<p>I don’t think it’s fair to blame Jade’s parents, either. She says her parents arrived here only a couple of years ago, with little money. Paying for their child’s education is only one priority among many: building up emergency and retirement savings and buying a house are others. They and Jade probably had little idea about how the college financial aid game works, or that there were other alternatives to explore (e.g. privates with significant merit money, going to CC for the first two years).</p>