<p>Hmmm. I would say that high EFC folks (for lack of a more pc term), asking what elsewhere might be an innocent question, or reasonable complaint, routinely get eight or more pages of responses.</p>
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<p>Man…I am soooo sorry I brought up the fact that I give to charity. It was meant to simply point out that my income is not going to golf club dues, scratch-off tickets, cocaine or ballroom dancing lessons.</p>
<p>Take the charity thing off the table. The school doesn’t care about it and neither should you. The only point is that I live a lifestyle a lot closer to Amish than Armani and I STILL can’t afford this bill they think I can afford. That’s it.</p>
<p>Also, point out where I said charitable giving came before my daughter’s college education. On the contrary I clearly said if it came down to that choice, she is going to a different school.</p>
<p>oldfort - you need to read before you open your mouth. Zero added value from these types of uninformed comments.</p>
<p>So oldfort, do you think the term “fortunate” is appropriate for a man who obviously works much, much harder than most people do? Is it really all about his charitable giving? Or is it something else?</p>
<p>Could it be old-fashioned petty jealousy? Could it be that folks see what they could have done themselves, if they had been willing to put in similar effort?</p>
<p>Good lord, this is a good old-fashioned, hard-working American, a stand-up working man. We used to celebrate people like that. Now we pretend that they don’t exist, or we call them “wealthy”, or “fortunate.” And we depend on men like him to pay our bills.</p>
<p>^why are you assuming OP is a man? </p>
<p>I think some are saying…</p>
<p>"if it came down to that choice, she is going to a different school=“charitable giving came before my daughter’s college education”</p>
<p>Chris - I can read perfectly well, reading exactly what you are posting. I think I am very informed, you are the one who is caught off guard.</p>
<p>MisterK - where are you getting that Chris is working harder than most people, because he is making 150K? I would bet there are a lot of people on CC who make more than 150K. Money is a not a good measurement of how hard people work. I have people 3-5 years out of college who make more than 150K.</p>
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<p>Yes…your income, your home equity and that your child’s first choice school uses Profile and their own formula to compute your family contribution NOT the FAFSA EFC…those are what “did you in”. As noted by some on this thread $150,000 income is actually quite solvent. Only your family can determine if you can afford to pay for your daughter’s first choice school given the aid you received and your current income (savings and loan potential too). </p>
<p>It sounds like she has other good options if the first choice can’t work due to finances.</p>
<p>And I work incredibly hard … for FAR LESS than $150,000 (actually, for quite a bit less than 1/3 of that) … in a job that requires a degree & is best performed by someone with a high level of intelligence. I find it quite insulting to have the amount of money one earns equated with it being obvious that the one earning more works much, much harder than most people. Just saying …</p>
<p>I am also one of those high EFC parents who found the whole “merit aid” process bypassed us, leaving us only with full-pay options. We got a few bites from places like Tulane, but not enough to make them equal or less to our state system. I remember going to college night presentations where we were all assured that the out-of-state and private schools would help us meet our “need”, but when push came to shove, nobody thought we had any “need”. I realized OK, maybe we don’t, if we want to use up our whole nest egg or get loans. So my D is at our state flagship (and very happy and thriving, BTW). I am worn out, cranky and creaky and I want to retire at a reasonable age, so I wasn’t keen on going into more hock since she didn’t really care that much. She just wanted a full college experience, and she is getting that in spades at the state U. I think I was lucky that she didn’t have a pricey “dream school”- she’s pragmatic and it has worked in her favor, because she won’t have student loans.</p>
<p>I am trying to teach her about money; the college years are the time to teach your kids to be smart about money. Actually, those lessons should start much earlier, but better late than never.</p>
<p>Op…You can spend your money how you want. If you really want to “live like your Amish” then cut back your spending and live on $40,000 or less per year. Even if you continue to fund your charities at $15,000 per year you can still save over 1/2 your income to fund your children’s education. </p>
<p>As others have said it all comes down to choice.</p>
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<p>Because I bothered to read his posts. You could do the same, or I can quote for you:</p>
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<p>But even if he wasn’t working harder, the larger point is that within reason, income is largely a choice in this society. No, you can’t necessarily change your income to what you would like it to be in a year. But there’s nothing to stop an educated adult from going out and earning at this level. Nothing.</p>
<p>But there’s more to a job than just the income. Many folks want to spend their time in a job that is more self-fulfilling. Many folks want to truly enjoy their lives, and find a way to do it while freeing themselves from the high-stress jobs, or by taking seasonal jobs, or casual work, or even no work at all. In my book, those who have found their path to happiness are the fortunate ones.</p>
<p>^^^Funny how some kids are pragmatic. So glad I’ve been here for years, and “we” cast a wide net for merit aid. A week or so ago, when I wondered out loud here (and there was no judging! Thanks all!) how much influence I should bring to bear on son with regard to “dream” over “merit money”, someone suggested a… bribe would work. To see where HIS values where, within limits.</p>
<p>He is thinking much harder about it,</p>
<p>This thread is getting weird. How hard the OP works, how many hours, etc., is not the point. The colleges cost what they cost and have formulas to determine what they expect you to pay. The OP has worked hard for his own reasons, and good for him. But are we in a p***ing match here? We all have special circumstances. I work hard, make good money, have been raising a teenager on my own since I was widowed 14 years ago. My daughter is a great student and a terrific person, and maybe a school or two will want her in a big way. Some others won’t, probably the most expensive and the most selective of her picks. I’ve done the calculations and I fully expect SOME schools, I hope not all, are going to want my family to pay a lot more than I think we can. Heck, I can do a bit of math. And I can see where my income falls compared to that of other households. I mean what is this thread about now? The virtues of hard work and striving? Color me “on board” with that. But that’s immaterial, or it certainly is when it comes to the PARENTS. We’re not applying for admission. We’re checkbooks!</p>
<p>but I literally work two jobs with a sum total of 75 hours per week, and have kept this rate up for the last three years.</p>
<p>Guess you need a union ;)</p>
<p>posted by op</p>
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<p>posted by calmom BEFORE op’s post:</p>
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<p>So, yeah, there ya have it. Good solution OP.</p>
<p>Mister K-- I am 100% positve there are people on this site who work longer hours, or at least as long as, H and myself. We have been very fortunate. Fortunate enough to be full pay. It’s just a matter of having been interested in things that turned out to be valued monetarily. I do not, however, believe that the value of somebody’s hard work can be determined in entirely financial terms.</p>
<p>I understand you are trying to make some bizarre political argument out of this, but to go to the heart of what you are saying, the OP is asking for “wealth redistribution” not for “what he/she” has actually “earned.”</p>
<p>So, your point is flying very wide of the mark with this thread. +10 for effort, though. ;)</p>
<p>Good luck Chris. I hope your daughter is able to attend a college which is acceptable to both you and to her.</p>
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<p>Unfortunately, taxes aren’t a choice, which makes your arithmetic somewhat amusing. </p>
<p>You may have heard it said that the wealthy don’t pay taxes. Well, that may be true, but a $150k working man isn’t who they’re talking about.</p>
<p>Do you truly think he pays $95,000 in tax?</p>
<p>150,000-40,000-15,000 = 95,000.</p>
<p>OP doesn’t have a mortgage anymore so he should be able to live on $40,000 year like the rest of us slackers.</p>
<p>But there’s nothing to stop an educated adult from going out and earning at this level. Nothing.</p>
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<p>ROFL.</p>
<p>proudwidmom - I see you dropped the $75,000/year savings from your financial plan. Your new arithmetic is a better start.</p>
<p>I think when a zero EFC poster posts that they got a terrible package from NYU, they get a lot of replies as well.</p>