"free tuition for people making under $x" is problematic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if this is a private HS issue. Very very few kids from our diverse public HS are choosing private college. Even the “wealthy” kids. We might have 5 or fewer per year. Everyone else is choosing in-state (VA) or OOS public, many with lots of merit.

Frankly I call BS. There are certainly a lot of kids that fit into this but the very few kids part is not right. At our diverse public the top 10 kids all went private.

Since we're sharing anecdotes, I'm with the first PP so I guess we're BS too. Our diverse public HS also sends only a handful of kids to private schools. Most others are in-state, OOS with merit, or CC and that's if they even go to college at all. Most head directly to the workforce with "maybe" some PT or online college.

[Anonymous]

I interpret these PR messages as referring to "income" below 200k, not assets. Are they talking about income or assets? I honestly don't know many people without property ownership at some level, which would keep them below 200k, especially in the NoVA area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fyi, Be careful about making assumptions. We earn 160 and received NO aid. From an ivy school that promises full aid to families up to 200k. We own our home and our 'assets' were deemed too high. We don't live a lavish lifestyle and drive an 8 year old honda. Yes, we have some saved for retirement and 529. But we are older (age 55/60) and this is our last kid. Seems that responsibility is a penalty. We didnt expect a lot, but thought we would get something, maybe 10? 15?. The full rejection was a surprise. So we will continue to deplete our assests amd try for aid again next year...

This is us (and with HHI even a bit lower but probably in a lower COL area). No aid. No real complaints and would not have changed our approach but it does sting just a bit. Good thing both kids got/get merit! So proud of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean. All colleges should be completely free to all students.

Nope. That's what public K-12 is for. And if they're not preparing your child for the workforce, supplement or complain to your local School Board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I interpret these PR messages as referring to "income" below 200k, not assets. Are they talking about income or assets? I honestly don't know many people without property ownership at some level, which would keep them below 200k, especially in the NoVA area.

They’re talking about income below 200k “with typical assets.” But most Americans don’t save enough, so if you have saved a reasonable amount, you aren’t in the group of people who have “typical assets,” and therefore will not qualify for reduced tuition even if your income is under $200k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I interpret these PR messages as referring to "income" below 200k, not assets. Are they talking about income or assets? I honestly don't know many people without property ownership at some level, which would keep them below 200k, especially in the NoVA area.

The advertisement is about 200k income with typical assets.

It's a bit misleading for families who are unfamiliar. People should be using the college's Net Price Calculator, period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fyi, Be careful about making assumptions. We earn 160 and received NO aid. From an ivy school that promises full aid to families up to 200k. We own our home and our 'assets' were deemed too high. We don't live a lavish lifestyle and drive an 8 year old honda. Yes, we have some saved for retirement and 529. But we are older (age 55/60) and this is our last kid. Seems that responsibility is a penalty. We didnt expect a lot, but thought we would get something, maybe 10? 15?. The full rejection was a surprise. So we will continue to deplete our assests amd try for aid again next year...

This is us (and with HHI even a bit lower but probably in a lower COL area). No aid. No real complaints and would not have changed our approach but it does sting just a bit. Good thing both kids got/get merit! So proud of them.

Are you saying your kids got merit discounts at a meets-need school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fyi, Be careful about making assumptions. We earn 160 and received NO aid. From an ivy school that promises full aid to families up to 200k. We own our home and our 'assets' were deemed too high. We don't live a lavish lifestyle and drive an 8 year old honda. Yes, we have some saved for retirement and 529. But we are older (age 55/60) and this is our last kid. Seems that responsibility is a penalty. We didnt expect a lot, but thought we would get something, maybe 10? 15?. The full rejection was a surprise. So we will continue to deplete our assests amd try for aid again next year...

This is us (and with HHI even a bit lower but probably in a lower COL area). No aid. No real complaints and would not have changed our approach but it does sting just a bit. Good thing both kids got/get merit! So proud of them.

We are on the same boat, more or less. My oldest kid attends a college of WASP, we pay less than 20 a year. There were two other elite colleges who offered similar aid but we chose the best fit. My second kid is also applying to elite colleges who offer generous aid. We’re tremendously grateful for the opportunities. My oldest kid is determined to pay back to the college after graduation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fyi, Be careful about making assumptions. We earn 160 and received NO aid. From an ivy school that promises full aid to families up to 200k. We own our home and our 'assets' were deemed too high. We don't live a lavish lifestyle and drive an 8 year old honda. Yes, we have some saved for retirement and 529. But we are older (age 55/60) and this is our last kid. Seems that responsibility is a penalty. We didnt expect a lot, but thought we would get something, maybe 10? 15?. The full rejection was a surprise. So we will continue to deplete our assests amd try for aid again next year...

This is us (and with HHI even a bit lower but probably in a lower COL area). No aid. No real complaints and would not have changed our approach but it does sting just a bit. Good thing both kids got/get merit! So proud of them.

We are on the same boat, more or less. My oldest kid attends a college of WASP, we pay less than 20 a year. There were two other elite colleges who offered similar aid but we chose the best fit. My second kid is also applying to elite colleges who offer generous aid. We’re tremendously grateful for the opportunities. My oldest kid is determined to pay back to the college after graduation.

Re-read the threads you are replying to. I think you are in a very different boat than the posters you quote, given than neither of them receives need based financial aid and you are paying less than $20k a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We make around 140k and when I hear about these policies I feel encouraged simply because we have a very academic, ambitious kid and it gives me hope that she will have more options for college than whatever in state school we can afford. We save diligently for college because she's very clearly college bound, but it's hard and we have to budget very carefully. We also will be fortunate to have 150k total by the time she is college age, even though we've been saving since she was born. So we will hopefully be able to swing in-state tuition. But she's a really smart kid with big dreams, and she works very hard. If she is able to get into an elite college, it is a relief to me to know that they will work with us to find a way for her to afford to go, since we will never be able to afford a school that charges 80-100k a year.

It is wild to me how resentful some of you are about this. Are your kids even getting into these schools? I feel like if you are wealthy enough to be able to pay these sticker prices, AND you have a kid with the stats to get in, you are in a good situation no matter what and there is little to complain about here. I don't get it.

Nobody’s launching a crusade. People are grumbling because colleges said something was free and then said “whoops but not for you because you were foolish enough to save.” Looks like you’ll be in exactly the same situation in a few years: feeling fortunate that your kid can go to college at all, but laughing ruefully at elite colleges that say they want to make college “affordable for everyone” or “enroll the best and the brightest,” but then, because you saved, make it clear that your kid won’t be able to attend. And then when people tell your kid that she’s actually not as good as she wants to believe because she didn’t go to the elite school you couldn’t afford … you’re not going to start a revolution. But you might be right here grumbling on DCUM.

PP here. I think you are misinformed. I assume all the money in my kid's 529 will wind up going to whatever college she attends. But if she gets into a college that charges more than that, I also think that if they guarantee tuition for kids whose families make less than 150k or 200k, that they will give her the balance. If I'm wrong, then yeah, that seems unfair. But I don't think I'm wrong.

We're talking about very selective colleges. If my kid gets into Princeton or Brown, I really do not think they will look at our finances and say "well you can pay a third of our tuition but we won't give you the difference because... reasons." That makes no sense. I think they will offer us financial aid at that point because if they've bothered to admit her to the school, my guess is they want her to attend and will help us find a way for it to happen.

I think the situation you are talking about is a situation where a family has way more assets than just some money in a 529. Like lots of savings, a rental property, lots of investments. And the school might look at that and say "ok you can afford to pay 90k per year." And some of these parents are like "no I don't want to, you should give me aid like that family over there who only had 150k in a 529 and some modest retirement savings." But that's idiotic. This family CAN afford to be full pay. They just don't want to. We can't afford full pay. The money simply is not there. So they will give us aid. Why should we be treated the same as a family with WAY more money and assets? That's silly. We are not the same.

[Anonymous]

The game is unfair. This is true.

But it is not unfair because people with less are getting more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We make around 140k and when I hear about these policies I feel encouraged simply because we have a very academic, ambitious kid and it gives me hope that she will have more options for college than whatever in state school we can afford. We save diligently for college because she's very clearly college bound, but it's hard and we have to budget very carefully. We also will be fortunate to have 150k total by the time she is college age, even though we've been saving since she was born. So we will hopefully be able to swing in-state tuition. But she's a really smart kid with big dreams, and she works very hard. If she is able to get into an elite college, it is a relief to me to know that they will work with us to find a way for her to afford to go, since we will never be able to afford a school that charges 80-100k a year.

It is wild to me how resentful some of you are about this. Are your kids even getting into these schools? I feel like if you are wealthy enough to be able to pay these sticker prices, AND you have a kid with the stats to get in, you are in a good situation no matter what and there is little to complain about here. I don't get it.

Nobody’s launching a crusade. People are grumbling because colleges said something was free and then said “whoops but not for you because you were foolish enough to save.” Looks like you’ll be in exactly the same situation in a few years: feeling fortunate that your kid can go to college at all, but laughing ruefully at elite colleges that say they want to make college “affordable for everyone” or “enroll the best and the brightest,” but then, because you saved, make it clear that your kid won’t be able to attend. And then when people tell your kid that she’s actually not as good as she wants to believe because she didn’t go to the elite school you couldn’t afford … you’re not going to start a revolution. But you might be right here grumbling on DCUM.

PP here. I think you are misinformed. I assume all the money in my kid's 529 will wind up going to whatever college she attends. But if she gets into a college that charges more than that, I also think that if they guarantee tuition for kids whose families make less than 150k or 200k, that they will give her the balance. If I'm wrong, then yeah, that seems unfair. But I don't think I'm wrong.

We're talking about very selective colleges. If my kid gets into Princeton or Brown, I really do not think they will look at our finances and say "well you can pay a third of our tuition but we won't give you the difference because... reasons." That makes no sense. I think they will offer us financial aid at that point because if they've bothered to admit her to the school, my guess is they want her to attend and will help us find a way for it to happen.

I think the situation you are talking about is a situation where a family has way more assets than just some money in a 529. Like lots of savings, a rental property, lots of investments. And the school might look at that and say "ok you can afford to pay 90k per year." And some of these parents are like "no I don't want to, you should give me aid like that family over there who only had 150k in a 529 and some modest retirement savings." But that's idiotic. This family CAN afford to be full pay. They just don't want to. We can't afford full pay. The money simply is not there. So they will give us aid. Why should we be treated the same as a family with WAY more money and assets? That's silly. We are not the same.

NP. Find out how much aid they will give you by using Net Price Calculators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fyi, Be careful about making assumptions. We earn 160 and received NO aid. From an ivy school that promises full aid to families up to 200k. We own our home and our 'assets' were deemed too high. We don't live a lavish lifestyle and drive an 8 year old honda. Yes, we have some saved for retirement and 529. But we are older (age 55/60) and this is our last kid. Seems that responsibility is a penalty. We didnt expect a lot, but thought we would get something, maybe 10? 15?. The full rejection was a surprise. So we will continue to deplete our assests amd try for aid again next year...

This is us (and with HHI even a bit lower but probably in a lower COL area). No aid. No real complaints and would not have changed our approach but it does sting just a bit. Good thing both kids got/get merit! So proud of them.

Are you saying your kids got merit discounts at a meets-need school?

No.

Neither of ours applied to any (fully) meets-need schools and only two of the ones with-income thresholds (<$60K, which ours exceeds but is not double). The NPCs were eye-opening and forced most of schools off their lists anyway. We also assumed $0 in merit from any meets-need school because that's just simply not their focus. They cannot (or choose not) to do both and we're good with that.

[Anonymous]

I'd also like to see one college use a new calculation.

They can still use the CSS profile.

Just take the information and use it differently.

I also dont see why my home is sheltered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The irony is, many of us with pell-grant-receiving, brilliant, hardworking children are holding our noses as we watch them apply to these very generous schools -- because we know that if they are were lucky enough to receive an offer, we're not in a position to turn them down.

But we'd much, much prefer them to go to school with middle-class kids at a public institution.

But when we're scraping for groceries and gas, and we know that T20 schools will cost much less than our in-state publics, it's not really a choice.

And to be clear, the reason we don't love the idea of T20s for our kids is encapsulated by the wild entitlement, greed, whining, and lack of gratitude and graciousness in this thread. It genuinely makes my skin crawl.

Nearly two thirds of this country is living paycheck to paycheck. Over sixty percent! You don't think the unwashed masses work as hard as you do? You don't think their kids aren't as smart or smarter?

Deep down you resent it because you know that you deserve none of it. Not because there's anything wrong with you, in particular. But because it's wrong to benefit from a system that makes wage slaves and paupers a feature-not-bug.

Well said 👏🏿