Stanford Eliminates Tuition for Low Income Families

<p>If the poor are an underrepresented group, then admissions standards would presumably be lowered in order to enroll more of them.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I would just like to point out that it says before this policy it says families making 45000 were paying about 2650 per year, or 6% of their income, but a family making 100000 would probably receive no aid and have to pay 47000, or nearly 47% of their income.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Not only was that a "probably," but, ever hear of tax income brackets? If you don't think 6% of income is a burden to the poor, you are mistaken. And I highly, highly doubt those who make 100,000 pay full tuition.</p>

<p>But the assumption is that a family making 100K has had, over the years, the ability to save, to invest, to buy a house (build equity) and to qualify for loans--more avenues available to come up with $$ for college. The experience at our local high school is that middle class kids are very sensitive to financial issues--many go to state schools.</p>

<p>Shainaloves – could you share some inside on the approximate numbers in the year of your admission at Stanford?</p>

<p>Didn't Yale and Harvard do the same thing in recent years?</p>

<p>With an yearly income of less than $6,800.00, and a daughter with a 3.9 GPA, this is definitely of interest to me. I'll have to check into it. Just where is Stanford located? -Ed.</p>

<p>"Just where is Stanford located?"</p>

<p>Mississippi.</p>

<p>Well that is just unnecessary. Truly a Gentleman...</p>

<p>Stanford is near San Franciso, CA.</p>

<p>plenty of students from low-income families get accepted into Stanford, and with this new aid initiative, plenty of them will be able to enroll as well</p>

<p>I don't think this is really a major change for Stanford. When my son (just graduated) started at Stanford, we were making around $60,000, I believe (maybe a bit less), and my son had about $4,000 in savings. Our family was only expected to pay about $5,000. And the loans they gave out were small enough that, with the help of a couple small outside scholarships, my son was able to graduate with only $7,250 in loans. His yearly grant was always more than the cost of tuition. And it went up the year he did overseas study.</p>

<p>Compared to what we have to pay for my younger son at Indiana U, Stanford was quite generous!</p>

<p>if 6% is a burden to the poor, then they obviously have themselves to blame. my parents were immigrants with 200 dollars when they came to america, and now they make over 220k/year. </p>

<p>i think its ridiculous how "poor" people get to leech off us particularly with welfare and housing projects. why does my family have to get punished for making more money? (higher tax bracket). why is my EFC 99,999 just because my parents make more money? it's not like we have 160k just lying around for my college tuition etc...</p>

<p>
[quote]
if 6% is a burden to the poor, then they obviously have themselves to blame. my parents were immigrants with 200 dollars when they came to america, and now they make over 220k/year.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well good for your parents, but not everyone has the same opportunities/advantages.</p>

<p>
[quote]
if 6% is a burden to the poor, then they obviously have themselves to blame. my parents were immigrants with 200 dollars when they came to america, and now they make over 220k/year.
...
why is my EFC 99,999 just because my parents make more money? it's not like we have 160k just lying around for my college tuition etc...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Oh, I get it! So we should make poor people pay full price and give you a discount. Then it would be fair! After all, we wouldn't want you to be destitute.</p>

<p>And I'll tell you why your EFC is 99,999. It's because apparently your parents do have 160k lying around for your college tuition. But that's assuming you can get into a school that will see past your bigoted attitude.</p>

<p>Social Darwinism fell out of favor about a hundred years ago, along with bloodletting. Get with the times.</p>

<p>
[quote]
if 6% is a burden to the poor, then they obviously have themselves to blame. my parents were immigrants with 200 dollars when they came to america, and now they make over 220k/year.</p>

<p>i think its ridiculous how "poor" people get to leech off us particularly with welfare and housing projects. why does my family have to get punished for making more money? (higher tax bracket). why is my EFC 99,999 just because my parents make more money? it's not like we have 160k just lying around for my college tuition etc...

[/quote]

Man, I know... and that whole public education thing? Outrageous. They actually let poor neighborhoods have funding too? Sometimes I wonder whether we've become a socialist nation, just like those pinko Swedes. And why do we need poor students at Stanford? Seems like they're just leeching off everybody else.</p>

<p>Oh, and food stamps? Why do we let poor people have food? If you ask me, they should just starve. Progressive taxation? That seems like a liberal cop-out to me too. We really need a system where everyone pays an equal amount - say, $10,000 a year. Those who can't afford it will be thrown in prison and sent to work in chain gangs. That will teach them not to take advantage of the hard-working American rich.</p>

<p>Oooh, and don't get me started on our health-care system. Hospital emergency rooms have this weird policy where they treat sick and injured people regardless of their ability to pay. What's up with that? Can you imagine how much that raises costs for the rest of us? How hard would it be to install a credit card machine in the operating room? Come on, guys. Think a little.</p>

<p>In fact, I've never understood the whole "need-blind" admissions thing these universities have going. Does it give them some sort of sadistic pleasure to ignore parents' success while evaluating applications? Is it because the admissions officers majored in philosophy and then couldn't find real jobs? I think so. I don't care if Paris Hilton never graduated from high school - with that kind of money, she clearly deserves Stanford acceptance, and the Marxist stooges at our nation's universities need to wake up and get with the times.</p>

<p>Randomperson, be more sympathetic towards the poor man! He's obviously in dire financial straits--he may have to put off buying his third mercedes, or actually do a day's worth of work at a real job some day. The horror! It's difficult for me to imagine.</p>

<p>Of course, kenneth, it is definitely poor peoples' fault that they're not in the top 1% of earners in America. Heck, if every American tried harder, every American could be in the top 1%, right?</p>

<p>"Well good for your parents, but not everyone has the same opportunities/advantages." </p>

<p>I wonder to what extent that's true. Granted it might be 100% true. But is it at least possible that most people can get ahead if they tried harder? The number of kids who seem to just blow off high school makes me wonder. Maybe we have no right to blame them. But maybe, just maybe, there are at least a tiny bit more responsible for where they end up than we would like to admit. </p>

<p>The one thing that I think is somewhat unfair is that when it comes to financial aid you get punished for saving money for college. If you are financially responsible and work to pay off your house, set aside money for college, etc. you get less money in the end. That just seems a bit silly to me.</p>

<p>Many adults who are poor do have themselves to blame, but the fact is the elimination of tuition at pricey universities like Stanford isn't to benefit the parents, it is to benefit the students
Imagine, a hard-working student from an impoverished urban neighborhood, who somehow overcomes all adversity and achieves to his/her maximum potential. In some ways, this student is more deserving than a hard-working student from an affluent locale, who has had every opportunity to succeed (in the form of private tutors, private schooling, no obligation to work and support the family, etc.)
The kid from the poor neighborhood gets into Stanford, then his/her parents say "Great job, but we can't afford it"</p>

<p>This is exactly what Stanford and similar universities have been trying to stop from happening anymore. The new financial aid system isn't to punish parents who worked hard and achieved, nor is it to benefit parents who sat idly by pretended to be incapable of working hard. The system is here for the STUDENTS, so that low income STUDENTS can afford to go to the school that they get admitted into!</p>

<p>Kenneth, this is the point that you are somehow unaware of.</p>

<p>
[quote]
This is exactly what Stanford and similar universities have been trying to stop from happening anymore. The new financial aid system isn't to punish parents who worked hard and achieved, nor is it to benefit parents who sat idly by pretended to be incapable of working hard. The system is here for the STUDENTS, so that low income STUDENTS can afford to go to the school that they get admitted into!

[/quote]

Exactly - this makes the right point in a way that my relentless sarcasm could not.</p>

<p>Wow, what a dick Kenneth. </p>

<p>I'm one of those poor (not going to Stanford, but to Yale) and if it wasn't for their fin. aid programs for poor people, I'd be totally totally screwed. </p>

<p>Yeah, how dare I get free cash for being poor, for my family being recent immigrants, for me being first generation? In fact, I should have withered and died in HS and gone to a local community college?</p>

<p>Oooo, Random, you should see some of the folks piping up on the Parents board about this! Warm wonderful human beings demanding to know why their hard earned alumni donation dollars are being <em>wasted</em> on paying the way for the undeserving poor. Harvard is for the rich! Let the poor attend public universities, like God intended! We don't set aside 20% of the tables in 4 star restaurants for those people so they can eat for less, why on earth would we let them the dorms and allow them to rub elbows with the bright shining angelic children of our loins? Let their parents <em>earn</em> the right to be there, like the rest of the rich have! </p>

<p>Down with social justice! Up with financial Darwinism! Viva la revolution!</p>