<p>People say that private colleges operate like car dealerships: because of merit aid "discounts," nobody really pays list price. But for families who do not qualify for need-based aid and at the private colleges that do not give merit aid -- don't these families wind up paying the sticker price?</p>
<p>Plenty of people pay sticker price.</p>
<p>False. Next year I'll have the cancelled checks to prove it.</p>
<p>False. I know many people, including my family, that pay sticker price at private colleges.</p>
<p>the only way the colleges can support FA and merit is if a certain % pay full fare.....and I would venture a guess that it's a fairly large % at most schools.....</p>
<p>If fact, many schools go out of their way to admit kids whose families can pay full price.</p>
<p>I've heard stats (and the stats turned out to be pretty accurate in the small sample of 8 of D's college roomies) that say that 50% are full pay at private universities that are need blind, 25% are heavily subsidized, 25% are somewhat subsidized.</p>
<p>Believe me, plenty of people are full pay at the super selective universities.</p>
<p>False.</p>
<p>However, there is a level of private college that seems to throw most families a bone. Enrollment managers look at income, the kid's qualifications and several other factors and decide what it will take to yield that kid and offer a merit award. I would imagine those managers are pretty busy this year. </p>
<p>At highly selective colleges that are not the huge endowment schools, the majority pay in full. I have not looked recently, but Brown and Penn long had more full pays than the other ivies.</p>
<p>False. Like some of the others above, I have the depleted checkbook balance to offer in evidence. Happily, we wrote the last check a few weeks ago.</p>
<p>For the top, highly selective schools, where there is no merit aid... only need based.... you pay the sticker price if your FAFSA/CSS Profile numbers say so.</p>
<p>For a tier down, sure... you don't have to pay sticker price. S had nice merit aid a notch down; full pay at top "elite" U.</p>
<p>False. But, some people don't.</p>
<p>false. sticker price too, except for some upperclass merit aide. now a post grad job. I think DS would happily attend grad school and then teach at his school.</p>
<p>We paid retail for D1's education - all four years. We will very likely have to do the same for D2.</p>
<p>HA! Not only do we pay sticker price currently times two (Private HS), we'll pay sticker next year college and hs. Add that to charges for this and that, we get quarterly bills beyond the sticker!!! There is so much sticker shock around here, I feel... sticky!!!</p>
<p>I think if the family has income above a certain level, there are trade offs. If child is attending a school where child falls in lower 40%, not being recruited for athletics, etc., yes pays sticker price. If it urks you, you can see if your child will take a step down.</p>
<p>This statement is absolutely false (and I'll have two kids in college next year).</p>
<p>I think it depends on the category of the school, and assumes we are talking all merit. At least 50 percent pay full sticker at my D's school, but few do at the small christian schools many of her friends attend.</p>
<p>The college president at my son's top LAC (need-based aid only) said that about half the students pay full price. How much aid the other half receives varies widely.</p>
<p>It also depends on what is meant by "sticker price." If one means the full cost of educating a student, then nobody pays full sticker price. Gifts, grants, and endowment income cover the costs that tuition & fees don't. It's my impression that when schools say "nobody pays full price," they do not mean that nobody pays the advertised price of tuition, since obviously many folks do; what they mean is, rather, no student here, even those paying "full price," is actually covering the full cost of his/her education.</p>
<p>Paying full price as well.</p>
<p>Full sticker plus constant pleas for donations! I counted 7 emails and mailings in the last few weeks from my kids' 3 schools.</p>