<p>Why is tuition so high everywhere? Has cost dramatically increased in recent years at some schools? For example, I was looking at tuition for Boulder from 2000-2001 and it said that out-of-state was roughly $10,000, whereas now it is listed as being in the $20,000's (I don't know if the information I found was at all correct, but I'm just using an example). Why has tuition increased so much (if it has)?
Do people considered middle class/upper middle class (not sure who fits into what catagory) ever receive very much financial aid? If so, about how much on average? Thanks</p>
<p>College tuiton has increased astronomically over the years as compared to the cost of other things. I know that about 10 years ago we thought it could not possibly go as high as many financial calculators were projecting--well, the calculators were off, but in the wrong direction. Private college tuition and fees are now exceeding $30K in many cases. </p>
<p>Many state colleges, probably all of them, are facing deficits. They cannot easily jack up the costs for in state students because of the backlash they will face and the administrative hoops they have to jump in order to do so. It is easier to raise out of state rates. In the case of NY, the same thing has happened with out of state tuition. It has been raised quite a bit, a shame, since one major drawback of the SUNY system is the small number of out of staters. The schools have been working to attract more kids from out of state but this major tuition increase is not going to help. Rather ridiculous to do this as there are so few out of staters that the increase is not going to bring in that much more money. </p>
<p>As to middle class folk getting financial aid, that is not a general question that is easily answered. There is aid available, but not that easy to get. I will say that getting money as an out of stater from a state university is not easy even if you qualify for financial aid, as many state schools have specific restrictive policies for out of state students. </p>
<p>You and your parent need to sit down and fill out a sample FAFSA form to get some idea where you fall in the financial aid situation. That form will give you your Expected Family Contribution. If you goto a school that gives 100% of demonstrated need, it is likely that you will get that amount with the exception of some of the more selective private schools that also require you to fill out PROFILE, a supplementary form that asks more in depth questions and takes into account other factors not addressed by FAFSA. This is where the financial aid journey begins, with the EFC, finding schools that meet most of the demonstrated need, filling out PROFILE if necessary. You may also want to research schools that have generous merit aid if your EFC comes up high. There are many posts and articles on this forum that will give a step by step and websites where you can get a good start on this process.</p>