<p>Actually, some colleges may decide that, between two students with similar apparent results (courses, grades, test scores) in academic credentials, the one who started from a more disadvantaged position (poverty, broken family, etc.) is the more meritous one compared to the one who had all of the advantages of wealth and parental support.</p>
<p>It would be analogous to a running race where two runners finished together, but one had to start behind the other and had extra hurdles in his/her lane. Who would you think is the better runner in this case?</p>
<p>I wonder how much of this has to do with the generation of kids that has always gotten a trophy for everything is now in college. Johnny got merit aid and I didn’t, THATS NOT FAIR…nevermind the other kid had a 2.5 GPA and a 19 ACT compared to a 3.7/33…</p>
<p>lol…that’s probably why we do see posts from students expecting merit scholarships when their stats are very modest. The concept that merit scholarships are for academic achievement seems to be lost on them. </p>
<p>Or, we’ll see posts where someone says, “apply to XX school because they give lots of merit”. Yet there’s been no mention of the prospective student’s stats…as if that school gives EVERY applicant lots of merit.</p>
<p>Certainly, some donations have strings, but if they don’t, it doesn’t really make sense to say that merit aid is coming from donations, while full pay students are just paying for themselves. The use of those donations for merit aid means that they can’t be used to reduce tuition for everybody.</p>
<p>Sure, but it might also mean that sticker price goes down. And given that sticker price has been going up while at the same time, more money has been going to merit aid, then perhaps a reduction of merit aid will break the cycle.</p>
<p>I usually get a form (from a particular department) and the form lists options for where the money goes and it typically has a lot of specific choices. Requests for funds over the phone usually ask for student funds - these are basically giveaways of about $1,000 per year to students for any purpose to improve the college experience as many students come from low-income families.</p>
<p>I wonder what the definition of “middle class” is on this forum. Using the [url=<a href=“http://npc.fas.harvard.edu/]Harvard”>http://npc.fas.harvard.edu/]Harvard</a> net price calculator<a href=“which%20is%20one%20of%20the%20more%20convenient%20ones%20to%20run%20%22what%20if%22%20scenarios%20on”>/url</a>, it does appear that to not be able to get financial aid, one has to be a lot wealthier than the median household in the US.</p>
On another thread everyone seems to have at least one plumber in their social circle. So I assume the folks on here hobnob with a pretty affluent crowd. :D</p>
<p>Middle class is hard to define. I know that the government has a definition but they don’t adjust regionally and while that middle class income might do well in a rural area somewhere, it’s poverty level in a big city. I think middle class needs to be defined in a more practical way, not just salary but taking into consideration Cost of Living, etc. A middle class family should be able to afford an average house in their area, afford 2 cars, be able to pay their bills and put money aside for retirement and general savings without a major sacrifice. That should be the US Middle class standard. For those making more money, add in larger vacations/travel, more “extras” like a 3rd car, larger house, etc. Even though the government doesn’t define it that way, around here a middle class family makes $120,000 or so.</p>
<p>As we all know the EFC really isn’t a measure of what a family can really afford. Our EFC is half of our take home pay. With a mortgage, bills, groceries, clothing, etc. we don’t have half of our take home pay left. Yes, we are comfortable and don’t really have to worry about paying bills but take away half of our take home and that is a different story.</p>
<p>This seems to be a minor part of what they consider a problem, at least in terms of how much space is devoted to it. When they start saying that they really need to lower sticker prices, then I might believe it. But they could also just be saying that we want a high tuition/low discount environment. Nobody, in any business that I’m aware of, wants to lower prices unless they have to or as a strategy to take business from someone else.</p>
<p>And there is the misbelief here that low income families, at every institution, gets fantastic financial aid such that they don’t have to alter their lifestyle at all, while the so-called middle class ‘doughnut’ hole making 150K would either have to significantly alter their lifestyle or forgo college.</p>
<p>Financial aid at schools like Harvard is nothing like financial aid at the majority of institutions. I’ve been on several net price calculators where the difference between a 75K family and a 150K family is a mere 10K less for the lower income family.</p>
<p>The top 25% threshold is $77,500. Even if you add an extra 30% that’s a bit higher than the difference between MA and the US, you still come up a fair bit short of $120K.</p>
<p>skrlvr–run a NPC for a real “low income family” say $40,000 or even $50,000 though. I think you will see a huge difference. Also, 10K/year is a huge difference when you are talking about the difference between 40K and 30K I think. Even at 30K though, neither family would really be able to afford that price tag out of just wages for the most part.</p>
<p>BCEagle91–Yes, I understand what you are saying, and it might be the very plan they are going to adopt, but at the same time the article states that</p>
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<p>So if there is no merit aid, and then no lowering of the sticker price, what is the plan to compete with the state-subsidized tuitions?</p>
<p>BCEagle91–if you read what I posted–just going by salary means nothing. Try living off $77,000 for a family of 4 in Boston—not really a nice lifestyle–not fancy nice, but safe nice…you are also assuming I live in MA :D</p>
<p>Try buying an “average” house on $77K. In our area the average home price is $350K. that is not a fancy house, just a house big enough for a family of 4, 3 br/2 bath, 2 car garage house in a middle class suburb. No WAY would a family making 77K qualify for a loan on a house. That’s not middle class in my book and thus the 120K figure.</p>