Anyone making a 6-figure salary (combined or not) receiving financial aid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:200K is fast becoming an averge moderate middle America family income.

I am not sure where you are getting your information. A quick google search showed me this page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States

And this

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/4person.html

It is offensive to me that there are people who don't have enough money to put food on the table and others are whining about the financial strain of sending their kids to high end schools.

[Anonymous]

I think we may all need to agree to disagree here. It is absolutely okay for anyone who wants to apply for financial aid. No need for them to defend their decision to anyone but themselves. It is also absolutely okay for donors to check with their school and make sure they feel comfortable with the process/formula used to make those grants. And if your HHI is more than $150K, you should know that the price of accepting aid is that some but not all might have opinions about it that they probably would not admit to you in person.

It's a bit like loaning money to a sibling and then watching them spend it in a way you really didn't have in mind ... "Hey, I thought you guys needed help with FOOD, not gas money for the free "timeshare sales pitch vacation"!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:200K is fast becoming an averge moderate middle America family income.

I am not sure where you are getting your information. A quick google search showed me this page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States

And this

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/4person.html

It is offensive to me that there are people who don't have enough money to put food on the table and others are whining about the financial strain of sending their kids to high end schools.

I think that some people's idea of what is "average, moderate, middle" is very skewed.

[Anonymous]

Anyone who can even contemplate private tuition, even with financial aid, is NOT average, moderate, middle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who can even contemplate private tuition, even with financial aid, is NOT average, moderate, middle.

Well, if that's the case, who is the financial aid for???

[Anonymous]

What bugs me about the original post is that the OP states that they CAN afford the tuition -- but it would be nice given the economy to get financial aid. Yes, everyone is struggling. But OP states that he/she CAN afford the tuition -- but that I guess the extra savings provided by FA would be nice. If the OP is making upwards of $200k, I'm not sure how he/she could be hurting. Investments down? Um, that's affecting all of us. Perhaps he/she/they are lawyers at a big firm or other type of job where folks have been getting huge bonuses every year but can't count on that this year? Um, too bad.

I guess I'm irritated b/c I know many wealthy families living in very nice homes, driving very nice cars, taking very nice vacations, socking away money for retirement and college, etc. who are whining about the bad economy and talking about the "sacrafices" they are making. To wit: "we scaled back the new addition and decorating b/c of the economy" (we'll have to wait on some things until things get better). Or, "we started shopping at Target -- boy do they have good deals!" Or, "I stopped buying ALL my makeup at Nordstroms --now I pick up nonessentials like lipstick at CVS."

Again, the OP said they COULD afford the tuition -- so why would they need FA? Shouldn't it go to people who otherwise wouldn't apply b/c they couldn't comfortably afford it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: I'm with the 18:42 poster. Like her, even though our HHI is a little over 200K, nobody is sitting on 10 acres of land, driving Bentleys to our private jet to take us to our own private island.

200K is fast becoming an averge moderate middle America family income. Not knowing individual families situation, figuring school loans, medical bills, or any other kind of debt, $200k turns into not alot of money. So, NO, I don't find any shame in applying for financial aid to see what happens. I'm not looking for a full ride, but anything to cut the cost would certainly help. And, if they say no, they say no...Charter & Public has not been ruled out, but with the competitiveness of the "Better" schools, it's likely the choice will be private.

That's bullshit. (Another poster put it much more nicely and provided data to back up her claim.) If the "choice is private," fine. Pay for it yourself.

[Anonymous]

"OP here: I'm with the 18:42 poster. Like her, even though our HHI is a little over 200K, nobody is sitting on 10 acres of land, driving Bentleys to our private jet to take us to our own private island."

You may not have 10 acres of land (b/c no one does in DC), but you are likely living in a very nice neighborhood as opposed to a questionable one. You may not drive a Bentley, but I doubt you're driving a 1990 something car (or even an early 2000) like most middle income families. Of course you don't have a private jet or private island -- but you probably take a nice vacation at least once a year (and many middle income/average families are hurting so they don't get to take a vacation every year -- for many of us it's a luxury we can't afford or something we save up for so that we can take one in another year or so).

Again, I think wealth is very subjective. Folks with decent incomes never think they have enough. And many folks feel entitled to certain things and live above their means. I bet I could think of easy ways for the OP to tighten their collective family belt so they could easily afford private school given their HH income. And once again, private school is a CHOICE -- and you are very lucky to be in the position to make such a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bet I could think of easy ways for the OP to tighten their collective family belt so they could easily afford private school given their HH income. And once again, private school is a CHOICE -- and you are very lucky to be in the position to make such a choice.

On the contrary. Public schooling is what it is. I would not question anyones who wants something better.
This is something very difficult for parents to compromise on. We are talking about education here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"OP here: I'm with the 18:42 poster. Like her, even though our HHI is a little over 200K, nobody is sitting on 10 acres of land, driving Bentleys to our private jet to take us to our own private island."

You may not have 10 acres of land (b/c no one does in DC), but you are likely living in a very nice neighborhood as opposed to a questionable one. You may not drive a Bentley, but I doubt you're driving a 1990 something car (or even an early 2000) like most middle income families. Of course you don't have a private jet or private island -- but you probably take a nice vacation at least once a year (and many middle income/average families are hurting so they don't get to take a vacation every year -- for many of us it's a luxury we can't afford or something we save up for so that we can take one in another year or so).

Again, I think wealth is very subjective. Folks with decent incomes never think they have enough. And many folks feel entitled to certain things and live above their means. I bet I could think of easy ways for the OP to tighten their collective family belt so they could easily afford private school given their HH income. And once again, private school is a CHOICE -- and you are very lucky to be in the position to make such a choice.

I'm not either of the PPs you're referencing here, but our HHI is also close to 200K. Contrary to your assumptions, in fact we do drive a 90s era car ('97 Outback, great car!) and haven't taken a vacation in over ten years; our only travel is staying with family.

The only items in our budget that others might call luxury are that we do live in a nice neighborhood, and we do contribute to retirement and college accounts. Personally, I don't consider savings to be a luxury (in fact, we'd liove a lot better if we stopped making contributions to those funds!) but I can see where some might think of that as a luxury. (And BTW, we don't even have cable!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: I'm with the 18:42 poster. Like her, even though our HHI is a little over 200K, nobody is sitting on 10 acres of land, driving Bentleys to our private jet to take us to our own private island.

200K is fast becoming an averge moderate middle America family income. Not knowing individual families situation, figuring school loans, medical bills, or any other kind of debt, $200k turns into not alot of money. So, NO, I don't find any shame in applying for financial aid to see what happens. I'm not looking for a full ride, but anything to cut the cost would certainly help. And, if they say no, they say no...Charter & Public has not been ruled out, but with the competitiveness of the "Better" schools, it's likely the choice will be private.

I guess I don't understand all the hostility to OP. She feels that her family's financial situation is such that with a 200K income, a private school education will be very difficult to pay for. If the HHI were some exhorbitant amount, I might understand the response. But however you cut it, it is not alot of money. As far as I can tell, at the Big Six, a majority of the families have a parent, often two, who are law firm partners, where their average HHIs are 3 or 4 or 10 times that much. If she were asking for a full ride, I might also understand the hostility. But she is simply asking for "anything to cut the cost." For many of us, even a small sum is all that we need to be able to stretch to make the tuition and aftercare. Keep in mind that the school, administered by financial aid experts, with your TAX RETURNs and a very detailed and intrusive financial aid application form will have a precise idea of your true financial health. They can, and do, say no. Keep in mind also that there is an apportionment decision made. I cannot imagine that anyone making more than 200K per year is getting anything even close to a full ride, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that such a family would still pay amounts over 20K per year. If your view is that private school is a luxury, and only those who can afford it should go, that's fine. But every private school that offers financial aid apparently has made a decision to the contrary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: I'm with the 18:42 poster. Like her, even though our HHI is a little over 200K, nobody is sitting on 10 acres of land, driving Bentleys to our private jet to take us to our own private island.

200K is fast becoming an averge moderate middle America family income. Not knowing individual families situation, figuring school loans, medical bills, or any other kind of debt, $200k turns into not alot of money. So, NO, I don't find any shame in applying for financial aid to see what happens. I'm not looking for a full ride, but anything to cut the cost would certainly help. And, if they say no, they say no...Charter & Public has not been ruled out, but with the competitiveness of the "Better" schools, it's likely the choice will be private.

I guess I don't understand all the hostility to OP. She feels that her family's financial situation is such that with a 200K income, a private school education will be very difficult to pay for. If the HHI were some exhorbitant amount, I might understand the response. But however you cut it, it is not alot of money. As far as I can tell, at the Big Six, a majority of the families have a parent, often two, who are law firm partners, where their average HHIs are 3 or 4 or 10 times that much. If she were asking for a full ride, I might also understand the hostility. But she is simply asking for "anything to cut the cost." For many of us, even a small sum is all that we need to be able to stretch to make the tuition and aftercare. Keep in mind that the school, administered by financial aid experts, with your TAX RETURNs and a very detailed and intrusive financial aid application form will have a precise idea of your true financial health. They can, and do, say no. Keep in mind also that there is an apportionment decision made. I cannot imagine that anyone making more than 200K per year is getting anything even close to a full ride, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that such a family would still pay amounts over 20K per year. If your view is that private school is a luxury, and only those who can afford it should go, that's fine. But every private school that offers financial aid apparently has made a decision to the contrary.

Private school is indeed a luxury. It's certainly not a need in the basic sense of the word. OP has stated that she can afford the tuition. OP has stated that any unforseen circumstance can increase her debt beyond the ability to pay. Why would OP want to make her debt everyone else's problem? Why would OP want to add to her debt (or at least add to her inability to pay off her current debts) by incurring an expense like private school tuition? Financially this just doesn't make sense. Decisions like this are probably what got OP in the debt situation to begin with. And now she wants the schools (rather, parents who contribute to annual giving) to lighten her load? Yes, every child deserves a good education. But OP has placed her child's education in jeopardy by the decisions she has made (living check to check, purchasing a home or renting a home in a neighborhood with undesirable schools, incurring debt beyond the ability to pay). No, I don't know all the details of OP's situation but OP needs to take responsibility (versus asking for a bailout...even a small one) for the decisions she's made. 200K is a substantial amount of money, no matter how you slice it. There are many even in this expensive DC area who have done quite a lot with that type of income and less. OP should live within her means. If private is what she wants, try Harbor School/Primary Day/Concord Hill/Aidan Montessori/Grace Episcopal versus GDS/Maret/Sidwell. Tuition is nearly $10K less. And if OP is only looking for a small amount in FA to cover after school care or a small bit of tuition, $10K should do.

[Anonymous]

Saving for retirement is indeed an important budget item and should not be put off (at least not completely) to pay for private school. However, getting financial aid in order to continue putting the amount you would like into retirement savings is basically asking other families to help provide you with the lifestyle you want now as well as the lifestyle you would like to have in retirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: I'm with the 18:42 poster. Like her, even though our HHI is a little over 200K, nobody is sitting on 10 acres of land, driving Bentleys to our private jet to take us to our own private island.

200K is fast becoming an averge moderate middle America family income. Not knowing individual families situation, figuring school loans, medical bills, or any other kind of debt, $200k turns into not alot of money. So, NO, I don't find any shame in applying for financial aid to see what happens. I'm not looking for a full ride, but anything to cut the cost would certainly help. And, if they say no, they say no...Charter & Public has not been ruled out, but with the competitiveness of the "Better" schools, it's likely the choice will be private.

I guess I don't understand all the hostility to OP. She feels that her family's financial situation is such that with a 200K income, a private school education will be very difficult to pay for. If the HHI were some exhorbitant amount, I might understand the response. But however you cut it, it is not alot of money. As far as I can tell, at the Big Six, a majority of the families have a parent, often two, who are law firm partners, where their average HHIs are 3 or 4 or 10 times that much. If she were asking for a full ride, I might also understand the hostility. But she is simply asking for "anything to cut the cost." For many of us, even a small sum is all that we need to be able to stretch to make the tuition and aftercare. Keep in mind that the school, administered by financial aid experts, with your TAX RETURNs and a very detailed and intrusive financial aid application form will have a precise idea of your true financial health. They can, and do, say no. Keep in mind also that there is an apportionment decision made. I cannot imagine that anyone making more than 200K per year is getting anything even close to a full ride, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that such a family would still pay amounts over 20K per year. If your view is that private school is a luxury, and only those who can afford it should go, that's fine. But every private school that offers financial aid apparently has made a decision to the contrary.

Private school is indeed a luxury. It's certainly not a need in the basic sense of the word. OP has stated that she can afford the tuition. OP has stated that any unforseen circumstance can increase her debt beyond the ability to pay. Why would OP want to make her debt everyone else's problem? Why would OP want to add to her debt (or at least add to her inability to pay off her current debts) by incurring an expense like private school tuition? Financially this just doesn't make sense. Decisions like this are probably what got OP in the debt situation to begin with. And now she wants the schools (rather, parents who contribute to annual giving) to lighten her load? Yes, every child deserves a good education. But OP has placed her child's education in jeopardy by the decisions she has made (living check to check, purchasing a home or renting a home in a neighborhood with undesirable schools, incurring debt beyond the ability to pay). No, I don't know all the details of OP's situation but OP needs to take responsibility (versus asking for a bailout...even a small one) for the decisions she's made. 200K is a substantial amount of money, no matter how you slice it. There are many even in this expensive DC area who have done quite a lot with that type of income and less. OP should live within her means. [b]If private is what she wants, try Harbor School/Primary Day/Concord Hill/Aidan Montessori/Grace Episcopal versus GDS/Maret/Sidwell. Tuition is nearly $10K less.[/b] And if OP is only looking for a small amount in FA to cover after school care or a small bit of tuition, $10K should do.

OP never said what schools were applied to...How do you know it wasn't any of the lesser expensive schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Saving for retirement is indeed an important budget item and should not be put off (at least not completely) to pay for private school. However, getting financial aid in order to continue putting the amount you would like into retirement savings is basically asking other families to help provide you with the lifestyle you want now as well as the lifestyle you would like to have in retirement.

I agree.

Saving for retirement is important, but for increasing numbers of people, they simply CANNOT put money into a retirement savings account that they need in order to eat, have a roof over their heads, have heat, food, etc. etc.

Again, I think we all just need to get a little perspective here. The things we think are important, necessities, the income levels we think are average, reasonable.... many people on this board just don't seem to be able to imagine what it is like for most people in the real world. We think TWO cars is obviously a necessity when there are two parents, two jobs, kids to ferry around, whatever. Not everyone can afford even ONE car; lots of people have to walk, or take the bus, or carpool. We think a vacation is "necessary" for our mental health. We think a gym membership is "necessary" for our physical well being. And so on.....