2025 & 2026 donut hole families

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What is a donut hole family? High income nut no savings?

Too rich to get aid. But not rich enough to easily pay $90k a year, especially with multiple kids. Usually live in high cost of living areas.

And also made the choice not to save but instead increase their lifestyle as their income increased. Because even in a "hCOLA" if you have been making $250K for the last 5 years, you could have chosen to save $20-30K/year, and likely for more than 5 years

This doesn’t get you anywhere close to affording private colleges at full cost for one kid, let alone two or more.

And of course you’ll say, “just go in-state public!!” Which, sure, but that’s kind of the point of the donut hole. It’s not that you can’t afford *any* college, just that you are priced out of some of them while others above and below are not.

Actually it does. We could "afford it" now as we paid off our house and we live way under our means as we haven't changed our lifestyle as our income goes up. Would it be smart, no. Does my child want to go to a school thats $90K, no, but some are $60K. If you made lifestyle choices that are different, then don't complain of what you cannot afford when you choose a differnet path. While you vacationed, we saved. While you go out to $100-300 meals, we go to $60-80 meals.

No, it doesn’t. A kid starting school at good private colleges next year is looking at a total COA of close to $400k over the next four years. Five years of saving $25-30k does not get you there at all. You would need at least 10 years at that amount and with a real return of 7%. And that would just cover one kid.

So when you choose to have a kid, that should be a consideration you make. We didn't start until we were 30, we paid off our own loans, bought a home and had an emergency fund. We didn't really take vacations until we were 35+. Most vacations were drive somewhere for 4-5 days and stay in a cheap hotel/rental. We made it a priority to save for our future and for our kids college from the time they were born. When you start early, you don't need to save as much, as you have time for it to grow (tax free in a 529) So while we increased our income over time, we never increased our lifestyle, and we didn't have kids until we could afford them (save for our retirement and some for college).

But you are complaining that you cannot afford the Top 25-30 schools that are priced at $90K and won't get any "financial aid". That is like me complaining nobody is giving me a $100K BMW at a discount. THat's not how life works. If I value cars and want to drive that, I act like an adult, save for the BMW and adjust my budget accordingly to meet the needs of "what I value most". Or if I'm like 99% of people, I realize it's a dream and that I can get everywhere I need to go safely in a $40K Honda/Toyota and save my $$.

I’m not complaining about anything. Just pointing out that the other PP’s math doesn’t math. No matter how many Motel 6s you stay at.

It’s funny, all of these comments about lifestyle choices. It’s also a lifestyle choice to make better educational and professional decisions so you don’t have to live like a pauper to afford college. But some of you who are obsessed with lifestyle choices never seem to mention that one.

We don't even stay at Motel 6. The difference is you are the one complaining and expecting a handout. I don't care about school ratings. I care about best fit.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What is a donut hole family? High income nut no savings?

Too rich to get aid. But not rich enough to easily pay $90k a year, especially with multiple kids. Usually live in high cost of living areas.

And also made the choice not to save but instead increase their lifestyle as their income increased. Because even in a "hCOLA" if you have been making $250K for the last 5 years, you could have chosen to save $20-30K/year, and likely for more than 5 years

This doesn’t get you anywhere close to affording private colleges at full cost for one kid, let alone two or more.

And of course you’ll say, “just go in-state public!!” Which, sure, but that’s kind of the point of the donut hole. It’s not that you can’t afford *any* college, just that you are priced out of some of them while others above and below are not.

Since when are you "entitled" to attend any college you want? Just like anything in life, you only purchase what you can afford. There are literally 95% of colleges that will be "affordable to you" So yes, do in-state or privates that give merit. Don't expect others to pay for your education just because.

So you are "priced out of some". I am a fan of BMWs, but until I can afford to buy one and be financially sound, I'm not spending $75K+ on a vehicle when I can buy a Honda that is more reliable and does the same job for $35-40K. Just because I want it doesn't mean I'm entitled to get it unless I find a way to afford it. It's not your job or anyone else's job to get me a luxury car.



And most likely if someone went from $250K-700K, they could afford to save a lot more than $30K/year. They could probably have been saving $30K/kid/year. And yes, if you make even $250K, you should plan to save to pay for your kid's college because you are in the top 7-8%. Or if you don't want to pay, then you search merit. You can still do that, and get college down to $20-25K or less very easily (if your kid would be able to get into most of the $90K schools that actually meet financial needs, your kid will get amazing merit at most schools in the 40-100+ range.

Where did I say anyone was entitled to attend? The donut hole is just a definition (that many of you don’t seem to grasp), not a morality statement.

Some of you are funny. You read things in comments that aren’t even there. It’s quite telling.

it's a "morality statement" because most of you complaining are annoyed that someone making less than you is getting aid and you are not, from a very small, very elite group of schools. The person getting full aid or close to full aid is not "just making 175K", they are likely living with under $75-80K as a family. So you too could have chosen to manage with only $75-80K as your family income for 18 years and you too might just get a full FA package to Harvard. But I suspect you realize nobody wants to give up the privileges and perks in life from living with 200-250K has meant for the last 18 years for you and your kids.

You are mad someone is "getting something" and you are not. Yet fail to recognize how much more challenging their lives have been

Almost no one here is complaining or getting mad, other than you.

This thread may be filled with more strawmen than any thread on DCUM, which is really saying something.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What is a donut hole family? High income nut no savings?

Too rich to get aid. But not rich enough to easily pay $90k a year, especially with multiple kids. Usually live in high cost of living areas.

And also made the choice not to save but instead increase their lifestyle as their income increased. Because even in a "hCOLA" if you have been making $250K for the last 5 years, you could have chosen to save $20-30K/year, and likely for more than 5 years

This doesn’t get you anywhere close to affording private colleges at full cost for one kid, let alone two or more.

And of course you’ll say, “just go in-state public!!” Which, sure, but that’s kind of the point of the donut hole. It’s not that you can’t afford *any* college, just that you are priced out of some of them while others above and below are not.

Actually it does. We could "afford it" now as we paid off our house and we live way under our means as we haven't changed our lifestyle as our income goes up. Would it be smart, no. Does my child want to go to a school thats $90K, no, but some are $60K. If you made lifestyle choices that are different, then don't complain of what you cannot afford when you choose a differnet path. While you vacationed, we saved. While you go out to $100-300 meals, we go to $60-80 meals.

No, it doesn’t. A kid starting school at good private colleges next year is looking at a total COA of close to $400k over the next four years. Five years of saving $25-30k does not get you there at all. You would need at least 10 years at that amount and with a real return of 7%. And that would just cover one kid.

So when you choose to have a kid, that should be a consideration you make. We didn't start until we were 30, we paid off our own loans, bought a home and had an emergency fund. We didn't really take vacations until we were 35+. Most vacations were drive somewhere for 4-5 days and stay in a cheap hotel/rental. We made it a priority to save for our future and for our kids college from the time they were born. When you start early, you don't need to save as much, as you have time for it to grow (tax free in a 529) So while we increased our income over time, we never increased our lifestyle, and we didn't have kids until we could afford them (save for our retirement and some for college).

But you are complaining that you cannot afford the Top 25-30 schools that are priced at $90K and won't get any "financial aid". That is like me complaining nobody is giving me a $100K BMW at a discount. THat's not how life works. If I value cars and want to drive that, I act like an adult, save for the BMW and adjust my budget accordingly to meet the needs of "what I value most". Or if I'm like 99% of people, I realize it's a dream and that I can get everywhere I need to go safely in a $40K Honda/Toyota and save my $$.

I’m not complaining about anything. Just pointing out that the other PP’s math doesn’t math. No matter how many Motel 6s you stay at.

It’s funny, all of these comments about lifestyle choices. It’s also a lifestyle choice to make better educational and professional decisions so you don’t have to live like a pauper to afford college. But some of you who are obsessed with lifestyle choices never seem to mention that one.

We don't even stay at Motel 6. The difference is you are the one complaining and expecting a handout. I don't care about school ratings. I care about best fit.

I haven’t lodged one complaint, other than about people’s bad math. I can afford college but also recognize the absurdity of its cost. You should really ask yourself why you are so seized with this topic.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What is a donut hole family? High income nut no savings?

Too rich to get aid. But not rich enough to easily pay $90k a year, especially with multiple kids. Usually live in high cost of living areas.

And also made the choice not to save but instead increase their lifestyle as their income increased. Because even in a "hCOLA" if you have been making $250K for the last 5 years, you could have chosen to save $20-30K/year, and likely for more than 5 years

This doesn’t get you anywhere close to affording private colleges at full cost for one kid, let alone two or more.

And of course you’ll say, “just go in-state public!!” Which, sure, but that’s kind of the point of the donut hole. It’s not that you can’t afford *any* college, just that you are priced out of some of them while others above and below are not.

Actually it does. We could "afford it" now as we paid off our house and we live way under our means as we haven't changed our lifestyle as our income goes up. Would it be smart, no. Does my child want to go to a school thats $90K, no, but some are $60K. If you made lifestyle choices that are different, then don't complain of what you cannot afford when you choose a differnet path. While you vacationed, we saved. While you go out to $100-300 meals, we go to $60-80 meals.

No, it doesn’t. A kid starting school at good private colleges next year is looking at a total COA of close to $400k over the next four years. Five years of saving $25-30k does not get you there at all. You would need at least 10 years at that amount and with a real return of 7%. And that would just cover one kid.

So when you choose to have a kid, that should be a consideration you make. We didn't start until we were 30, we paid off our own loans, bought a home and had an emergency fund. We didn't really take vacations until we were 35+. Most vacations were drive somewhere for 4-5 days and stay in a cheap hotel/rental. We made it a priority to save for our future and for our kids college from the time they were born. When you start early, you don't need to save as much, as you have time for it to grow (tax free in a 529) So while we increased our income over time, we never increased our lifestyle, and we didn't have kids until we could afford them (save for our retirement and some for college).

But you are complaining that you cannot afford the Top 25-30 schools that are priced at $90K and won't get any "financial aid". That is like me complaining nobody is giving me a $100K BMW at a discount. THat's not how life works. If I value cars and want to drive that, I act like an adult, save for the BMW and adjust my budget accordingly to meet the needs of "what I value most". Or if I'm like 99% of people, I realize it's a dream and that I can get everywhere I need to go safely in a $40K Honda/Toyota and save my $$.

I’m not complaining about anything. Just pointing out that the other PP’s math doesn’t math. No matter how many Motel 6s you stay at.

It’s funny, all of these comments about lifestyle choices. It’s also a lifestyle choice to make better educational and professional decisions so you don’t have to live like a pauper to afford college. But some of you who are obsessed with lifestyle choices never seem to mention that one.

umm...because many of us did live "a lower lifestyle choice" until we were financially sound and could easily increase "our lifestyle".
Bought our first home as one we could afford on only 1 of our incomes (we made similar amounts at that age). We bought in a decent school district and nice home, but we stopped at a 2Ksq ft home despite the realtor and everyone else told us we could afford a 3K sq ft one that cost another $150K. Why would we need that with just 2 of us and no plans for kids for another 3-5 years, so 8-10 years away from "needing to use even the ES". We funneled our "buying a less home" into savings and paying down that mortgage. My spouse drove a basic car for 10 years, because they rarely drove (worked remotely and traveled a lot via plane for work). Sure a fancier car would have been nice, but we saved and didnt' waste money. But when we bought the next car, we were able to pay cash and no longer had to worry about interest rates, and have never had a car loan since then.
So it's a mindset of, building a strong financial base and not spending spending spending. We lived decently, much better than we had as kids (both grew up poor). But that meant by time we had kids and they were old enough to care about vacations, we could start "spending a bit more" and not worrying about it.

So life is about choices, but you can easily find a great university to attend that won't cost you more than $40-45K/year. That is the smart choice for 98%+ of people. It is relatively affordable. Kid takes $5.5K/year of fed loans (for a max of $27K), kid can work summers/breaks and PT for 8-10 hours/week during school and bring in another $8-10K. That leaves $25-30K for the parents. That's $100K total. Approach it from that, and it's not that difficult to manage.
And if you want to pay less, just drop down 1 tier and you can find plenty of good schools that will reward your smart kid with more merit. Both of my kids could have attended schools for under $20K---the smarter one had 2 privates in the T40-50 that were only $40K all in and the "not as high stat but still smart kid had 3 schools in the 80-100 range all in for $40-44K. There are plenty of options. You get to pick what is most financially feasible for your family.

And just like I don't purchase luxury cars or fly first class, when choosing a college, I recognize I might not be able to afford some of the very top ones, just like everything else in life. And I move on with what is a good choice for me and thank my lucky stars for how much privilege I actually have

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think there's a case for no FA at all.

These schools are a lifestyle product themselves. You can take a loan out to buy your fancy car .. I mean college. Or not. The rest involves some level of moral hazard.

Nobody on this board truly believes college is an “optional lifestyle choice”, get outta here with that bs.

Elite private universities are. They are a privilege, not a right.

And they’ve decided to extend that privilege to people who could not otherwise afford it.

And that is their choice. Recognizing that poor kids will benefit the most from getting some aid to attend college is NOT a bad thing. The bad thing is someone who is in the top 5-10% of the USA who is pissed at the poor kid who grew up with no privilege and in bad conditions compared to your kids thinking "this is SO UNFAIR"

The kids deserving of that aid are the poor kids. And, not poor as in living in a million dollar house.

Agreed! The kids who have not had any privileges while growing up, yet still managed to shine thru as a brilliant intelligent kids with goals in life (when most around them dont')

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What is a donut hole family? High income nut no savings?

Too rich to get aid. But not rich enough to easily pay $90k a year, especially with multiple kids. Usually live in high cost of living areas.

Many of us have lower incomes and in high cost of living areas. It’s lifestyle choices. It’s insane someone in a million dollar house making what many do feel entitled to aid when the rest of us live poorly to save.

I do not have fancy stuff, internet stranger. I do have more kids than most thanks to unexpected multiples, and I do pay for private religious-based schools. Why do YOU feel entitled to live in a high cost of living area when you have a lower income? Why should others pay for your "lifestyle choice"?

Good lord 🙄

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I need to quit my job. It’s painful to see people paying $40-50k less for the same school with not a big difference in income.

+1

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I am the PP poster - I agree - I am saying I am NOT a donut hole family - and that peers who are whining about colllege at that level are ridiculous.

Who is whining about college at 700K? Haven't seen it.

Donut hole depends on number of kids. 300K for 1 kid is a lot different than 300K for 3 or 4.

Don't care how many kids you chose to have. If you are making $300K+ (and certainly 700K), you can afford college. if you make that much, you are smart enough to know how much it costs to raise kids and what college will cost for them. So plan accordingly, or don't have so many kids

That's the point! Doughnut hole families like us CAN pay for in-state, for example, but it may not make financial sense for us to do 90K.

And please no "don't have so many kids." It's cruel.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I am the PP poster - I agree - I am saying I am NOT a donut hole family - and that peers who are whining about colllege at that level are ridiculous.

Who is whining about college at 700K? Haven't seen it.

Donut hole depends on number of kids. 300K for 1 kid is a lot different than 300K for 3 or 4.

Don't care how many kids you chose to have. If you are making $300K+ (and certainly 700K), you can afford college. if you make that much, you are smart enough to know how much it costs to raise kids and what college will cost for them. So plan accordingly, or don't have so many kids

That's the point! Doughnut hole families like us CAN pay for in-state, for example, but it may not make financial sense for us to do 90K.

And please no "don't have so many kids." It's cruel.

Why is it cruel? People should not expect special treatment because they had more than 2 kids. If I had a nickel for every mom of 3+ kids who whines about how hard it is, I would have four years of Harvard tuition covered. Except for those who had twins after already having one, I have no pity. Close your legs.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I am the PP poster - I agree - I am saying I am NOT a donut hole family - and that peers who are whining about colllege at that level are ridiculous.

Who is whining about college at 700K? Haven't seen it.

Donut hole depends on number of kids. 300K for 1 kid is a lot different than 300K for 3 or 4.

Don't care how many kids you chose to have. If you are making $300K+ (and certainly 700K), you can afford college. if you make that much, you are smart enough to know how much it costs to raise kids and what college will cost for them. So plan accordingly, or don't have so many kids

That's the point! Doughnut hole families like us CAN pay for in-state, for example, but it may not make financial sense for us to do 90K.

And please no "don't have so many kids." It's cruel.

+1. These people ranting about this don’t even understand the general concept.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What is a donut hole family? High income nut no savings?

Too rich to get aid. But not rich enough to easily pay $90k a year, especially with multiple kids. Usually live in high cost of living areas.

And also made the choice not to save but instead increase their lifestyle as their income increased. Because even in a "hCOLA" if you have been making $250K for the last 5 years, you could have chosen to save $20-30K/year, and likely for more than 5 years

This doesn’t get you anywhere close to affording private colleges at full cost for one kid, let alone two or more.

And of course you’ll say, “just go in-state public!!” Which, sure, but that’s kind of the point of the donut hole. It’s not that you can’t afford *any* college, just that you are priced out of some of them while others above and below are not.

Actually it does. We could "afford it" now as we paid off our house and we live way under our means as we haven't changed our lifestyle as our income goes up. Would it be smart, no. Does my child want to go to a school thats $90K, no, but some are $60K. If you made lifestyle choices that are different, then don't complain of what you cannot afford when you choose a differnet path. While you vacationed, we saved. While you go out to $100-300 meals, we go to $60-80 meals.

No, it doesn’t. A kid starting school at good private colleges next year is looking at a total COA of close to $400k over the next four years. Five years of saving $25-30k does not get you there at all. You would need at least 10 years at that amount and with a real return of 7%. And that would just cover one kid.

So when you choose to have a kid, that should be a consideration you make. We didn't start until we were 30, we paid off our own loans, bought a home and had an emergency fund. We didn't really take vacations until we were 35+. Most vacations were drive somewhere for 4-5 days and stay in a cheap hotel/rental. We made it a priority to save for our future and for our kids college from the time they were born. When you start early, you don't need to save as much, as you have time for it to grow (tax free in a 529) So while we increased our income over time, we never increased our lifestyle, and we didn't have kids until we could afford them (save for our retirement and some for college).

But you are complaining that you cannot afford the Top 25-30 schools that are priced at $90K and won't get any "financial aid". That is like me complaining nobody is giving me a $100K BMW at a discount. THat's not how life works. If I value cars and want to drive that, I act like an adult, save for the BMW and adjust my budget accordingly to meet the needs of "what I value most". Or if I'm like 99% of people, I realize it's a dream and that I can get everywhere I need to go safely in a $40K Honda/Toyota and save my $$.

I judge you for your $40K Honda when you could have bought a $15K car and put the rest in your 529. Same with splurging on motels when you should have had a staycation.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What is a donut hole family? High income nut no savings?

Too rich to get aid. But not rich enough to easily pay $90k a year, especially with multiple kids. Usually live in high cost of living areas.

And also made the choice not to save but instead increase their lifestyle as their income increased. Because even in a "hCOLA" if you have been making $250K for the last 5 years, you could have chosen to save $20-30K/year, and likely for more than 5 years

This doesn’t get you anywhere close to affording private colleges at full cost for one kid, let alone two or more.

And of course you’ll say, “just go in-state public!!” Which, sure, but that’s kind of the point of the donut hole. It’s not that you can’t afford *any* college, just that you are priced out of some of them while others above and below are not.

Actually it does. We could "afford it" now as we paid off our house and we live way under our means as we haven't changed our lifestyle as our income goes up. Would it be smart, no. Does my child want to go to a school thats $90K, no, but some are $60K. If you made lifestyle choices that are different, then don't complain of what you cannot afford when you choose a differnet path. While you vacationed, we saved. While you go out to $100-300 meals, we go to $60-80 meals.

No, it doesn’t. A kid starting school at good private colleges next year is looking at a total COA of close to $400k over the next four years. Five years of saving $25-30k does not get you there at all. You would need at least 10 years at that amount and with a real return of 7%. And that would just cover one kid.

So when you choose to have a kid, that should be a consideration you make. We didn't start until we were 30, we paid off our own loans, bought a home and had an emergency fund. We didn't really take vacations until we were 35+. Most vacations were drive somewhere for 4-5 days and stay in a cheap hotel/rental. We made it a priority to save for our future and for our kids college from the time they were born. When you start early, you don't need to save as much, as you have time for it to grow (tax free in a 529) So while we increased our income over time, we never increased our lifestyle, and we didn't have kids until we could afford them (save for our retirement and some for college).

But you are complaining that you cannot afford the Top 25-30 schools that are priced at $90K and won't get any "financial aid". That is like me complaining nobody is giving me a $100K BMW at a discount. THat's not how life works. If I value cars and want to drive that, I act like an adult, save for the BMW and adjust my budget accordingly to meet the needs of "what I value most". Or if I'm like 99% of people, I realize it's a dream and that I can get everywhere I need to go safely in a $40K Honda/Toyota and save my $$.

I judge you for your $40K Honda when you could have bought a $15K car and put the rest in your 529. Same with splurging on motels when you should have had a staycation.

15k for a car! But why when those little legs will move you for free? Absolute profligacy.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What is a donut hole family? High income nut no savings?

Too rich to get aid. But not rich enough to easily pay $90k a year, especially with multiple kids. Usually live in high cost of living areas.

And also made the choice not to save but instead increase their lifestyle as their income increased. Because even in a "hCOLA" if you have been making $250K for the last 5 years, you could have chosen to save $20-30K/year, and likely for more than 5 years

This doesn’t get you anywhere close to affording private colleges at full cost for one kid, let alone two or more.

And of course you’ll say, “just go in-state public!!” Which, sure, but that’s kind of the point of the donut hole. It’s not that you can’t afford *any* college, just that you are priced out of some of them while others above and below are not.

Actually it does. We could "afford it" now as we paid off our house and we live way under our means as we haven't changed our lifestyle as our income goes up. Would it be smart, no. Does my child want to go to a school thats $90K, no, but some are $60K. If you made lifestyle choices that are different, then don't complain of what you cannot afford when you choose a differnet path. While you vacationed, we saved. While you go out to $100-300 meals, we go to $60-80 meals.

No, it doesn’t. A kid starting school at good private colleges next year is looking at a total COA of close to $400k over the next four years. Five years of saving $25-30k does not get you there at all. You would need at least 10 years at that amount and with a real return of 7%. And that would just cover one kid.

So when you choose to have a kid, that should be a consideration you make. We didn't start until we were 30, we paid off our own loans, bought a home and had an emergency fund. We didn't really take vacations until we were 35+. Most vacations were drive somewhere for 4-5 days and stay in a cheap hotel/rental. We made it a priority to save for our future and for our kids college from the time they were born. When you start early, you don't need to save as much, as you have time for it to grow (tax free in a 529) So while we increased our income over time, we never increased our lifestyle, and we didn't have kids until we could afford them (save for our retirement and some for college).

But you are complaining that you cannot afford the Top 25-30 schools that are priced at $90K and won't get any "financial aid". That is like me complaining nobody is giving me a $100K BMW at a discount. THat's not how life works. If I value cars and want to drive that, I act like an adult, save for the BMW and adjust my budget accordingly to meet the needs of "what I value most". Or if I'm like 99% of people, I realize it's a dream and that I can get everywhere I need to go safely in a $40K Honda/Toyota and save my $$.

I judge you for your $40K Honda when you could have bought a $15K car and put the rest in your 529. Same with splurging on motels when you should have had a staycation.

Judgey McJudgeyface!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What is definition of donut hole income for DMV? Just curious - I am guessing HHI $200k-$500k?

I have $700k HHI and 3 kids in private; i do. Ot consider myself donut hole - it sucks to have to pay $90k/yr for college but i feel lucky to be able to afford it. It is confusing when i hear peers talk about donut hole, because we are so so lucky to have what we have and i can’t complain.

150-225 is donut hole. maybe 250. not 700 lol

+1 at someone with $500k+ whining about paying for college. Especially when they are already comfortably paying for private school. That's probably costing you something like $50-$60k, right? So paying $90k/yr for college is the same hit to your pre-college budget as the public school family paying for their in state public college. And I should hope at the income level you have a lot more slack in your budget to pay for it. If not, you must be really bad with money.

I cannot imagine paying $40K+ for private K-12 (or even HS alone) and not having enough saved for college for the kids.

Exactly. It’s about lifestyle choices. There are good reasons to send a kid to private with SN or learning disabilities but for most kids, tutors are just fine.

Well, imagine it. You can keep on paying the $50K, but $95K would be a stretch. Would it have been better to save that $50K every year to be able to pay the $95K? Who can say?

But it is a CHOICE they had and they made. Now you get to live with it. Many of us wouldn't have (didn't) make that choice and can now pay the $90K

Hater.

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Anonymous wrote:What is a donut hole family? High income nut no savings?

Too rich to get aid. But not rich enough to easily pay $90k a year, especially with multiple kids. Usually live in high cost of living areas.

And also made the choice not to save but instead increase their lifestyle as their income increased. Because even in a "hCOLA" if you have been making $250K for the last 5 years, you could have chosen to save $20-30K/year, and likely for more than 5 years

This doesn’t get you anywhere close to affording private colleges at full cost for one kid, let alone two or more.

And of course you’ll say, “just go in-state public!!” Which, sure, but that’s kind of the point of the donut hole. It’s not that you can’t afford *any* college, just that you are priced out of some of them while others above and below are not.

Actually it does. We could "afford it" now as we paid off our house and we live way under our means as we haven't changed our lifestyle as our income goes up. Would it be smart, no. Does my child want to go to a school thats $90K, no, but some are $60K. If you made lifestyle choices that are different, then don't complain of what you cannot afford when you choose a differnet path. While you vacationed, we saved. While you go out to $100-300 meals, we go to $60-80 meals.

No, it doesn’t. A kid starting school at good private colleges next year is looking at a total COA of close to $400k over the next four years. Five years of saving $25-30k does not get you there at all. You would need at least 10 years at that amount and with a real return of 7%. And that would just cover one kid.

Yes, it does. We started saving since birth. Those vacations you took, well we didn't and that money got put away. When you bought your expensive house in the "good" school district, we stayed in our small little house and paid it off... We saved about half that but stopped as we can pull from retirement.

No, it literally doesn’t. Saving $25-30k a year for the last five years before college does not get you to $400k in real terms even with the average market return.

You’re trying to lecture people about financial responsibility and you don’t even understand basic compound interest or math.

Of course I do. You don't start saving the last five years. You start saving at birth. We started at birth.

Because smart parents know they want their kids to attend college and college is ever more expensive each year, so you have to save and the sooner you start the less you need to save

Yuck. This is just joyless. Neither the UC and WC are expected to work amd strive this hard. At some point, I may choose to just be left behind.