<p>There are a myriad of colleges that offer very nice MERIT scholarships. In fact, some school ONLY offer merit scholarship and not Need-based grants.</p>
<p>If you are going to pay and your child is a good student with decent SAT's you should be able to find an affordable college. It really isn't very hard. It is about choices.</p>
<p>We didn't save very much for my son's education since we have excellent state schools, and we were sure that he would go to one of them. Surprise! He chose a very strong private university in a nearby state. We had to scramble to come up with the money, but we managed to get it all together. The first year was already paid for through savings. Then we got donations from relatives, loans, summer jobs, and a few merit scholarships. It all worked out, since our son graduated with honors and is 100% debt-free, and we have a school loan with a monthly payment well under $200. The key is not to panic, and make a commitment to adjust your financial picture to pay for the school your child really wants.</p>
<p>Mini--I agree. I work with lower income students. Being poor does not "work for them."</p>
<p>I'm not sure your DD got screwed.</p>
<p>I think I remember reading that she had several very nice offers at other schools. Emory is not known for giving generous financial aid so this shouldn't have been a surprise. </p>
<p>Be thankful for her good fortune and for the fact that she did have several low cost options. </p>
<p>Now, if my middle aged memory is wrong and I am thinking of someone with a similar screen name - my apologies!</p>
<p>For the first six years of college, we were full pay, on a smaller income than many who think they are middle class here. We lived truly frugally, and were able to swing it (I make nickels cry.) the last two years, when our income went down, we got some FA, for which I was very grateful. No one "owed" it to us, and no one was "screwing" us when we didn't get it.</p>
<p>I guess I just don't understand the "I'm getting screwed" mentality, but maybe that's from being around my very hardworking, low income students (news, folks, low income people work, too--often backbreakingly.)</p>
<p>Garland - me too (work with high school/college kids) & in my state those kids often end going to a CC because they can barely afford the state universities and certainly not the state related schools.</p>
<p>The kid who really has it tough is the above average academic kid who is not superstar in sports (or academics) and whose parents are lower middle class. They end up working their tails off to take classes.</p>
<p>
[quote]
And maybe some of those future leaders will grow up and fix this problem some day.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>What are YOUR suggestions to fix today's problems in education financing? </p>
<p>A national income tax increase of 5%, 10%, or more? A national consumption tax? Increasing the lottery ticket prices? Seizing the endowment of private colleges or forcing them to share the wealth as an esteemed Californian professor suggested? Adding $3.00 per gallon in taxes to make college free for all?</p>
<p>The OP is whining - typical of our "entitlement" society today. </p>
<p>You knew the cost of the school. It is easy to get estimate of EFC. If you could not afford the school then why apply?</p>
<p>Your post insinuated that only HYPC are worth attending. Far from it. I want my kids education from a prof interested in teaching, not a bunch of TAs.</p>
<p>College is a private commodity. Colleges can charge what they want in tuition and distribute their FA money as they see fit. You have no right to expect that some private college give your daughter money just because that's where you want her to go. If you don't want to pay the "exorbitant" tuition - DON'T. Elite colleges are just like any other luxury good. Either bring the cash and pay or deal with it.</p>
<p>OP: I can hear your anger and bitterness loud and clear! I am sorry your daughter is unable to attend her favorite college because of its cost. That must hurt a lot. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that those of us who are not rich cannot have. Sometimes things like an elite college, or even something as basic as top notch health care are out of our reach. I realize you feel unfairly punished because you saved and now colleges expect you to use your savings and take out additional loans.</p>
<p>We had very little savings to pay for our daughter's college education, so she was eligible for financial aid that will allow us to send her to a very good school. But we have very little savings because we had to spend over $150,000 on our last baby's health care expenses when he was born -- that was our portion after insurance paid theirs. We will have huge bills for his care for many years, and he probably will never see the front gates of a college campus. As my parents and grandparents would say, that's our "cross to bear." I'd trade mine for yours in a heartbeat. </p>
<p>As hard as it may be to believe right now, your daughter will be alright. It's what she does while she is in college that matters, not where she goes. That was advice I had to hear and take myself.</p>
<p>Northeastmom. Often the only break you get is where you teach, not to go to some other place (particularly an elite school if you are not at one). Ivies and other richer schools have some deals if your kids go elsewhere, but those are getting ristricted more and more.</p>
<p>My (limited) understanding is that the truly elite schools have been expanding their financial aid recently to eliminate loans for most middle class families and even some income levels that would include the upper middle crust in some lower cost areas. So is the OP a little richer than he represents, or is the "elite" school not elite enough? I read it in the WSJ so it must be true! </p>
<p>
[quote]
Late last year, Harvard announced one of the most ambitious plans out there: Parents with income between $120,000 and $180,000 -- and with typical assets -- will be asked to pay just 10% of their income. And that's not just for tuition; it includes fees and room and board. So, a parents in that income bracket would pay no more than $18,000 a year for their child to attend Harvard. (In addition, students are expected to contribute around $4,000 through a campus job and summer work.) That's a steep discount over Harvard's 2008-09 sticker price of around $50,000.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>entire article:</p>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>Then we got donations from relatives<<</p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>Wow! Did the relatives have to die first?</p>
<p>
<p>Wow! Did the relatives have to die first?
</p>
<p>Some were a bit reluctant. ;)</p>
<p>^^^^^^^^^^^^ LOL :)</p>
<p>hikids - there is the tuition exchange program. this was basically set up so professor's kids don't <em>have</em> to attend the college where the parent works.</p>
<p>Perhaps the OP's college is not a member, but there are some very "prestigious" schools on this list.</p>
<p>grateful for the following posts, whose authors have feet firmly planted on Planet Earth: 7, 8, 15, 19, 21.</p>
<p>The most offensive part, to me, is the OP's unbelievable stereotypes of poor people. (Right. They all manufacture their plight. Ever heard of 1040's and Schedules A & B which list your home deductions, signaling the feds to come after you if your outgo OR assets do not match your stated 'poverty'?)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Care to flesh out this FA plan , Bay? I'm intrigued by the motivation for the plan and how exactly it would work for a...hmmmm... let's say a working mom with no support from daddio with three high achieving HYP kids? Does each kid finish UG with $250,000 of debt around his neck , or would you load ol' mom up with the full $750,000 plus ( or with accrued interest would that be a cool million?) ? I'm sure you'd want it non-dischargeable , right? I mean, fair is fair.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Back to ya, Curm. Care to flesh out how it works right now with parents having an EFC of $50k and 3 high-achieving HYPS kids? Those parents are loaded up with the full cool million nut on an income of what, $200K? They or their kids will most likely need to take out loans to make the current scenario work. Or am I mistaken and most $200k income families have $1mill in the bank?</p>
<p>College costs are outrageous for everyone. There are student loans, jobs, other schools. I have very little sympathy since we are all in the same position. If a student wants to go to a private school that badly, apply to one where they can get merit aid. That's what we tell our children. Either that or go to the state school.</p>
<p>To the OP:</p>
<p>Ummmmmmmmm, didn't you save so that you could send your D to college??</p>
<p>Quote:
Originally Posted by ellemenope </p>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>Then we got donations from relatives<<</p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>Wow! Did the relatives have to die first? </p>
<p>Some were a bit reluctant. </p>
<p>Nope, everybody is alive and well. And they offered before we could ask. It is not that hard if you have a family that helps each other out.</p>