Who are these families with household incomes of $45k or $60k? $70k?

[Anonymous]

That was us when we were on EH won bee visa. When we got our green card after years of indentured labor, DH started to earn 200k. Within a few years…we are now at 400k HHI. Of course years of lost income during our prime yearning years happened. Is it any surprise that we have a drive to succeed and see our kids excel?

[Anonymous]

A single parent school teacher in most of the Midwest, outside of the huge cities will only make $60-65k even after a few decades.

[Anonymous]

WOW, you are tone deaf. You know the median household income in America is $70,000. That means HALF of America is below that amount.

You (like most of us on this forum), live in an upper class (sub)urban bubble, and have no idea how the majority of this country lives.

[Anonymous]

You think a Walmart worker is pulling down 70k? My goodness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Factory worker $18/hour. Grocery store worker $16/hour. Nurse aide $16/hour. These are regular American jobs. Most likely these folks did not go to college and had kids ‘early.’

An adult workers in Mississippi makes the Federal minimum wage: $7.25 an hour.

A kid in MD makes $12.50.

A kid.

Republicans do not buy into the living wage concept.

"A living wage is defined as the minimum income necessary for a worker to meet their basic needs."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m seeing incomes like this quoted as needed to be this insanely low to get financial aid and certain private scholarships. Who is making these household incomes who also has a 17 year old applying to college? Two Walmart store employees make far more than that even, so I must be missing something. Is there cash being stashed under the mattress?

Simple. These are the same families with Free Lunch in High School.

I know a few where parents are not married and "husband" has own business. They only report mom's income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I went to college in 1980 I got Max financial Aid. Here was my stats.

Dad died cancer two years earlier no insurance after a year long barrier. My mom made slightly under 9k income in 1979. Back then they gave you $3,000 off income per kid in college.

My mom had three kids in college at same time plus I had a younger sister. So I reported zero income. My
moms net worth was negative $20,000. She owned a small home as only asset but mortgage counted as debt. She had zero savings.

I recall my guidance counselor joked you hit the jackpot!

There were tons of kids like me. I am paying full freight all three of my kids and have literally paid millions in taxes since I graduated college. Full Financial aid is for kids like me and I pay full freight and income taxes now and hope it helps the poor kids of today get a college education

Good on you, and good for all of us.
With one dead parent when I started college, I had a bit of assistance from social security. That opportunity was revoked.
Thanks for your clear explanation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP is proof that income bears no correlation to intelligence.

DCUM pretty much exemplifies this statement PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You think a Walmart worker is pulling down 70k? My goodness.

+1 I almost choked on my coffee. Not sure how much OP thinks Walmart employees make per hour? Even if they made $16 (at the high end) it would be $30K per year. A two-income household would still be within 45-60K.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/11/06/how-many-people-work-at-walmart-in-each-state-and-what-they-are-paid/42993851/

[Anonymous]

My DH's first job was as a public prosecutor in NJ. This was about 15 years ago but you can do the math. His salary? $37K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m seeing incomes like this quoted as needed to be this insanely low to get financial aid and certain private scholarships. Who is making these household incomes who also has a 17 year old applying to college? Two Walmart store employees make far more than that even, so I must be missing something. Is there cash being stashed under the mattress?

From what I gather from the OP, he/she assumes “the poor” are not/should not have children with higher education aspirations!

^this

[Anonymous]

There are university professors who earn 70K. Sad but true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH's first job was as a public prosecutor in NJ. This was about 15 years ago but you can do the math. His salary? $37K.

Did your DH has a 17 year old 15 years ago when he was in his first job?

[Anonymous]

I’m a teacher in a MD public school making $72k per year. My senior has gotten some good FA awards so far.

[Anonymous]

Bus drivers, cafeterias workers, teacher assistants, extended day staff, custodial staff. And those were all people I came up with thinking about school employees. We can move onto to other industries as needed.

You do realize those people often have children too, right? And often they want them to go to college too.