<p>@glido
That is exactly what I got, as a student. My mother and father do not expect to pay a penny more for me when I’m in college. Sure, they’ll let me stop by every now and then for a hot meal, but they believe strongly in independence. </p>
<p>No one had to tell me that going to a private school would land me 8k in loans, I read it on my award letter. No one ever had to tell me that it’ll grow to near 60k if I went to that private school. </p>
<p>I chose a state public school and saved money in the long run, because my mother taught me the morals of money and how it works. I think kids these days(I sound so old) don’t understand that loans NEED TO BE PAID BACK and there is no way to justify your parents love by how much they’re willing to pay for college. Some parents are just nice like that. Some kids just DO NOT NEED to talk to strangers on the internet to come to gripes about how much they need to pay.</p>
<p>Best to find a summer job or two and save up well.</p>
<p>@Himom</p>
<p>It’s kinda sad to think that my parents barely got their high school diplomas(or GED for my mother) and some of these claimed “college taught” parents have the brain of birds. My mom told me in middle school she was not going to pay for my education, and if she abs had to, nothing over 1k. I was taught to earn what I want, and if I couldn’t earn it, try harder or forget about it entirely. I say some of these kids that have 26, 28, 36 ACT’s need to look hard at their scholarship options before they whine and pout that they can’t afford top ivy schools. If you score THAT high, come on, try harder and look harder. Or find a job in your last moments of high school.</p>
<p>So what if you’re efc is more than 10000 and you wanna go to an ivy school. For the “college experience” and “to break out of home”. It takes more than just wanting, it’s the desire that drives. Look at every inch of this internet, stretch beyond that hs guidance office, and after you have done all that can be done, look at yourself seriously in the mirror and admit that you cannot afford something instead of holding up the remainder of the bill to your mommy and daddy. I just say, if independence is what some kids want, earn as much as possible yourself. And if parents aren’t willing to pay, suck it up.</p>
<p>Well, long story short of this post, if you’re act falls into the “not so great” range, don’t think your parents will butter you up with money if you do somehow get into a good college. No way any student with a short coming GPA will afford college unless they work their tails off for a way to pay, AND the maturity to say no to a dream they have(and go to community college). The same advice for high achieving students, but more on the scholarship/grant search I wish more kids my age had. Regardless of a parents’ income.</p>