<p>here we go again. Patsmom, how exactly do you come up with that idea? Every single family who could demonstrate their need will get the same FA. As Captain stated their case. </p>
<p>It is were up to me, I would rather have years of high income, high standard of living, no financial worry, and pay 100% full COA. </p>
<p>Lucky me??? Even with almost $100K a year FA, both of our kids have to work during school year and summer. </p>
<p>If you could come and live in our shoes for a month, you would then understand how difficult for us to make the ends meet with both kids in colleges.</p>
<p>PS. Last time I checked. No single person will give up their high income so they could get need based FA.</p>
<p>DADII, my standard of when the give aways are too much are when a sizable population becomes willing to give up pay and assets for the goodies. So far that has not happened with college financial aid. Even when it is for the short period of time that it takes to get through college.</p>
<p>See, DadII, your idea of a high income is different from mine. I think my household income is pretty close to yours, based on what you’ve shared in the past, and I feel like I enjoy a pretty high standard of living.</p>
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<p>So do my kids, but they didn’t get $100K a year in FA. S1 went to a state U and got a NM scholarship and Bright Futures – total value was less than $10K per year. S2 went to a Top 20 private and got $14,500 per year. Both kids had jobs that paid for their personal expenses and we paid the balance of their tuition and room and board. They didn’t qualify for financial aid.</p>
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You’re preaching to the choir, there, Dad II.</p>
<p>I was wrong to question your son’s qualification for a Perkins loan. I was under the mistaken impression that Perkins loans only went to very low income families but thumper1 explained how those loans are awarded. But I still say “Lucky you”.</p>
<p>Not “lucky you”, so much as different choices the two of you made with similar financial pictures. Lucky is the person who is happy with the lot chosen. Not unusual to want more. I made my choices, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want more.</p>
<p>This whole “lucky you” meme is stupid. “Lucky” is inheriting fortune or winning the lottery or something, and not having to worry about COA at even a gold-plated institution. </p>
<p>I don’t consider someone “lucky” if they have scrimped and saved for years in order to build a college fund.</p>
<p>I don’t consider someone “lucky” if they are scrimping and saving now to pay tuition, or if their kids are working themselves to a nub.</p>
<p>I don’t consider someone “lucky” if they get loans that will require them to scrimp and save in future, or their kids to forgo following dreams in order to earn repayment.</p>
<p>And I certainly don’t consider someone “lucky” if they have super-high medical expenses or the need to care for a disabled family member and that pushes them into qualifying for need-based grants.</p>
<p>OTOH, I do consider someone “lucky” if they have great kids who make the most out of whatever educational opportunities are available to them.</p>