What families qualify for financial aid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When schools ask me to donate to and bid generously at the auction to support "socio-economic diversity," I wasn't thinking that the money was going to the kid of the Admissions Director's buddy who makes 200K. I thought it was providing real opportunities to people who might not otherwise have them - children from families headed by a single mom who doesn't have ten degrees, for example. There is a difference between upper middle class families who will otherwise be able to supplement their children's public school education with plenty of enrichment activities and families who can't do that because of money or circumstances. I guess I should NOT suggest to my secretary, who makes about $75K, that she apply her child to one of these schools as I was going to do because she is too poor for all of you all to want there. It's just those nice upper middle class families making $200K a year who are just not quite rich enough that you want to see in the class. Some diversity.

I may have to re-think my bidding and auction donations this year.

Me too, PP. I had the exact same thought as I read some of these posts. Also rethinking my annual fund donations, for that matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When schools ask me to donate to and bid generously at the auction to support "socio-economic diversity," I wasn't thinking that the money was going to the kid of the Admissions Director's buddy who makes 200K. I thought it was providing real opportunities to people who might not otherwise have them - children from families headed by a single mom who doesn't have ten degrees, for example. There is a difference between upper middle class families who will otherwise be able to supplement their children's public school education with plenty of enrichment activities and families who can't do that because of money or circumstances. I guess I should NOT suggest to my secretary, who makes about $75K, that she apply her child to one of these schools as I was going to do because she is too poor for all of you all to want there. It's just those nice upper middle class families making $200K a year who are just not quite rich enough that you want to see in the class. Some diversity.

I may have to re-think my bidding and auction donations this year.

Me too, PP. I had the exact same thought as I read some of these posts. Also rethinking my annual fund donations, for that matter.

Obviously your money is your own and you should do with it as you please. If you don't want to donate, then by all means don't. But for crying out loud, please get off your high horses. Why is it for you to decide who is worthy to get aid and who isn't?












Obviously

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When schools ask me to donate to and bid generously at the auction to support "socio-economic diversity," I wasn't thinking that the money was going to the kid of the Admissions Director's buddy who makes 200K. I thought it was providing real opportunities to people who might not otherwise have them - children from families headed by a single mom who doesn't have ten degrees, for example. There is a difference between upper middle class families who will otherwise be able to supplement their children's public school education with plenty of enrichment activities and families who can't do that because of money or circumstances. I guess I should NOT suggest to my secretary, who makes about $75K, that she apply her child to one of these schools as I was going to do because she is too poor for all of you all to want there. It's just those nice upper middle class families making $200K a year who are just not quite rich enough that you want to see in the class. Some diversity.

I may have to re-think my bidding and auction donations this year.

What in the world?? Which post said or even implied that they don't want anyone with 75K incomes at their school? And the kids of the AD's buddy?? You are hallucinating or something. All people have said is that anyone who would make a good fit at a school and cannot reasonably afford tuition should receive aid. Don't know how you extrapolate that to your wild accusations.

[Anonymous]

To the PP:

That is precisely NOT what people have said on this thread. Read it!

The thread has mostly focused on whether or not people who make $200K a year should get aid. In direct response to the idea that people who make more than $100K/yr shouldn't get aid, several posters decried the idea of all the nice "in between" families being left out in the cold. One can almost read into that nice in between sentiment that what is really meant is families just like ours, but only with just a smidge less money. (This is what I meant by the example of the AD's friend's kid - reminds me of US Magazine: Aid recipients! They're just like us!) One post even said that would leave only the rich, super rich and very poor at the school. Horrors! Of course, I realize on DCUMs, as another poster said, if you make less than $130K a year you are dirt poor.

If a school asks me for money for aid, I have a right to decide I don't want to give it to them because I don't like how they are deploying it. I will be asking a lot more questions from now on about who, exactly, is getting that money. My college is very up front that almost no one who makes more than $100K a year will qualify for aid at a school that costs over $50K a year all in. I don't see why DC private schools can't adhere to the same standard. I have worked very hard on the auction in the past, but now I am not sure I should.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the PP:

That is precisely NOT what people have said on this thread. Read it!

The thread has mostly focused on whether or not people who make $200K a year should get aid. In direct response to the idea that people who make more than $100K/yr shouldn't get aid, several posters decried the idea of all the nice "in between" families being left out in the cold. One can almost read into that nice in between sentiment that what is really meant is families just like ours, but only with just a smidge less money. (This is what I meant by the example of the AD's friend's kid - reminds me of US Magazine: Aid recipients! They're just like us!) One post even said that would leave only the rich, super rich and very poor at the school. Horrors! Of course, I realize on DCUMs, as another poster said, if you make less than $130K a year you are dirt poor.

If a school asks me for money for aid, I have a right to decide I don't want to give it to them because I don't like how they are deploying it. I will be asking a lot more questions from now on about who, exactly, is getting that money. My college is very up front that almost no one who makes more than $100K a year will qualify for aid at a school that costs over $50K a year all in. I don't see why DC private schools can't adhere to the same standard. I have worked very hard on the auction in the past, but now I am not sure I should.

Like the PPs, I totally agree that it is your money. So fine, don't donate. Yet clearly you think it is okay if the rich, super-rich and poor attend private schools, so why isn't it okay for those with incomes over 100K to receive aid? It's okay for someone who earns 50K/year to receive aid, but not okay for someone who earns 125K/year to receive aid? Seriously, why? In both cases the family isn't reasonably able to afford tuition (assuming that the 125/year family has more than one child). I honestly don't see the difference. Go ahead and do whatever you want with your money; just don't fallaciously believe that your standards are somehow the correct ones.

[Anonymous]

Our son attends St. Stephens & St. Agnes, where tuition is about $27k a year. We debated applying for aid but didn't because we didn't want to embarrass ourselves and plus we thought the aid should go to truly needy families.

However, I had second thoughts after filling out the Sidwell form. I went to the St. Stephens financial aid page, and likely we would not qualify.

Here are their stats:

Financial Aid
Financial aid is based on financial need as determined by the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) in Princeton, NJ. For 2008-09, St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School allocated 3.5 million dollars to 219 students, representing 19 percent of the student body. Grants range from 5 percent to 90 percent of the total tuition. Financial aid is not available for the Junior Kindergarten program.

[Anonymous]

Someone explain to me again how people who make $100K a year or less are poor? Shocking that I came from such low-class people, yet manage to send my kids (plural) to private school without a handout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone explain to me again how people who make $100K a year or less are poor? Shocking that I came from such low-class people, yet manage to send my kids (plural) to private school without a handout.

PP, do your kids attend one of these $27K plus schools?

Together, my husband and I make about $150K. (I work PT, but when I didn't, we were at about $100K.) If we choose to, we could send our children to a Catholic school where tuition for both is about $10,000/year. (It increases a bit each year, but that's about average. And they give breaks for siblings.) That tuition is almost an insignificant amount on this board!

Even so, it's something we can manage b/c we don't live "high on the hog." We don't consider ourselves poor, but by comparison (unless these posters are lying), I suppose we're at the bottom . . . not that I care b/c we don't take handouts either. And we have (had - before the economy was crushed) a nice nest egg and some money to play around with.

So I don't get it. I am opposed to people making $200K and above asking for handouts. Live within your means, I say, and get your priorities straight. Just b/c you make $600K doesn't mean you should have a $6,000/month mortgage and fancy cars. That's just ostentatious and wasteful. And what a terrible way to raise children. Talk about materialistic. My friend's father is a millionaire 3 times over, and you should see their home. He's lived a "middle class" lifestyle ever since he hit it big. They say you don't recognize the true millionaires b/c they don't live to impress others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone explain to me again how people who make $100K a year or less are poor? Shocking that I came from such low-class people, yet manage to send my kids (plural) to private school without a handout.

PP, do your kids attend one of these $27K plus schools?

Together, my husband and I make about $150K. (I work PT, but when I didn't, we were at about $100K.) If we choose to, we could send our children to a Catholic school where tuition for both is about $10,000/year. (It increases a bit each year, but that's about average. And they give breaks for siblings.) That tuition is almost an insignificant amount on this board!

Even so, it's something we can manage b/c we don't live "high on the hog." We don't consider ourselves poor, but by comparison (unless these posters are lying), I suppose we're at the bottom . . . not that I care b/c we don't take handouts either. And we have (had - before the economy was crushed) a nice nest egg and some money to play around with.

So I don't get it. I am opposed to people making $200K and above asking for handouts. Live within your means, I say, and get your priorities straight. Just b/c you make $600K doesn't mean you should have a $6,000/month mortgage and fancy cars. That's just ostentatious and wasteful. And what a terrible way to raise children. Talk about materialistic. My friend's father is a millionaire 3 times over, and you should see their home. He's lived a "middle class" lifestyle ever since he hit it big. They say you don't recognize the true millionaires b/c they don't live to impress others.

I agree, generally, about living simply, but I think you can live simply and still require financial aid. What if you wanted to send your children to a more expensive school -- maybe because it offered a specific advantage. Could you pay the $60,000 tuition on a $150,000 salary? We make just slightly more than you do $175K. We currently pay the $30,000 tuition, but I will not be ashamed to ask for aid if we send another child to that school. Do I expect a free ride? No. I am willing to ask for and accept a little help. We live quite simply btw -- old cars, no dinners out, no vacations, etc...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When schools ask me to donate to and bid generously at the auction to support "socio-economic diversity," I wasn't thinking that the money was going to the kid of the Admissions Director's buddy who makes 200K. I thought it was providing real opportunities to people who might not otherwise have them - children from families headed by a single mom who doesn't have ten degrees, for example. There is a difference between upper middle class families who will otherwise be able to supplement their children's public school education with plenty of enrichment activities and families who can't do that because of money or circumstances. I guess I should NOT suggest to my secretary, who makes about $75K, that she apply her child to one of these schools as I was going to do because she is too poor for all of you all to want there. It's just those nice upper middle class families making $200K a year who are just not quite rich enough that you want to see in the class. Some diversity.

I may have to re-think my bidding and auction donations this year.

Me too, PP. I had the exact same thought as I read some of these posts. Also rethinking my annual fund donations, for that matter.

Why? Do you want your children to go to school with only the very rich and the very poor? I would never send my children to a school like that. We have opted for a Big 3 school that values the middle class.

[Anonymous]

I think the point that you all are missing is that when schools give financial aid the awards vary based upon the families. I doubt families with a HHI are receiving a full ride. According to the Sidwell the calculator they may receive a grant of about 12,000 that means they are still making about 15,000 or 18,000. My HHI is about 125,000 I have no idea how we would even afford a reduced rate. FWIW

[Anonymous]

I don't get it.

Surely there is a sliding scale for tuition aid? People who are really poor might get a 95% grant and then people who make twice as much would get a 50% grant. By the time you are up at $150K, maybe the grant would be 5% or 10%. That type of system seems reasonable to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get it.

Surely there is a sliding scale for tuition aid? People who are really poor might get a 95% grant and then people who make twice as much would get a 50% grant. By the time you are up at $150K, maybe the grant would be 5% or 10%. That type of system seems reasonable to me.

Finally a poster that makes sense : ) I am certain this is exactly how the Financial Aid program works. I think the other factor that posters are not considering is that some people who truly would benefit from Financial Aid are not seeking aid.

[Anonymous]

At the margin, a 5-10% tuition break can make a big difference for a middle class family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get it.

Surely there is a sliding scale for tuition aid? People who are really poor might get a 95% grant and then people who make twice as much would get a 50% grant. By the time you are up at $150K, maybe the grant would be 5% or 10%. That type of system seems reasonable to me.

EXACTLY, EXACTLY, EXACTLY.

Even if you use even the very rough calculator provided on the Sidwell website, that is apparently exactly what happens.

For instance, I would never expect (or even accept) a full ride from a private school, given our income level. But some assistance will make the difference from my child (assuming she is found to be qualified in other ways) being able to attend or not attend. It will be a stretch for us even to pay a half - but it is a sacrifice we will happily make, given the opportunity.

Keep in mind that any family who is not connected or from a priority group already has to offer a lot more in terms of their child's intellectual capacity, ambiability and social skills than those from priority groups or connected families. Our children are the "filler" kids who round out the characteristics needed to make the best possible class once the priority candidates have been selected.

To those of you who only want your money to go to who *you* perceive to be "worthy" - I would suggest that you are missing the forest for the trees here.

The point of financial aid (ideally) is to enable every family whose child appears to be a good fit with the school to apply, be considered for admission and attend if accepted. It's not for the children of the noblesse oblige to attend along with a few poor charity cases their parents choose to admit so they can feel better about themselves. I trust that is not really the environment some of you want, despite what your posts suggest