<p>I've read and researched and need confirmation of my conclusion: Since my parents make six figures (yes, we are lucky), have only their home as debt, and have tens of thousands of dollars in regular savings (not educational or retirement savings), I will get virtually no financial aid and their Expected Family Contribution is going to be basically all of their regular savings for me and my younger sibling.</p>
<p>If you’re only talking about need-based aid, yes, probably. There are a few schools with need-based aid available to students in your income bracket – but these are Harvard, Yale, Princeton type of schools.</p>
<p>However, there are lots of good schools that offer merit-based aid to students regardless of their financial need. These will be schools where yours talents make you desirable to them – where you bring something to the student body that they want. This is often based on grades and test scores, but can also be music, athletics, writing, activism, leadership, art, etc.</p>
<p>Also, if at some point you and your sibling are in college at the same time, that may make you eligible for more aid at certain schools.</p>
<p>Beolin…</p>
<p>What is your situation?</p>
<p>Are you a junior in high school?</p>
<p>What are your stats? GPA and test scores (you might qualify for some good merit scholarships somewhere).</p>
<p>What is your intended major and career?</p>
<p>Have you asked your parents how much they will spend each year on college? If not, do so. If they can’t pay what they’d be expected to pay, then you need a different strategy.</p>
<p>What state are you in?</p>
<p>You made the comment about using all of your parents savings for you and your sibling’s college. If that means that your parents have about $400k in savings, then that will be an issue.</p>
<p>That said…paying for college isn’t just from savings…there is an assumption that some gets paid for with savings, some out of current income, and some from loans. So, again, you need to ask your parents how much they will spend on college.</p>
<p>Reality of parents making too much? They have enough money to pay for college. Ask them how much they are willing to pay each year, then either find a school that costs that much or find a school where merit money will bring the cost to what your parents will pay.</p>
<p>If your parents have money in the bank, why would they NOT be expected to part with it? How much they will part with is their decision, of course … but if they choose not to pay, why would you receive any need based aid as a result of their decision? Something to consider.</p>
<p>You seem surprised that colleges demand that your well-off family forks over lots of money for college.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what there is to be surprised about</p>
<p>OP,
</p>
<p>Actually, your expected family contribution will be comprised of:</p>
<ol>
<li>Money you yourself earn and save for college (25% of your assets)</li>
<li>Federal student loans in your name available to all at a max of $5500/year</li>
<li>A contribution from your parents in accordance with what they’re willing to “give” you or “lend” you for school, paid from savings, earnings, or Parent Plus loans, or private loans.</li>
<li>Any help you receive from other relatives.</li>
</ol>
<p>While many feel that a child’s education is the parents fiscal responsibility, it in actual fact rests with the student. This is why it is best to always choose a financial safety and to be sure to have up front conversations about the exact figure your parents either have available or will access in order to contribute to your education. This information should inform where you apply and what you do with your discretionary earnings between now and then ;)</p>
<p>OP, I think part of what you are feeling is understandable, I went through that (as did my D) when I realized that the schools she was looking at were in the 50k/year range, and that somehow we would be expected, if she were to go, to come up with that much.</p>
<p>We set our sights on merit opportunities, which worked out for us.</p>
<p>I think part of that feeling comes from the message in much of society that ‘oh, no one pays ‘sticker’ price for those expensive schools’ and the other messages ‘89% of our students are awarded financial aid’…makes you think there’s money for EVERYONE.</p>
<p>Once I thought about I realized that we could indeed (if we chose) take out huge loans to send my D to one of those super-high priced schools. We chose not to go that route, but it was an option. </p>
<p>We make (barely) six figures…but we did have savings for college. We just couldn’t see taking so many loans, when we have another getting ready for college in a few years, and unpredictable income.</p>
<p>See what your parents are able/willing to do, and look for financially-feasible dream schools! Good luck to you!</p>
<p>Beolin…</p>
<p>I looked at one of your previous posts and awhile ago you were asking about private scholarships. If you remember, you were told that private scholarships rarely pay for 4 years of college. Private scholarships are often for SMALL amounts, very hard to get, and often for freshman year ONLY. So, while they’re nice to help with some small costs the first year, they don’t pay make a significant dent in 4 years of college.</p>
<p>Also, some of the award notifications aren’t until AFTER a person chooses his college. </p>
<p>If you need scholarship money for college, then you need to apply to the schools that give them for your stats.</p>
<p>Look for schools that give merit scholarships. You may not get them at the best colleges, but you can get a decent education at most schools. My daughter’s grades in HS and SAT scores earned her an 80% tuition discount that did not need FA office approval. Also look for community-based and other private scholarships that you may qualify for. My kid has three of those. One does require filing financial records, but the committee doesn’t seem to base their decision based on income as her scholarship has increased every year.</p>
<p>Good for you to try and help pay your way – but visualize what a kid next to you will be thinking: “Gads. I have to take $$$$$ in loans while my dying parent works to take care of my two younger siblings and this guy waltzs in and grabs the Whosit scholarship and HIS parents are loaded”. </p>
<p>You are blessed – and what’s really nice is that you care about your parents and their well being. College costs suck and I hope your whole family is regularly contacting legislators to insist that we get a better system – for everyone! (In Germany there is no tuition costs – the government knows that an educated worker pays back more than enough in lifetime taxes to cover the education and then some. Why can’t we have that “educate you now, you pay taxes on your healthy income” model?)</p>
<p>You have a strong sense of entitlement. Go get a job and take out loans, or don’t go to college.</p>