<p>Stickershock, you are correct that tuition costs have outpaced inflation for some time. However if you are raising children and trying to save for college it is easy to determine how much tuitions have increased and adjust your weekly savings in an attempt to keep pace. </p>
<p>For most it may be difficult to save enough to pay for 4 years of private college. But many may be able to get halfway there and others may be able to set aside enough for one yr of private college or 4 years of in state tuition. Hats off to them.</p>
<p>The folks I have little sympathy for are those who had no long term college saving plan and then complain about college costs and EFC's as the are about to sent their child off to college.</p>
<p>Tuition costs have risen more slowly than inflation in both the income and assets of those in the top 5% of the population (which provides more than half the students of top-tier private colleges and universities) for the past 25 years. Private colleges have never been more inexpensive for students from such families as they are right now. </p>
<p>There isn't a college in the nation that expects students to fund their education out of their parents' current income. Parents can either pay for it with savings that have accrued over time (including growth in home values that have accrued while they reaped terrific tax benefits), or in future savings paying off the costs in inflated dollars. </p>
<p>It doesn't work for some folks though - such as those with middle incomes ($43k - $67k). A majority of them do not own homes, a majority of them do not have retirement savings beyond Social Security, and inflation has been eating at their incomes for a long time.</p>
<p>mini, I've learned so much from your posts when I did a search to better understand financial aid. Sincere thanks. Weigh in on the "should I bother aoolying for aid" thread!</p>
<p>Don't think I have anything to say that hasn't been said already (other than that, outside of the service academies and Cooper Union, there isn't a need-blind school in the nation - the only open question is the degree to which they use the information.</p>