Valuable FA package information from HYPSM

Parents Forum
221

<p>

</p>

<p>High school didn’t admit an 18 year old and it was parent decision to send child to private or public school. High school won’t send the tuition bill to student if the parent won’t pay and only parent are responsible for tuition and not the student. In case of default it will go on parent credit history.</p>

<p>But it is student decision where to matriculate for college education. College admit 18 year old who are suppose to pay their own bills. If tomorrow a parent won’t pay colleges won’t come after the parent but will go after the student. It will go on student credit history.</p>

<p>So it is not same…</p>

222

<p>Sometimes I find it hard to believe that some people in this thread aren’t ■■■■■■■■. :rolleyes:</p>

<p>No : popcorn: emoticon here.</p>

223

<p>Let me be perfectly clear:</p>

<p>I don’t think any student should pay any tuition to attend MSPHY (scrambled order to placate some sensibilities on here).</p>

<p>The endowments are huge even after the meltdown. They don’t have to charge. They don’t have to put so many families through the agonies of the FAFSA. </p>

<p>Do I want only “rich” kids at the Ivy my kid attends? Absolutely not. I wouldn’t have even considered spending the money we are spending if that were the case. What I resent is the big confused mess that has evolved, and yes . . . to some extent I resent being one of the minority with a kid at my kid’s school that actually pays tuition. I resent paying what Eliot Spitzer or Rudy Guilliani spend to send their kids to my kid’s school.</p>

<p>Why do i resent it? Well, partly because I’m not rich and it’s killing any possibility of actually leaving anything at all to my kids or having a retirement before I’m in a walker. But mostly because of all the rhetoric about fairness. That irks me because it’s not fair.</p>

<p>Just use the fricking endowment and stop charging tuition at these schools. Then it will REALLY mean something to graduate from one of them.</p>

<p>And I put to some of the very high-minded and rather patronizing moralists who have posted here scolding me and others who see it through our lens:</p>

<p>What is it that really irks you? Me thinks it’s the notion that you might actually stop getting a terrific deal sending YOUR kid. In your view, make the so-called rich pay! They are evil! </p>

<p>Who is really the self-serving here?</p>

<p>Some have a very sweet deal and really don’t want to see it questioned. Not only should those of us helping to foot the bill for it act grateful for the privilege but it is just unseemly and selfish to complain.</p>

<p>Indeed. Oh, and Curmudgeon, what on Earth have you got to contribute - you had your Ivy calibre kid take the free ride.</p>

224

<p>Never thought I would actually hope somebody was a ■■■■■, but unfortunately, I think they/he is for real.</p>

225

<p>Wow, why insult curm on here? Jeez, somebody swallowed a bitter pill and needs to cough it up.</p>

226

<p>

I did? That will be news to her. ;)</p>

<p>And anyway . I’m just here to *&^% some people off.</p>

227

<p>Regarding possible ■■■■■■: (but not ■■■■■■)
Maybe its a case of buyers remorse. Son or daughter at HYP is attending while parents pay full-fare. They thought they would get more for their money since they are full-paying. Maybe kiddo was not receiving the caliber of education they anticipated. So they have a receipt that allows them to gripe.</p>

<p>Easier to accept the less than ideal experience if its “free”. Only explanation I can think of for such tunnel vision. More than sour grapes, somebody wants a refund?</p>

<p>Along with the adage my children live by:
to whom much is given, much, very much is expected,
is the other mantra:
whomever has the gold makes the rules.</p>

<p>HYP has the gold…</p>

<p>Kat</p>

228

<p>Nope not a ■■■■■. Kid is at Harvard. Paying full freight. I’m for real.</p>

<p>I just can’t stand hypocrisy and this thread has had a lot of it.</p>

229

<p>

</p>

<p>Yes, it’s discriminatory that HYPSM provides FA to those of lower incomes and not to those of higher incomes. @@
Why, it’s equally discriminatory that HYPSM admits mostly kids with 2100+ on their SAT’s and not the kids with 1500’s! Perhaps there should be a lawsuit.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>It has no bearing on whether HYPSM accepts her.
Which, btw, can’t be said for many institutions, which don’t claim to be need-blind. And you know? If they’re upfront about it - that they aren’t need-blind – I don’t see the problem.</p>

<p>I know an official at a top 30 LAC who has indicated that after years of being need-blind, given their endowment hit and their pledge to keep FA steady for their current students (including students whose families have lost jobs, etc.) - they are <em>not</em> going to be need-blind in admissions for the next couple of years. And certainly I believe that on waitlists, even at elite schools, they give the tip to full-pays. I don’t have a problem with that. These schools have to get money from somewhere.</p>

230

<p>GA2012MOM: I’m a ■■■■■ and according to ‘katwkittens’ now having second thoughts about value of HMSPY at $50K.</p>

231

<p>

</p>

<p>Well I can’t stand elitism, and this thread has had a bit of it.</p>

232

<p>wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. What is happening here?? I was trying to provide some information to those otherwise might not apply to HYPSM thinking it is too expensive. </p>

<p>POIH wrote in #190

</p>

<p>So everyone is o.k. about that statement - suggesting the parents of students on need based FA failed in their life?</p>

<p>POIH, are you just so bitter because your DD, with the life long hope, did not make it into an ivy?</p>

233

<p>

</p>

<p>Exactly. Perhaps some of the whiners should read about the concept of noblesse oblige.</p>

<p>So far, we’ve heard from different posters:
“No one really needs to worry about financial aid because any decent kid can be guaranteed of getting into a top 20 where the money flows.”<br>
“It’s not fair that wealthy people don’t get financial aid – in fact, it’s discriminatory and wrong. HYPSM owes us.”
“Everyone should be able to work just a little harder and get to a point where they can pay $50K / year for their kids instead of counting on FA.”</p>

<p>Let them eat cake, indeed.</p>

234

<p>I never said the rich were evil.</p>

<p>However, the rich who feel it’s unfair that that someone with a low income gets a large subsidy from an elite college, while they don’t, well, that’s where I have a problem.</p>

<p>And the rich who think that because an institution is rich, then they should pay, but that not the rich parent, well, I find that hypocritical as well. Should the wealthy pay or not? Or only when it’s an institution that is wealthy, but not if it’s a family?</p>

<p>Also, your post essentially said that those of us who have chosen less lucrative careers shouldn’t expect our kids to go to Harvard (unless Harvard goes no pay for everyone), because we essentially are good-for-nothings who expect other people to pay our bills. I also have an issue with that.</p>

<p>For the record, I will also leave nothing for my children. And I’m one of those who get a considerable subsidy from a HYPSM type school. So no advantage for me, either. Do you really think I’m saving up a huge inheritance on my salary? Or a huge retirement?</p>

<p>In what way am I advantaged over you? Because I’m used to my low income lifestyle, and I don’t have to change that to send my kid to HYPSM, but you full pays in that grey area (150-200K range) might have to change your lifestyle, and that isn’t fair? </p>

<p>And if Harvard really was full-pay for everyone, and I couldn’t send my kids there? There’s always my local state school. I would feel bad for them, but not bitter. I would feel in some way that the system was geared towards rich folks, but I wouldn’t obsess over it. I made choices in my life. I would gladly do it over again in the same way even under those circumstances. </p>

<p>Would it really make you feel that much better if I couldn’t send my kids to an elite school? Would it really make you feel like life is fair?</p>

<p>If so, that is very, very sad. How is the world made better in this way?</p>

235

<p>Wow. Just wow.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, my S is not bound for Harvard. We would be nearly full freight if he were.</p>

<p>I am faced with paying nearly $50K for a less exalted private school (the horror!!) or the state flagship school (just have me arrested for child abuse now :stuck_out_tongue: )</p>

<p>I am proud of my S, and he is looking forward to attending a diverse school, with smart kids from all socioeconomic groups. </p>

<p>So I’m paying full freight. And I’m for real too. And I’m not spitting vitriol over all the other posters here. I am happy for my S and watching him embracing the next stage of his life, and I enjoy sharing it with the many other kind people here.</p>

<p>I think maybe those calling hypocrite need to maybe look within themselves to see where this anger is coming from, because it seems out of proportion to what is being discussed.</p>

236

<p>Dad II,</p>

<p>Try very hard to open up your mind and see this from our perspective. Yes, we earn 200K per year. After taxes and 401K that’s really $100K. HYPSM takes 50K plus plane trips back and forth (something the FA kids get paid for, btw). And our kids don’t get work study. And don’t get grants for study abroad. And we have younger kids coming up who also need to go to college. Oh, and job insecurity. And health issues.</p>

<p>Do I want your kid not to get to go to HYPSM because you earn $50K or $25K or $100K. Heck no! Mine would never have gone if there wasn’t economic diversity. He doesn’t feel rich and he isn’t rich.</p>

<p>The mess is the model. They need to use their endowments and stop charging me the same as they charge Eliot Spitzer to send his daughter. Eliot can afford it. For me, it’s a living hell.</p>

<p>But we were “good” parents. They told us we could afford it and we love our kid and believe in the education fairy tale so we said “yes.” It reminds me of the idiots who bought the houses banks told them they could afford. Well we’re like those idiots - only with us it’s elite education for the kid.</p>

<p>And my point on the low-income professions is simply that prosperous parents can “choose” not to pay for their kids to go to expensive colleges just as low-income parents can “choose” to seek high income jobs to be in a position to pay private tuition. Well, HYPSM need to know that prosperous parents can and do “choose” not to play ball and pay the exorbitant tuition that others are not charged.</p>

<p>And I find the attempts by many on here to insinuate that I’m against economic diversity at any college to be really stupid. Surely, the point I’m trying to make is not beyond your grasp. If your kid is a great scholar then I’m glad to have him at school with mine, not matter your income. I just think the price discrimination employed by these schools is ridiculous. Use the Endowment for something useful. No more buildings or endowed professorships. Just get rid of tuition.</p>

237

<p>

</p>

<p>Then don’t do it. HYPSM admittance doesn’t come with a gun attached, obligating you to do it. If you felt it would jeopardize your retirement or didn’t otherwise want to do it, nothing prevented you from sending your kid to a state flagship or to a lower-sticker private university. I find it disingenous to pretend like HYPSM was his only choice in life and that the acceptance obligated you to do it. You made a decision in full knowledge of what it would cost you. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>No, not at all. I think it’s disgusting to suggest that kids who are on need-based FA have parents who “failed.” If the parents are working hard and have been honest about their financial situation, and the college offers the aid, there’s no reason on earth the parents shouldn’t take it. Now, if the parents have been lying about their income, etc., that’s another story.</p>

238

<p>We basically have 3 income brackets in this country:</p>

<p>Upper - which is only 5% of the population and most likely it is only the top 2% who can justify $50,000 year tuition payments. </p>

<p>Middle - this is the group that will not be able to pay $50,000 tuition and is losing out on the opportunity to attend the top schools.</p>

<p>Lower - this group will have EFC’s low enough to cover most of the tuition cost at top schools.</p>

<p>It seems to me that the Middle class is getting the short end of the stick. Does anyone know what percentage of the population is considered Middle Class?</p>

239

<p>

</p>

<p>Then don’t do it. But to continue to do it … and then complain … is like beating your head against the wall and then complaining your head hurts.</p>

<p>So, what IS the magic income number at which HYPSM “should” be full-pay? We’re hearing from sewhappy that $200K isn’t enough. How about $250K? $300K? $500K?
Look, they have to draw the line somewhere. They’re already being MORE than generous by drawing the line and giving aid up to $180K. Apparently the magic income number for some is “$10,000 more than what I make.”</p>

240

<p>No, no, no. You have to consider upper middle class as well. You can’t just pull off the top 5%, call them upper, and call everyone below that middle.</p>