<p>The federal government expects parents to help pay for college. But plenty of students cant get one penny from them.</p>
<p>Strategy</a> - Costs - Paying for College When Parents Don't Help - NYTimes.com</p>
<p>*If the parent can report low income, a student could see enough aid to cover the lion’s share of college costs. *</p>
<p>the big lie…</p>
<p>Samantha Stainburn needs to be told that she’s perpetuating a big myth.</p>
<p>Maybe if they updated what a family needs to live on would help.
I know when I filled it out, a family of 4 was supposed to live on approx $25,000 a year for living expenses-housing, food, etc.</p>
<p>Are we back in the 1960’s ??
Have they adjusted for inflation in the past 30+ years??
You can’t take our salary increases but not increase the expense portion of it!
Just my 2 cents.</p>
<p>
Perhaps you could elaborate as to what the truth of the matter is. Or at least point me in the right direction so I can understand the facts. </p>
<p>Thanks! :)</p>
<p>“If the parent can report low income, a student could see enough aid to cover the lions share of college costs.”</p>
<p>Not a lie at all. She said could, not will. Many bright low-income kids have most costs covered.</p>
<p>Depending on the school > Pell grants are just $6000, and public schools which don’t have Harvard-sized endowments can’t fill the gap.</p>
<p>“If the parent can report low income, a student could see enough aid to cover the lion’s share of college costs.”</p>
<p>*
the big lie…</p>
<p>Samantha Stainburn needs to be told that she’s perpetuating a big myth.*</p>
<p>*Not a lie at all. She said could, not will. Many bright low-income kids have most costs covered. *</p>
<p>Misleading and half-truth info is a lie. </p>
<p>Most low income kids do NOT get the “lion share” of their costs covered. A very small percentage of low income kids who happen to score in the top % of the nation will get their costs covered because they luckily got into the few schools that meet need w/o big loans.</p>
<p>A low-income parent of an average stats kid is going to read that article and think, “ah, we have no worries. The ‘lion share’ of Johnny’s costs will get covered.”</p>
<p>^Agree, and let’s not forget that many bright low-income kids also don’t have access to the good educational opportunities before college, so they’re less likely to test well and have the AP’s and EC’s that factor into admission decisions.</p>
<p>A o EFC kid who happens to also live in a state with decent aid and public U’s where the tuition is still reasonable may get a large share, over 50%, of their costs covered. But most states either don’t have good state aid anymore or don’t have U’s with COA’s under $20K. These students will graduate with more debt than average.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>True…and I’m more concerned about low-income kids and student loan debt. They often haven’t been given good advice about the impact of debt, and/or they don’t have family who can help them pay their student loans if they have difficulty during those early years.</p>
<p>we need to define what “low income is” before this conversation is useful </p>
<p>we also have to recognize that generally speaking, the highest ranked schools don’t give out merit aid, so it doesn’t have anything to do with being highest scoring, except for the ability that gives a kid to get into a school that says it meets need (whatever that means). We also have to recognize as state school v private school aid.</p>
<p>Also “covered” can mean lots of student loans, lots of future debt, often unwise.</p>
<p>The big absurd problem with the FA model is that it considers adult children to be the wards of their parents even though this flies in the face of all our laws concerning what it means to be an adult in this society (i.e., 18 or older).</p>
<p>The fact is that linking an adults ability to pay for anything to their Mommy and Daddy’s income is indefensible. Mommy and Daddy have no legal responsibility to pay for anything for their adult children. </p>
<p>Why should colleges be allowed to do this?</p>
<p>It’s true their are lots of indulgent Mommys and Daddys who will help pay for their kids to go to college. But there are no laws guaranteeing this and it comes down in the end to a personal choice for each family. That is an absurd model on which to base a financial program of billions of dollars.</p>
<p>Some prosperous Mommys and Daddys got to be prosperous by being fairly hard headed with their expenditures and even though they can afford $200k to send junior to college, they just won’t.</p>
<p>This notion that every Mommy and Daddy is willing to pay if only they have the money is absurd.</p>
<p>“A 0 EFC kid who happens to also live in a state with decent aid and public U’s where the tuition is still reasonable may get a large share, over 50%, of their costs covered.”</p>
<p>As an example of what sk8rmom is saying, in New York State, where the Cost of Attendance at the average SUNY is about $18,000 for in-state residents, a 0 EFC student can expect a Pell grant and TAP grant totalling $11,000, plus $2,500 in Federal work-study. A $4,500 Stafford loan would then cover the remaining costs. Most public university systems, however, are not as inexpensive as SUNY.</p>
<p>^^I would guess in many of the states a zero EFC student with a Pell, a job and the max Staffords plus any available state funding could piece a CC + 2 years or a lower tier state college education together. With great stats they may also qualify for automatic merit on top. It isn’t easy, but I’m guessing it can be done. Perhaps that is what the writer of the original article intended. I’m guessing the writer was not implying “any college or university” since the flagships in many states have sharply increasing costs and would be out of reach without institutional assistance.</p>
<p>the highest ranked schools don’t give out merit aid, so it doesn’t have anything to do with being highest scoring, except for the ability that gives a kid to get into a school</p>
<p>Bingo! So, yes, you do have to be a high scoring kid.</p>
<p>The big absurd problem with the FA model is that it considers adult children to be the wards of their parents even though this flies in the face of all our laws concerning what it means to be an adult in this society (i.e., 18 or older).</p>
<p>It may seem odd, but who else should pay for an 18 year old to go to college? Taxpayers? The student? </p>
<p>Who is primarily responsible to pay for an 18 year old’s college education? Well, I guess you could say, “the child.” But, how many 18 year olds could pay for college? They certainly can’t borrow enough on their own, right? So, then…who should pay? (College isn’t a right…don’t forget.)</p>
<p>People who rely on financial aid for college should stop moaning and *****ing about how much they get and start being appreciative that it is there at all.</p>
<p>The problem is and always has been a problem for the middle class. Low income kids with the scores to get in, get all the aid they need and then some, particularly if they are URM’s Rich kids dont need any aid. But they get the lion’s share of scholarships, based on statistics. Middle class kids, many of whom go to public high schools, are left to fend for themselves in the financial aid world. That is why they flock to state schools, because they are cheaper. </p>
<p>In some ways the Ivy League has it right, by not giving out merit scholarships to anyone, but only substantial financial aid to those who need it, based on parent’s income tax returns and FAFSA. Unfortunately, 99% of people dont have kids who are likely to be admitted to an Ivy. And many Ivy successful applicants come from rich prep schools and wealthy parents. So for middle class kids wanting to go to a private school they have to find a school which is very generous, and that is usually further down the rankings ladder than most want to consider (its that prestige thingie again…oftentimes silly and manytimes costing them a LOT of money). </p>
<p>College is a privilege not a right. But the middle class gets squeezed, unless they can get their kid into one of those Ivy League schools.</p>
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<p>Why do people keep saying this? Low-income families have to hope that they get into one of the handful of schools that claim to meet full-need without loans. There is no way, regardless of how hard you work in high school, to guarantee that your kid will get into those schools where all their need will be met. Except for those cases, the idea that low-income families are likely to have all or most of their need met is a myth.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Low income kids with the scores to get in, get all the aid they need and then some, particularly if they are URM’s
[quote]
Only the very few that can get into the most competitive schools that promise to meet full need with not loans. The vast majority of students, low income or otherwise, go to schools that do not meet full need. A low income student attending a school that offers only federal aid will have great difficulty coming up with sufficient money to pay for the remaining balance after federal aid. (the max Pell of $5550 and max freshman Stafford loan of $5500 does not come close to covering the cost of even most 4 year State Us).</p>