<p>I have to give credit to the poster Polarbearvshark for that idea, actually, though I have now pretty shamelessly stolen it. It just makes so much sense.</p>
<p>@poetgrl,</p>
<p>Despite you, your husband, and your kids having different levels of “attractiveness” to the airlines, you are all subject to the same sales price for any given seat you try to book that particular instant on Travelocity. Travelocity does not price the seat according to your frequent flyer status.</p>
<p>Sigh. But I get upgrades to Economy plus or first class that non-frequent flyers don’t get.</p>
<p>Using airline ticket pricing as an analogy for charging college students different prices is a red herring. </p>
<p>A customer buying an expensive full-fare airline ticket is buying a different product than a customer buying a cheap non-refundable ticket. The full-fare customer is buying the PRIVILEGE of having the option to return the ticket for a full refund.</p>
<p>College students, in contrast, are buying a product with IDENTICAL sales terms.</p>
<p>Sigh, we get it Pizza girl. Your DH travels a lot, and likely makes big bucks. You’ve told us that. Repeatedly. The airlines want to keep his business. I think a similary situation would be colleges giving discounts for large families/smart kids. But all this back and forth, only the ivies etc, will be able to keep giving merit aid. Upper middle class parents are moving to publics or schools that give merit (unless kid gets into Ivy or equivalent). Most privates will have no choice. Many UMC parents are tired of being regarded as ATMs, even if we can affort it.</p>
<p>Kayf, I think you are mixing pizzagirl up with my post. And, I don’t know if I’ve ever even mentioned that my husband flies that much on here, bu if I have, my apologies. I actually hate that he has so much travel.</p>
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<p>for what it’s worth, I do believe there is a socioeconomic group who is stuck with a bad deal, by the colleges, and by most government run economics. </p>
<p>I just never see what this has to do with the impoverished.</p>
<p>GMT-- </p>
<p>Even if we were to pay the same for a “seat” on an airplane? We aren’t paying for the same seat or the same wait in line to go through security, or anything. I think they would send someone out to carry my husband straight to his seat if they could. I joke about this whenever we fly.</p>
<p>I don’t understand what we are arguing about. </p>
<p>There is no ACTUAL correlative to college in the consumer world. And for good reason. If you REALLY don’t see that and aren’t just arguing to argue? I don’t think it’s going to matter what I say, anyway.</p>
<p>^^^ Sometimes in all the hot air and chest thumping which surrounds a topic, the obvious, and simple, gets obscured. YES… in all other cases what is purchased is a different product. GMT- you get my wise sage of the day award (worth something to someone somewhere…I’m sure)</p>
<p>kayf: the Ivies don’t give Merit…only need and that’s the point of contention. But otherwise, you’re right. The smart middle class is getting off the crazy bus and going to where their offspring is appreciated and wanted for more than their ability to subsidize Pizzagirls downtrodden.</p>
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<p>i absolutely agree</p>
<p>My apologies to Pizza and Poet. I believe Pizza has bragged repeatedly about her FF miles, but I do not know who is doing the travel. </p>
<p>Poet, I do not care whether anyone regards college as comparable to other consumer purchases, and not certain it matters. Other than the very top privates, they will have to give merit aid or reduce prices or be out of business. They can want to reduce merit aid all they want, but parents are saying no.</p>
<p>But, and this is a genuine question, do you think there should be?</p>
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<p>They only want to reduce merit money to get more money. I “get” that. I’m personally in favor of there being merit discounts for attractive applicants. I think it’s good for a smart kid to learn hard work pays off.</p>
<p>there should be what?</p>
<p>Poet, I think that the situation has gotten out of hand. Education expenses have increased far more than inflation, and unlike medical expenses, there are no increase in quality that justify it. And before I get flamed on quality of medical care, we are clearly getting more procedures, such as hip replacements, to improve the quality of life. The problem with giving need based aid is that in effect the schools are taxing upper middle class parents, and these parents are now saying no. I have no problem rewarding kids who have worked harder, done better, etc.</p>
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<p>A different consumer driven commodity like model for education pricing? I mean, there are many on here who can teach one to be an excellent consumer when it comes to college, Kelsmom and Mom2Ck come to mind quickly and I know there are many more. So, it is quite possible to approach college in this way.</p>
<p>And yet, the value in college, or at least we hope, is that the kid walks away with better ways of thinking and looking at the world, etc… So, how do you price that?</p>
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<p>From the first spring season I was on here, I’ve been relatively horrified by the amount of debt schools have included in their financial “aid” packages. I actually think the first post I made on here had to do with the fact that those loans are aid for the schools and not for the kids, who will be paying them back. It was a risky first post. The tide was turning but people on here still believed in paying for the best school, not the value school mindset you see around here now.</p>
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<p>Pay cash from current income (>$230,000 to not get need-based financial aid according to the Harvard net price calculator) or savings (surely someone with income of >$230,000 per year could have saved something)?</p>
<p>I hope that more and more upper middle class parents are saying ‘enough, I’m not doing this’. From my own personal experiences…I think they are. Those capable of removing themselves from the panic and pressure are those ahead of the curve. Like other panic runs on over priced commodities, those that can see the situation for what it is and make a more rational decision have greater ‘head start’ than any 4 years at an elite institution can provide them.</p>
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<p>How long have they been making 230K? If you apply for a car loan they don’t give a danged that you made 230k THIS year because it is irrelevant for purposes of ability to pay. You need to show a HISTORY. Colleges take a 12 month snap shot and make an irrevocable decision. It would seem prudent from the institutions position to take history into consideration. If the 230K family has a sudden drop in income - then what.</p>
<p>@dietz,</p>
<p>This disgusted parent is one who is saying ‘enough’. Have advised DS not to bother applying to the Ivies because they do not give merit aid.</p>
<p>^Is it here that someone mentioned that Bama is a good deal where kids go for free and end up in med schools/law schools etc?</p>
<p>If a kid is planning to go on to grad/med/law/business school, it’s just not worth it pay full freight for a blingy undergrad degree.</p>