<p>psych_: It’s a full ride. Technically a portion is a need-based institutional scholarship, but functionally, it’s a Pell and about 50K in institutional grants. By that, I mean that the “scholarship” does not have any requirements different from the other grants, and is applied in the same way. It’s just a breakout line item on the annual award letter.</p>
<p>Thanks for the clarification!</p>
<p>"Wow. I don’t know if folks like me are silent on this thread, or just on CC in general. </p>
<p>“Son’s COA is about 55K this year, I think. I pay $0 of that; the rest is covered by grants. I spend about $500 in related expenses for his education – I pay for some travel, clothes, incidentals.”</p>
<p>my guess is the silence you refer to is due to the fact that most of us here aren’t parents of kids who get a full ride. must be nice not even having to know for sure (ie, “I think”) what exactly the this year’s happens to be.</p>
<p>toodleooo: By “folks like me” I meant people getting large amounts of need-based aid, not just those getting full rides. My perception is that the majority of CCers are way above the national median for income, and that most of them fall into the top 10 percent of household incomes in the US – and many of them in the top 5 percent (above about 167K or so, depending on the metric used.) I would <em>like</em> to believe that my perception is just skewed by the number of people who post about high EFCs or their COA. When threads like this come up and everyone seems to paying more per year than I have ever made in a year in my life, I wonder if it is a misperception. </p>
<p>As far as “must be nice”, on the one hand, I suppose so, because other than looking at the award letter and reminding my son repeatedly to sign and return his copy on time – one year he forgot to! – I don’t pay attention to the COA for the school. I know it’s gone up every year. On the other hand, when my son visits and I can see his clothes are falling apart, but I can’t afford to replace them, it’s not so nice. There are a lot of things that people paying 55K a year for a school out of pocket take for granted that we probably don’t have, which is a tradeoff.</p>
<p>“By ‘folks like me’ I meant people getting large amounts of need-based aid, not just those getting full rides. My perception is that the majority of CCers are way above the national median for income, and that most of them fall into the top 10 percent of household incomes in the US – and many of them in the top 5 percent (above about 167K or so, depending on the metric used.)”</p>
<p>my perception is a lot of those reading this site are parents whose kids do not happen to have large amounts of need-based aid/full rides/high family income - nothing in fact to soften this huge financial strain. many (if not most) of us are either paying more than we can afford for our kids’ college education, or watching them assume debt that we know will take them years to repay. </p>
<p>and my perception of you is that your perception of others’ finances is very much overly optimistic. some of us might consider it a bit of a luxury to pursue some such arcane study - like your harvard divinity school - rather than working those extra years at a career longago outgrown, to do what we can to get the next generation on its way.</p>
<p>Do you realize that if you ever played “guess the assets” of any particular family that you’d be wrong probably 7 times out of 10?</p>
<p>People think that people who send kids to private school, drive fancy cars, buy expensive homes must have money. I think just the opposite - they don’t have money because they spent it and the ones who drive old cars, send kids to public school, buy less expensive homes are the ones that actually have money.</p>
<p>Last time I checked my bank account, I’m pretty sure I was right. I drive a 1996 Oldsmobile with 165,000 miles by the way. It’s dented and been beatup but it gets me to and from work.</p>
<p>^
I think everyone has different challenges. For example, my parents know that education is my only “real” option as I have a severe physical disability that leaves me with no “safety net” in terms of employment (I couldn’t work as a cashier, stock person, waitress, etc., etc) and puts me in situation where I NEED to always have group health insurance (i.e., I must be employed full-time or in school). For me, as a result, college isn’t AN option; it’s quite literally the ONLY option. Everyone has a story.</p>
<p>(Though, in general, I wold agree that those with high EFCs are “better off”/luckier than those who receive full need-based aid–unless, of course, there’s some unaccounted for factor like lots of medical bills that isn’t accounted for in the EFC).</p>
<p>toodleooo: I was clear that I was talking about my perceptions. It’s entirely possible that the bulk of CCers are making less than 60K a year – but those people don’t seem to post a lot. </p>
<p>As far as “arcane study” and careers, well, I don’t have a career. I’ve had jobs. I had to give up my college education over 20 years ago, largely because being a wife and mother wasn’t considered compatible with being an undergrad at that time and place. Now I’m finally finishing my undergrad degree, albeit at a big, public and <em>very</em> nonselective state university. I’m also pursuing a very careful financial strategy for the benefit of my children; my intention to attend graduate school in another year is part of that strategy. </p>
<p>In short, my life choices right now are also about getting the next generation underway, as they have been for pretty much my children’s entire lives. For my children, that has meant making choices to optimize their financial aid, even if it cost me things like a career.</p>
<p>big trees: You have a <em>car</em>? 
I haven’t had one of those in 10+ years, since I moved to California. It’s public transit or nothin’ for me and the children. So even your beatup car is a luxury to some folks. :-)</p>
<p>We’re paying about $54K/yr total, no loans, no grants. And will probably pay it for 5 years if he stays for his masters degree. It is not easy, and it is painful–but we think it’s worth it, and since we can do it for him, we will. We are working more, saving less, and not paying down the mortgage.</p>
<p>“On the other hand, when my son visits and I can see his clothes are falling apart, but I can’t afford to replace them, it’s not so nice.”</p>
<p>I agree with you there, TrinSF, but if you live in a larger city, it is worth checking out a Goodwill or Value Village store. You can get extremely nice, barely worn clothes for next to nothing. My parents shopped there for us for over 20 years, and my husband still does, reguardless of income. A college kid could get an entirely new wardrobe for less than $100 there. Who cares if someone else has worn it?</p>
<p>psych: “Everyone has a story…” Amen to that! Every family is different. There are all sorts of reasons why people attend college, why parents pay for school (or don’t) and for each financial situation, there’s another story.</p>
<p>busdriver: I hear you about Goodwill! Alas, my son is very tall and has big big feet, so he can mostly never find things that fit him there. Besides, it’s sort of a point of pride for me personally. I was teased too much for my appearance as a child. OTOH, I am an <em>expert</em> on finding the very best deal for anything. I never ever pay full price!</p>
<p>That’s too bad, Trin, but I’d heard that taller people actually make more income and get more promotions, so he’s lucky in that reguard. I wore the same pair of pants every day for over a year in middle school, and luckily found that being completely oblivious can be an asset. I’m with you on the deals, always go for the bargain!</p>
<p>“OTOH, I am an <em>expert</em> on finding the very best deal for anything. I never ever pay full price!”</p>
<p>you said it, sister</p>
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<p>Well what about those who send their kids to private schools (college), but don’t otherwise spend a lot. Perhaps living within their means is why they are able to do this. I know a lot of people who tell me they can only afford public colleges, but take nicer vacations and have nicer cars than we do as well as household help that we don’t have. My point is just that you cannot assume that someone has/doesn’t have money.</p>
<p>“Well what about those who send their kids to private schools (college), but don’t otherwise spend a lot.”</p>
<p>that’s us - it’s a huge struggle, has been all along, but we’re committed. for every family “smart” enough get substantial aid, there have to be others who pay full freight. guess we just weren’t around when brains were handed out, as the saying goes.</p>
<p>bump…</p>
<p>thanks to a great endowment in my dtr’s college, she was offered a grant that leaves less than 10k a year to pay in a college that costs 40k a year. Monthly payments through Tuition Management system and work study pay for the rest. Manageable so far and is the junior year</p>
<p>My parents are probably going to pay 8k this year and I’ll definitely be taking out loans as well.</p>
<p>I am considering myself lucky.</p>
<p>DS 1 in SUNY commuting from home so only about $ 5200/year
DS 2 Going to be a freshman at Pitt - got Full Tuition Scholarship so will cost between 9,000 and 10,000 a year.</p>
<p>Using Federal Stafford for both so out of pocket minimal.</p>