<p>*So, they gave her some more stuff and I went to a more expensive school. *</p>
<p>So, things were kind of “evened” out. That’s what I can see some parents doing that in various ways. </p>
<p>However, 30 years ago, it was easier to do because private school wasn’t nearly as expensive. The difference between a public and a private 4 year education 30 years ago was about the cost of ONE car and a few extras. For instance, my UC education for 4 years was probably about $8k total (for tuition, room, board, books). My friend’s 4 year education at Loyola Marymount was about $14k. The difference was about $6k. The cost of ONE new car (at the time). </p>
<p>Today, my kids’ public’s COA is about $20k per year. A private would be $50k per year. The difference is $30k PER YEAR. That’s at least 4 cars difference. </p>
<p>Now, the difference between a public and private education can be the cost of 4 cars…LOL</p>
<p>We paid our EFC each time.
With only one still at home, the EFC is actually significantly higher.</p>
<p>We told our kids we could afford the big flagship state school price, not privates. Two kids went to the flagship and one had better scholarships than the other.</p>
<p>We always gave them money for R&B based on the cost of campus housing and let them pay the difference or save the difference, their choice.</p>
<p>3rd kid wanted a private, she did 2 years CC and 2 years small LAC, with merit aid it is still more OOP than the state school, but that is because the state school kids got some scholar $, so it is within the parametres we outlined. By sucking it up and doing two years of CC, DD earned the privilege of 2 years at the LAC for approximately the same cost as a state school.</p>
<p>I also have to keep in mind that tuition at the state school has more than doubled between D1’s 1st year and now :eek: so you cannot just compare an amount per kid, it has to be based on an ever changing scale of the current price of the state school</p>