<p>Let’s take up a collection for the op, if every poster on cc donated
a few dollars he may be able to go to the college of his choice, after
all his family income falls in that horrible “zone” where all hope is lost.
so fellow posters please be generous. Please im me for my account info,
you can send it all to me and then I will forward the money to the op,
no problem</p>
<p>College is what you make it. Chances are, you will have a much better experience at Florida than you would at UVA/Ivy league college X. You just can’t go in with an attitude like this</p>
<p>And think about the next generation. DH went to state school as a middle class kid who’s family could not afford more. I was a low income kid with lots of aid including lots of loans. Today we full pay for 3 kids and help 3 others in the family. Go get high grades, a great job and give the next generation in your family school choice if it’s important to you as it is to us.</p>
<p>hmom5 said: Middle income in America is about $50K. You could not possibly be middle class if you qualify for no aid. </p>
<p>The definition of middle class based on income in this country baffles me. Even Obama is setting the new bar at $250,000 and below as an income group that needs a break on taxes. He has commented that incomes below $125,000 have a difficult time in this country. His tax plan raises the silly bars that exist now. Like anyone that is single and makes more than $60,000 receives no tax deduction for establishing an IRA. Just one example there are others. Maybe somewhere in this country an income for a family of $125,000 PRE TAX which is $75,000 after tax is more than enough to live but it will not buy much in any east coast/west coast town or city.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that gov’t stats are not always based on reality. For example how many times have you heard that the savings rate of Americans is much lower than any other developed country?. Did you know that 401K’s, 403B’s, TIAA cref plans, IRA’s and other retirement plans ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE GOVERNMENT’S STAT? Most of my clients that have the ability to save primarily use the retirement plan approach (401K’s etc) and those numbers are not included. And it is worse for the so called CPI (Consumer Price Index) -Energy and food are excluded. Two items we all need to spend our discretionary income on…so not only is the college game stacked against the middle class the use of stats by the government downplay the true economy. One of the reasons why we are in the recession/depression that we are experiencing currently.</p>
<p>So FAFSA and colleges need to raise the bar on EFC calculations or scrap the system. I suspect once Obama’s tax plan passes they will adjust and update EFC calculations. Probably too late for those of us paying college expenses at this time.</p>
<p>The average household income in my zip code is $36,000 per year, and that’s in the northeast. Very common to have multiple adults working multiple minimum wage jobs in those households too. Just wanted to point out there are a lot of families in this country who aren’t making $150K.</p>
<p>“The average household income in my zip code is $36,000 per year, and that’s in the northeast. Very common to have multiple adults working multiple minimum wage jobs in those households too. Just wanted to point out there are a lot of families in this country who aren’t making $150K.”</p>
<p>Agreed. My household makes under $125 k, and we don’t qualify for need-based financial aid for S’s school. So we are squeezing and borrowing, S is working summers and during the school year, too. I still feel very lucky and privileged to be able to send S to his dream school. I know very well that most people in this country make far less than my household makes, and their kids have fewer higher educational options.</p>
<p>Songman, you like many who post here, believe if the government or colleges just realized how much money the EFC represents to the average person they would change the system. Where do you think the additional money to meet everyone’s ‘need’ would come from?</p>
<p>We could talk about what’s wrong with the FAFSA all day. How the gov’t ever came up with a formula that in the case of a divorce lets a bio parent off the hook and assumes a step parent will pay I’ll never understand. Yet I don’t believe the bottom line is going to change under Obama or anyone else–families will need to greatly sacrifice to send their kids to a college other than community college.</p>
<p>Thanks to all the CC oldtimers that responded. I know you are sick of hearing the EFC lament every year.</p>
<p>hmom5 said “Where do you think the additional money to meet everyone’s ‘need’ would come from?” </p>
<p>That is the issue… and one I don’t have a solution to… We should not meet everyone’s need! While I have no immediate suggestions outside of equalizing grants across the board or eliminating them I believe Northstarmom said something to the effect that private college is not an entitlement but a privilege…I agree- college whether public or private should not be an entitlement. That is the problem, many feel that “need” must be met and to do less is the mark of a uncaring society or government. I also agree with what you said in the second paragraph. The system may not change under Obama. I doubt it will. But we should look to educational models in other countries as a guide? Or treat public education like we treat public high school. Born out of taxes so that all can attend?. I know this much while many parents set a goal for their kids to attend college I think some are less than honest when they say the cost is worth it…given the tremendous outsourcing in this country and a labor market that rewards highly technical skills or any mechanical skill , a general education will provide just that a “general education”…not much help in obtaining a job. </p>
<p>Funny that if asked many would not invest/install a $100,000 kitchen into a house worth $200,000, but they will borrow or pay $200,000 for a college education for a labor market that is worth $50,000 a year at best.</p>
<p>“families will need to greatly sacrifice to send their kids to a college other than community college.”</p>
<p>Many families are sacrificing now to send their kids to community college. I take community college courses for fun, and consider them cheap. Some of my classmates, though, are recent high school grads who are having difficulty paying their tuition. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, in some other countries like France, public higher education is free. The problem, though, is that students may be as young as 12 when they are put on track for college or for vocational school, and once on such a track, they can’t get off. They also have to get requisite scores in exams to be able to go to college.</p>
<p>No country has found the perfect formula. Look at all of the internationals with near free education in their countries flocking here. The idea in my mind would be to make community colleges free and keep state school affordable.</p>