Are people secretive about their FA status at your private school?

[Anonymous]

Yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is us, HHI of $250k and we pay full freight for 2 kids at a total of $64k this year. We do it by living in an 1800 sf home, driving older cars, having a frugal lifestyle, and only taking road trips to national parks or family as vacations. With a $250k HHI I wouldn't dream of applying for FA.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is us, HHI of $250k and we pay full freight for 2 kids at a total of $64k this year. We do it by living in an 1800 sf home, driving older cars, having a frugal lifestyle, and only taking road trips to national parks or family as vacations. With a $250k HHI I wouldn't dream of applying for FA.

+1

Glad the two of you wouldn't dream of applying for FA... leaves more money in the pot for those of us who have enough common sense to know that if you don't ask for the help you need you will never receive. So please don't go out and start applying for FA now.

[Anonymous]

If you make $200+ a year, you don't "need help" you just want it, like a spoiled entitled child. Veruca Salt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you make $200+ a year, you don't "need help" you just want it, like a spoiled entitled child. Veruca Salt.

???

You could say the same thing about someone making $100k

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you make $200+ a year, you don't "need help" you just want it, like a spoiled entitled child. Veruca Salt.

Yes. That must be it. You know my finances better than I do. LOL. And that crazy private school that just likes to had our money to spoiled entitled people instead of deserving ones. Like I said, I'm happy your "pride" and ego fly high. More in the pot for those of us willing to ask for help because my grandmother always told me a hungry shut mouth never gets fed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you make $200+ a year, you don't "need help" you just want it, like a spoiled entitled child. Veruca Salt.

Yes. That must be it. You know my finances better than I do. LOL. And that crazy private school that just likes to had our money to spoiled entitled people instead of deserving ones. Like I said, I'm happy your "pride" and ego fly high. More in the pot for those of us willing to ask for help because my grandmother always told me a hungry shut mouth never gets fed.

There is FREE EDUCATION for every child in this country. You want a private education, that's fine, but don't make it out like you "need" it.

[Anonymous]

Why not take it if you can get it? I get 10% with HHI of 375,000. Not a lot, but I'll take it.

[Anonymous]

At our school you can tell who is on FA bu the smell of fast food. I ask myself why should I be paying for this person?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every time there is a discussion like this on DC UM, I think it misses the central point of F A. Private schools select their students based on a number of criteria. Without financial aid they could not attract the quality of students they want to have in their schools. Most private schools believe having a versus group of students including economically diverse students, benefits everyone in the school. They also want to attract students who have a lot of ability are hard-working and contribute to their communities. Also, they want to have students from variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds because it enhances the educational opportunities of the school. So they use financial aid to recruit students who help the school reach these goals. Without such students they would not be able to send so many kids to the top colleges and therefore their reputations would falter. Since it is up to them to choose their students they may use whatever criteria they choose. But most rely on a very sophisticated analysis of a family's ability to pay. That being said my families experience is that they award generous financial aid and increase it if necessary, if the student is doing exceptionally well at the school and is contributing to the school community through leadership and other activities. I believe my kids are helping their school and I am thankful but not embarrassed that they receive financial aid.

Wow, this is a pretty amazing rationalization of FA. Be honest with yourself - it's an affirmative action, borderline quota system to get URM into good private schools. It exists because a bunch of liberal, wealthy white parents decided to create it. If they turned off the FA tap tomorrow, populations would revert what they were in the 50's and 60's. And if another child with your identical SES applied and was white, they'd have virtually no chance of getting in.

OP here: I am white. So my kid got FA not because of any quota system, but becuase of who he his.... he is unusually talented in one area ( not sports), highly gifted, and is extremely compassionate. He always goes the extra mile to help kids who are struggling. Many his elementary teachers have remarked on this and I am sure they emphasized it in their recommendations. After his interview the admissions director told me that he struck her unusally kind. So they took him and gave us a lot of aid, otherwise he could not attend. And he spends a lot of time on activities which bring the school community together. Sure there are many, many applicants to these schools who could do the work academcially, but the top schools are looking at the whole child, especially the child's character. Ofcourse they recruit minority kids. Thank goodness. Some of these kids are full pay. There are many successful black, Latino, Asian, etc. people in this area. I would not send my child to a school that is not diverse. And in the 2016 garduating class and most of my son's black friends are going to Ivies, so that really helps school's reputation. Your child may be wonderful, but your attitude would seep out during the parental interviews. Be honest with yourself, you may be holding your child back.

Why should the other parents pay for your kid? Because you will say anything and sound just like the recruitment video?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not take it if you can get it? I get 10% with HHI of 375,000. Not a lot, but I'll take it.

That is disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not take it if you can get it? I get 10% with HHI of 375,000. Not a lot, but I'll take it.

That is disgusting.

Wow. Not sure I'd agree with that exact sentiment but it is kind of mind boggling if it's true. Psa to those making over $300k and getting financial aid: don't post it on this board--it may dampen future support for financial aid. I hope this is not my kids' school bc I don't think they're being very good stewards of other people's donations.

[Anonymous]

There was an article in the New York Times a few years ago about the underlying strategy elite and heavily endowed private schools use in making financial aid decisions. While schools provide financial aid to families of lower and middle income, they will also provide aid to higher income families based on certain life circumstances. While they can pay most of the tuition, there may be extenuating circumstances that prevent them from being able to pay full tuition. It is not as uncommon or "disgusting" as you think. Schools don't want to lose existing families who need some aid but not a significant amount. This is not unusual so get over it and yourself. The families don't go around telling people so they don't face ridicule from people like the PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was an article in the New York Times a few years ago about the underlying strategy elite and heavily endowed private schools use in making financial aid decisions. While schools provide financial aid to families of lower and middle income, they will also provide aid to higher income families based on certain life circumstances. While they can pay most of the tuition, there may be extenuating circumstances that prevent them from being able to pay full tuition. It is not as uncommon or "disgusting" as you think. Schools don't want to lose existing families who need some aid but not a significant amount. This is not unusual so get over it and yourself. The families don't go around telling people so they don't face ridicule from people like the PP.

that's fair, but the 375K poster didn't say he/she was facing some kind of life circumstance that made it hard for her/him to pay tuition. he/she said the school offered so why not take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you make $200+ a year, you don't "need help" you just want it, like a spoiled entitled child. Veruca Salt.

Yes. That must be it. You know my finances better than I do. LOL. And that crazy private school that just likes to had our money to spoiled entitled people instead of deserving ones. Like I said, I'm happy your "pride" and ego fly high. More in the pot for those of us willing to ask for help because my grandmother always told me a hungry shut mouth never gets fed.

There is FREE EDUCATION for every child in this country. You want a private education, that's fine, but don't make it out like you "need" it.

NOTHING is free and definitely not public school! Have you ever heard of "taxes?" So yeah since I don't like the school's available to me paid for by MY taxes I am in need for the private school education I want my children to have. Do you really think YOUR opinion on the subject matters? Get a grip on reality. You don't have to like it, but it's reality my dear.