental co signing.</p>
<p>Check out this link for Trinity College (CT), which is a good (but not tippy top super selective) private, expensive LAC.</p>
<p>[Trinity</a> College: Financial Aid Facts](<a href=“http://www.trincoll.edu/orgs/planning/publicdata/FinancialAid.html]Trinity”>http://www.trincoll.edu/orgs/planning/publicdata/FinancialAid.html)</p>
<p>For family income of $60K-$89,999, the mean need-based aid for those who get it is almost $42,000. Total cost is about $57,000/year. So the out-of-pocket must be about $15K.</p>