Keep the Poor Students in Poor Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of the resentment comes from people who are in between "have" and "have not." That is, people who make healthy incomes but also have high expenses and private school is still a financial strain, even if they have the means. The very rich can write a check for $30k with no problem. The very poor get a hand out. So, like Romney, the very middle class (!) don't care about either group.

Maybe I misunderstood and this is your point, but the ire shouldn't come from "people who are in between "have" and "have not." That is, people who make healthy incomes but also have high expenses and private school is still a financial strain, even if they have the means" - it should be directed at those people. To me, you've exactly described the $250k HHI family who has the expensive house and lives pretty high on the hog, but still applies for and feels entitled to financial aid because their expenses are so high. But those expenses are choices, and why should others chip in for them because they absolutely HAVE to live in a $850K house? I would much, much rather financial aid go to kids whose parents have a HHI of $100k.

We make about $250k HHI, and have positioned ourselves so that we could pay tuition out of pocket. That involves planning ahead, purchasing a much less expensive house that we "could have," and generally prioritizing education above a lot of things. So it really irks me when people blather on about "you can't get a house for under $750k" and how they simply couldn't pay tuition on their salaries. I get that you didn't plan ahead, and I get that your current expenses make it difficult to impossible to afford the full tuition. But those ARE choices, and I don't think your lack of foresight, or prioritizing things other than education, entltle you to FA, especially when it's subsidized by families like mine, who make the same HHI but made choices that allowed us to afford the school. The daughter of the bricklayer? By all means, she should get FA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is fa artificially raises the cost of tuition thus pushing out middle class families. I think that is the anger and I understand that.

Do you think the extra $2500 you pay towards FA is the difference between affordable and not affordable? Wake up call, that is highly unlikely. When parents file for FA there is a formula used to calculate what, if any FA a family should receive. The schools usually reserve middle class pots for teachers and staff children who usually receive *gasp* FINANCIAL AID!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
it is a myth


Bullshit. I am proof of that, and if you went to law school you are proof of that. I know many first generation college grads who busted their buts to move up the socio-economic ladder. A lack of generational wealth does not equate to a lack of opportunity.


It's not a myth. Do some reading. Yes, I went to law school, but my brother dropped out in the 9th grade and my sister did not go to college. I am 1 out of 3 kids who made it.

Three out of four kids in my family made it, by shear will and determination. Those who chose another path have no one to blame but themselves. We have the opportunity to succeed, no one can make us avail ourselves of that opportunity.

[Anonymous]

I did not have a problem with financial aid when I thought it went to lower income people or working parents such as firefighters, military, security guard, social worker, you name it. I did have trouble when I found out that a neighbor of ours who lives in a bigger house, driving two newer cars of which one is a luxury car was getting a big FA package. I should not have found out but I did. This is why people have problems with FA. Those who work hard and sacrafice give funds to those who do not. The more debt you have the more money you will get. It is not strictly an income equation. I have no problem with deserving families who do not have enough income to afford private school to attend. I think it should be strictly an income model and that rare circumstance of inheritance, illness and unforseeable circumstances should be able to alter the equation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The anger that you often see on this board is that after paying $30,000 + for our own DCs to get an education we are then asked to pay more for your children.

So? Just say no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
it is a myth


Bullshit. I am proof of that, and if you went to law school you are proof of that. I know many first generation college grads who busted their buts to move up the socio-economic ladder. A lack of generational wealth does not equate to a lack of opportunity.


It's not a myth. Do some reading. Yes, I went to law school, but my brother dropped out in the 9th grade and my sister did not go to college. I am 1 out of 3 kids who made it.

Three out of four kids in my family made it, by shear will and determination. Those who chose another path have no one to blame but themselves. We have the opportunity to succeed, no one can make us avail ourselves of that opportunity.

I don't believe that. Some people have higher obstacles than others. Yes, some folks don't take advantage of everything that is offered to them, but I know that I am really glad that I was raised by 2 hardworking parents. I know a lot of kids who have the misfortune of being born to a single mom with many kids. Sheer determination does not help you succeed with that. You need to be one in a million.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is fa artificially raises the cost of tuition thus pushing out middle class families. I think that is the anger and I understand that.

Do you think the extra $2500 you pay towards FA is the difference between affordable and not affordable? Wake up call, that is highly unlikely. When parents file for FA there is a formula used to calculate what, if any FA a family should receive. The schools usually reserve middle class pots for teachers and staff children who usually receive *gasp* FINANCIAL AID!

FWIW... I'm firmly middle class. We've been paying full freight for our DCs since the beginning and can't get FA b/c we make just enough not to qualify, but we won't be able to afford private next year so that's it for us. Thanks for the memories, and for the attitude. Much appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Just so you guys know, some of us lurk on this board who send our kids to public school and are just considering private school in the future. You guys sure make me want to avoid it. I'm not sure the allegedly superior education is worth it for all this anger and pettiness.

[Anonymous]

But you made the choice to position yourself to pay for private school and your neighbor chooses to live extravagantly. Why are you bitching about your choice. You could do what your neighbor does! Don't donate money to FA. Easy. Next "problem" please.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot of the resentment comes from people who are in between "have" and "have not." That is, people who make healthy incomes but also have high expenses and private school is still a financial strain, even if they have the means. The very rich can write a check for $30k with no problem. The very poor get a hand out. So, like Romney, the very middle class (!) don't care about either group.

Maybe I misunderstood and this is your point, but the ire shouldn't come from "people who are in between "have" and "have not." That is, people who make healthy incomes but also have high expenses and private school is still a financial strain, even if they have the means" - it should be directed at those people. To me, you've exactly described the $250k HHI family who has the expensive house and lives pretty high on the hog, but still applies for and feels entitled to financial aid because their expenses are so high. But those expenses are choices, and why should others chip in for them because they absolutely HAVE to live in a $850K house? I would much, much rather financial aid go to kids whose parents have a HHI of $100k.

We make about $250k HHI, and have positioned ourselves so that we could pay tuition out of pocket. That involves planning ahead, purchasing a much less expensive house that we "could have," and generally prioritizing education above a lot of things. So it really irks me when people blather on about "you can't get a house for under $750k" and how they simply couldn't pay tuition on their salaries. I get that you didn't plan ahead, and I get that your current expenses make it difficult to impossible to afford the full tuition. But those ARE choices, and I don't think your lack of foresight, or prioritizing things other than education, entltle you to FA, especially when it's subsidized by families like mine, who make the same HHI but made choices that allowed us to afford the school. The daughter of the bricklayer? By all means, she should get FA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The anger that you often see on this board is that after paying $30,000 + for our own DCs to get an education we are then asked to pay more for your children.

Unless your child scored none wrong on the ERB, pipe down. Your school is only giving FA to bright kids and is only doing it so that their test scores will make the rest of the school look good. No one is being "given" any thing. It is the brain power of these bright kids that earns your school its reputation, maintains its reputation and, later largely establishes the intellectual environment in which your child will be educated. My DC gets a lot of aid and spends most of his class time graciously helping his classmates who " don't understand".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I doubt that you have the same story. You don't know what the story is for people who apply for financial aid. In addition, just be happy that you are not poor.

+ 1 I couldn't agree more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is fa artificially raises the cost of tuition thus pushing out middle class families. I think that is the anger and I understand that.

Do you think the extra $2500 you pay towards FA is the difference between affordable and not affordable? Wake up call, that is highly unlikely. When parents file for FA there is a formula used to calculate what, if any FA a family should receive. The schools usually reserve middle class pots for teachers and staff children who usually receive *gasp* FINANCIAL AID!

No one making 250K is getting FA, people.At least not by the rec of the folks at SSS. No one. Know that the SSS formula factors FA based on reasonable expenses. Do you know what the SSS considers "reasonable housing expenses" in DC ? Hint : it is NOT a $5,000/mos mortgage on a 750K house. The SSS base housing expenses on this standard: they believe that a two bedroom apartment in DC can be had for $900/mos.They have not revised this number since 1972. I know because I called and asked. That means any housing expense that a DC FA applicant claims is going to housing, is automatically reduced to $900 with the remainder considered " not living by modest means"and that money is considered "disposable income" that could be used to pay tuition. So, if you are applying for FA and you pay say $2,000/mos for a 2 bedroom apartment for you and your DC or even if you pay $1,500 and drive in from Herdon every day, that $600 above the "modest $900/mos you are paying in rent is viewed as "living large", and gets turned into $7,200 more that you "can afford " to pay towards tuition that year in the eyes of SSS folks. They use nation wide housing averages and do not even compare them to the figures HUD uses to calculate their supplemental payment to property owners, which is stored data that they have access to.

[Anonymous]

That's interesting, PP, because the SSS website says "A school might adjust the SSS calculation in order to consider cost of living factors in the city or town where you live." I would think that would certainly apply for the DC area schools. Does anyone know if they do make a cost of living adjustment at local schools? Obviously 5000 a month mortgage would not be a reasonable cost of living adjustment, but 900 a month would be far from the average or median 2 BD prices I would think.

[Anonymous]

My husbands mom has a two bedroom apt in DC that is 900 per month. She lives on the border near Pennsylvania ave. and pg county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The anger that you often see on this board is that after paying $30,000 + for our own DCs to get an education we are then asked to pay more for your children.


Unless your child scored none wrong on the ERB, pipe down. Your school is only giving FA to bright kids and is only doing it so that their test scores will make the rest of the school look good. No one is being "given" any thing. It is the brain power of these bright kids that earns your school its reputation, maintains its reputation and, later largely establishes the intellectual environment in which your child will be educated. My DC gets a lot of aid and spends most of his class time graciously helping his classmates who " don't understand".

You mistakenly believe that the only bright kids are the financial aid kids. Sorry full freight here and my kid scored pretty damn close to perfect on the ERBs. Don't for a minute fool yourself in thinking that the kids whose parents pay their way are not also pulling their own intellectual weight.