http://time.com/money/4315466/college-decision-day-son-accepted-afford/
Time article- title says it all........"My son was accepted to a College he can't afford- now what?"
Thank you, I needed a good laugh tonight.
The author clearly isn’t on CC… if she had been, she would have known not to expect FA from an out-of-state public.
And she put down the deposit before getting the financial aid package!
the article title should be:
“Ignorant parents seem to think that other states’ taxpayers owe their kid an education.”
Huh? They put down a deposit without knowing how the finances worked out?!
Her FB post and responses sound like any CC thread here.
There are PLENTY of attractive OOS schools (public & private) where a high stats kid could get generous merit+FA.
Eyeroll…
^^^University of Pittsburgh for one!
I found myself yelling at the TV during the 6 PM news tonight. They did a piece on a local woman who has $250,000 in student debt. She said “All I was doing was following my dream.” The interviewer said afterwards that this is another example of how unfair the higher education financing system is.
<< “Ignorant parents seem to think that other states’ taxpayers owe their kid an education.” >>
While this is very true, UNC, UVA and soon-to-be UMich are complicating matters by providing lots of need-based aid to OOS students. The author’s older child went to UNC with OOS aid, so it’s understandable that she wouldn’t have necessarily known better.
With those 3 publics giving OOS aid, it prevents OOS parents/students from even thinking about WHY publics charge high OOS tuitions. Why would they do that if they’ll just cover it with need based aid…yet those 3 are doing just that.
Merit aid for OOS makes sense. But need-based FA for OOS defies any logic.
Magical thinking strikes again…at least it ends on a realistic note with the kid deciding to attend his in-state flagship.
Agreeing with @TomSrOfBoston - all I kept thinking is why would she put down a deposit before getting financial aid package. My DS is going to OOS school, but we didn’t even go look at it until a second merit scholarship showed up in the mail!
What’s really telling is that there is no mention of running a Net Price Calculator. And this wasn’t someone who didn’t have the education or resources to know about those. This is a journalist. She is thus someone who must do research professionally. There really is no excuse for her ignorance
Oh my gawd–there’s girls with short skirts! Cover his eyes, Pah!
Way to put down yer own state. and young women in general (and by the way, not that it matters, but Snooki isn’t from Jersey.)
Also, did this person ever hear of Net Price Calculators?
^^^ Exactly. Second kid off to college. “Highly competitive” high school. Never thought to run an NPC? Wow. Just wow.
HS’s like that have experienced college counselling.
At least the kid applied to his home flagship so he had an option.
I don’t get NJ residents. They live in NJ, they vacation in NJ, they send their kids to high schools, and go to church in their communities, and have friends and families and neighbors they enjoy. Then when it is time to go to college, no one wants to have anything to do with those same neighbors and classmates and friends. They think everyone at Rutgers is Snooki.
I was happy to read that the author noticed LOTS of her son’s friends are going to Rutgers. Huh, who would have thought it was good enough for them?
“What’s really telling is that there is no mention of running a Net Price Calculator.’” - Exactly!
If this family gets no FA with two in college, they have a fairly high EFC. I can’t imagine why they didn’t do their homework and chase merit scholarship opportunities.,
@mom2collegekids The UC’s are moving in the other direction: eliminating what minimal need based aid they had given to OOS.
Also UVa and Chapel Hill have much higher entry requirements for OOS, the need based aid may be in fact quasi-merit aid.
UVa has had about 30 % OOS for decades. They are need blind for admissions . There is a large endowment for a public school . They are committed to meeting financial need for any admitted student, either IS or OOS. They have had historically low numbers of low income students and their financial aid program, ACCESS UVA, has been able to help more lower or middle class kids go there . Most schools are trying to address income and diversity issues. As a Virginia taxpayer,I have no problem with extending need based aid to OOS students.