Should financial aid in private school be stricter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They want some economic diversity but they're largely not prepared to deal with potentially bombastic class and cultural clashes that could result by bringing in truly low income kids who would have to be full ride+. It's easier to subsidize a middle class, college educated couple and their kids who couldn't afford private school but have kids who can, "blend" enough and share similar educational values. That's really it. Let's not kid ourselves, these schools are bastions of extreme privilege, but if they started giving full rides, needing to offer free lunch, subsidize field trips etc. In any way en masse people would FREAK out. So yeah, you're going to get some dual Feds with PhDs bringing in 300k. I think the schools prefer that in so many ways.

I agree. I’m the poster above with a 250k HHI and 3 kids who get significant aid in private school. Our school does prioritize income diversity which we certainly offer since most of the families probably are making over 500k. There are also families who make significantly less than us- when we initially applied we made less than 100k. What they DON’T want is to deal with high maintenance, entitled parents or alternatively parents who are not engaged in their child’s learning. They do offer full rides but will not accept a child whose needs they cannot meet (significant family instability, etc)

You actually sound really entitled. Anyone in the Bay Area who has THREE kids and expects a hand out from a private school to educate all their kids for not even the cost of one full tuition is a leach. If tuition is around 40 K and you have three children that is 120K. So 75% of that is 90k. You only pay 30K?!

What is the incentive work more to earn more if you can just get a hand out, right? Another family would have to earn 180k more than 250k - so 430k- to equal your true income because they would be paying around 50% in extra state and local taxes. So those families who you think are not in your income bracket actually are because they are having to pay $120k for their three kids. And that of course is after they pay taxes while you get your 90k of scholarship money for free.

This is why people no longer are willing to donate to financial aid. You aren't bringing anything to the table that another family wouldn't who only has one kid and makes 250k.

To my point. Financial aid should be stricter.

No, this is the point of financial aid. It is not intended for poor families which comes with a whole range of issues.

It is intended for working, financially stable families who need a little help to bring them to the finish line. Families making under $300k/year typically. These families are on the low end of the spectrum in private school. This is the target.

Ok, but what do you do with upper middle class people that pay full tuition. Wouldn’t it better just to admit those families? What’s wrong with them? Demand excess supply in private school, so I am sure you can get diverse families that pay full tuition. And financial aid to the ones that really need them.

These schools could fill their classes with full pay families. For whatever reason, they have decided financial aid is worthwhile. How they distribute it is for families who are stable, working, and close to being financially sound but need a little help.

That’s ok, but its not really financial aid. Is subsidizing educated families that schools like. The idea of financial aid. Is to provide AID to families that need it. Don’t think UMC need it. Yes, they need it for private school, but they could also need it for a BMW and vacations in Paris.

The donors who fund financial aid, and the financial aid offices who distribute it, both disagree with you.

Your opinion is irrelevant. Go whine about something else.

+1

If people don't like the way their school distributes financial aid, vote with your wallet and feet!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You work 2 jobs in DC and you immediately work yourself above the DCUM acceptable income for aid.

DCUM only wants to give aid to the elusive people who are working around the clock but not actually making any money.

Well said. How would those people even have the time to be involved with their kids education if they are worried about basic necessities? Makes more sense for bright/gifted lower income students to enter boarding schools at HS that offer that opportunity. It takes less stress off of parents in a vulnerable situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They want some economic diversity but they're largely not prepared to deal with potentially bombastic class and cultural clashes that could result by bringing in truly low income kids who would have to be full ride+. It's easier to subsidize a middle class, college educated couple and their kids who couldn't afford private school but have kids who can, "blend" enough and share similar educational values. That's really it. Let's not kid ourselves, these schools are bastions of extreme privilege, but if they started giving full rides, needing to offer free lunch, subsidize field trips etc. In any way en masse people would FREAK out. So yeah, you're going to get some dual Feds with PhDs bringing in 300k. I think the schools prefer that in so many ways.

I agree. I’m the poster above with a 250k HHI and 3 kids who get significant aid in private school. Our school does prioritize income diversity which we certainly offer since most of the families probably are making over 500k. There are also families who make significantly less than us- when we initially applied we made less than 100k. What they DON’T want is to deal with high maintenance, entitled parents or alternatively parents who are not engaged in their child’s learning. They do offer full rides but will not accept a child whose needs they cannot meet (significant family instability, etc)

You actually sound really entitled. Anyone in the Bay Area who has THREE kids and expects a hand out from a private school to educate all their kids for not even the cost of one full tuition is a leach. If tuition is around 40 K and you have three children that is 120K. So 75% of that is 90k. You only pay 30K?!

What is the incentive work more to earn more if you can just get a hand out, right? Another family would have to earn 180k more than 250k - so 430k- to equal your true income because they would be paying around 50% in extra state and local taxes. So those families who you think are not in your income bracket actually are because they are having to pay $120k for their three kids. And that of course is after they pay taxes while you get your 90k of scholarship money for free.

This is why people no longer are willing to donate to financial aid. You aren't bringing anything to the table that another family wouldn't who only has one kid and makes 250k.

To my point. Financial aid should be stricter.

No, this is the point of financial aid. It is not intended for poor families which comes with a whole range of issues.

It is intended for working, financially stable families who need a little help to bring them to the finish line. Families making under $300k/year typically. These families are on the low end of the spectrum in private school. This is the target.

Ok, but what do you do with upper middle class people that pay full tuition. Wouldn’t it better just to admit those families? What’s wrong with them? Demand excess supply in private school, so I am sure you can get diverse families that pay full tuition. And financial aid to the ones that really need them.

These schools could fill their classes with full pay families. For whatever reason, they have decided financial aid is worthwhile. How they distribute it is for families who are stable, working, and close to being financially sound but need a little help.

That’s ok, but its not really financial aid. Is subsidizing educated families that schools like. The idea of financial aid. Is to provide AID to families that need it. Don’t think UMC need it. Yes, they need it for private school, but they could also need it for a BMW and vacations in Paris.

The donors who fund financial aid, and the financial aid offices who distribute it, both disagree with you.

Your opinion is irrelevant. Go whine about something else.

+1

If people don't like the way their school distributes financial aid, vote with your wallet and feet!

That’s ok. But I think if the next fundraising round the explicitly mention that this financial aid is for well off families that are doing fine, guess how much money you will raise. I guess it doesn’t hurt to be more accurate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s very simple. Why do schools subsidize UMC families where there is a significant chunk of UMC that already pay full tuition.

The answer is also very simple. Donations fund financial aid. People give them money to do this. It is philanthropy.

That’s my point. You don’t do philanthropy for UMC. Except in private schools.

How else would teacher's kids and 5 kid families afford private. Are you seriously trying to carve them out of the picture so we can fully fund 1 kid instead of 10? Ten kids change the fabric and culture of the school, one child in a wealthy class will just feel isolated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You work 2 jobs in DC and you immediately work yourself above the DCUM acceptable income for aid.

DCUM only wants to give aid to the elusive people who are working around the clock but not actually making any money.

Well said. How would those people even have the time to be involved with their kids education if they are worried about basic necessities? Makes more sense for bright/gifted lower income students to enter boarding schools at HS that offer that opportunity. It takes less stress off of parents in a vulnerable situation.

Yes! We don’t want them in our schools. Well said!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They want some economic diversity but they're largely not prepared to deal with potentially bombastic class and cultural clashes that could result by bringing in truly low income kids who would have to be full ride+. It's easier to subsidize a middle class, college educated couple and their kids who couldn't afford private school but have kids who can, "blend" enough and share similar educational values. That's really it. Let's not kid ourselves, these schools are bastions of extreme privilege, but if they started giving full rides, needing to offer free lunch, subsidize field trips etc. In any way en masse people would FREAK out. So yeah, you're going to get some dual Feds with PhDs bringing in 300k. I think the schools prefer that in so many ways.

I agree. I’m the poster above with a 250k HHI and 3 kids who get significant aid in private school. Our school does prioritize income diversity which we certainly offer since most of the families probably are making over 500k. There are also families who make significantly less than us- when we initially applied we made less than 100k. What they DON’T want is to deal with high maintenance, entitled parents or alternatively parents who are not engaged in their child’s learning. They do offer full rides but will not accept a child whose needs they cannot meet (significant family instability, etc)

You actually sound really entitled. Anyone in the Bay Area who has THREE kids and expects a hand out from a private school to educate all their kids for not even the cost of one full tuition is a leach. If tuition is around 40 K and you have three children that is 120K. So 75% of that is 90k. You only pay 30K?!

What is the incentive work more to earn more if you can just get a hand out, right? Another family would have to earn 180k more than 250k - so 430k- to equal your true income because they would be paying around 50% in extra state and local taxes. So those families who you think are not in your income bracket actually are because they are having to pay $120k for their three kids. And that of course is after they pay taxes while you get your 90k of scholarship money for free.

This is why people no longer are willing to donate to financial aid. You aren't bringing anything to the table that another family wouldn't who only has one kid and makes 250k.

To my point. Financial aid should be stricter.

No, this is the point of financial aid. It is not intended for poor families which comes with a whole range of issues.

It is intended for working, financially stable families who need a little help to bring them to the finish line. Families making under $300k/year typically. These families are on the low end of the spectrum in private school. This is the target.

Ok, but what do you do with upper middle class people that pay full tuition. Wouldn’t it better just to admit those families? What’s wrong with them? Demand excess supply in private school, so I am sure you can get diverse families that pay full tuition. And financial aid to the ones that really need them.

These schools could fill their classes with full pay families. For whatever reason, they have decided financial aid is worthwhile. How they distribute it is for families who are stable, working, and close to being financially sound but need a little help.

That’s ok, but its not really financial aid. Is subsidizing educated families that schools like. The idea of financial aid. Is to provide AID to families that need it. Don’t think UMC need it. Yes, they need it for private school, but they could also need it for a BMW and vacations in Paris.

The donors who fund financial aid, and the financial aid offices who distribute it, both disagree with you.

Your opinion is irrelevant. Go whine about something else.

+1

If people don't like the way their school distributes financial aid, vote with your wallet and feet!

That will never happen especially among this particular demographic of schools.

https://danielheider.com/blog/the-top-7-most-exclusive-and-expensive-private-schools-in-the-greater-washington-dc-area

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s very simple. Why do schools subsidize UMC families where there is a significant chunk of UMC that already pay full tuition.

The answer is also very simple. Donations fund financial aid. People give them money to do this. It is philanthropy.

That’s my point. You don’t do philanthropy for UMC. Except in private schools.

How else would teacher's kids and 5 kid families afford private. Are you seriously trying to carve them out of the picture so we can fully fund 1 kid instead of 10? Ten kids change the fabric and culture of the school, one child in a wealthy class will just feel isolated.

I am not trying to do anything, just pointing to the fact that many middle class families make a lot of effort to pay the tuition…. So other middle class families get financial aid. What can possibly be wrong with that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You work 2 jobs in DC and you immediately work yourself above the DCUM acceptable income for aid.

DCUM only wants to give aid to the elusive people who are working around the clock but not actually making any money.

Well said. How would those people even have the time to be involved with their kids education if they are worried about basic necessities? Makes more sense for bright/gifted lower income students to enter boarding schools at HS that offer that opportunity. It takes less stress off of parents in a vulnerable situation.

Yes! We don’t want them in our schools. Well said!

I’m 100% for FA for all students who qualify. I’m saying private day school with the social dynamics is not set up for the truly poor. Whereas private boarding schools like Exeter/Andover etc are better equipped to offer more financial aid plus it takes the social pressure off lower income parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why academically bright but low income kids are going to elite private schools. He breaks it down very succinctly. Also, you have to have academic or athletic promise to even be admitted to those sorts of schools.

https://www.amherst.edu/news/magazine/issues/2017-spring/beyond-campus/the-priviledged-poor

I am fine with that. But what I see in private schools are average kids from UMC families that receive financial aid. So why exactly we are helping out these families?

Please o wise one tell us what poor people look like? Or does your bias tell you that certain zipcode and minorities must all be on aid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why academically bright but low income kids are going to elite private schools. He breaks it down very succinctly. Also, you have to have academic or athletic promise to even be admitted to those sorts of schools.

https://www.amherst.edu/news/magazine/issues/2017-spring/beyond-campus/the-priviledged-poor

I am fine with that. But what I see in private schools are average kids from UMC families that receive financial aid. So why exactly we are helping out these families?

Please o wise one tell us what poor people look like? Or does your bias tell you that certain zipcode and minorities must all be on aid?

Just ask the financial aid office in your school who receives financial aid and you will be able to count with your fingers the low income families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You work 2 jobs in DC and you immediately work yourself above the DCUM acceptable income for aid.

DCUM only wants to give aid to the elusive people who are working around the clock but not actually making any money.

Well said. How would those people even have the time to be involved with their kids education if they are worried about basic necessities? Makes more sense for bright/gifted lower income students to enter boarding schools at HS that offer that opportunity. It takes less stress off of parents in a vulnerable situation.

Yes! We don’t want them in our schools. Well said!

I’m 100% for FA for all students who qualify. I’m saying private day school with the social dynamics is not set up for the truly poor. Whereas private boarding schools like Exeter/Andover etc are better equipped to offer more financial aid plus it takes the social pressure off lower income parents.

Agree. What kind of networking poor families bring. Oh my gosh, I don’t even want to think about it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why academically bright but low income kids are going to elite private schools. He breaks it down very succinctly. Also, you have to have academic or athletic promise to even be admitted to those sorts of schools.

https://www.amherst.edu/news/magazine/issues/2017-spring/beyond-campus/the-priviledged-poor

I am fine with that. But what I see in private schools are average kids from UMC families that receive financial aid. So why exactly we are helping out these families?

Please o wise one tell us what poor people look like? Or does your bias tell you that certain zipcode and minorities must all be on aid?

Just ask the financial aid office in your school who receives financial aid and you will be able to count with your fingers the low income families.

So your financial aid office has shared this information with you? You also know their grades?

[Anonymous]

Ignore the troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why academically bright but low income kids are going to elite private schools. He breaks it down very succinctly. Also, you have to have academic or athletic promise to even be admitted to those sorts of schools.

https://www.amherst.edu/news/magazine/issues/2017-spring/beyond-campus/the-priviledged-poor

I am fine with that. But what I see in private schools are average kids from UMC families that receive financial aid. So why exactly we are helping out these families?

Please o wise one tell us what poor people look like? Or does your bias tell you that certain zipcode and minorities must all be on aid?

Just ask the financial aid office in your school who receives financial aid and you will be able to count with your fingers the low income families.

So your financial aid office has shared this information with you? You also know their grades?

Yes, it’s published online in some schools. The income of families receiving financial aid. If you were not checking DCUM the whole day you would notice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ignore the troll.

Only pay attention to the obnoxious parents that don’t want poor kids in their schools.