Reply to What is it like to be a family at an elite NWDC Private who can just barely afford it?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Jealousy?  Those full pay parents chose to "scrap by" to increase admission chances for the educational opportunities they value for their kids. I don't think you're very realistic.  Anyone can apply but it's not a lottery.  You should have bothered to read the thread.  May be the fancy degrees and the critical thinking they should have instilled would have clicked in. [/quote]

Unrealistic about what exactly? Of course I know FA is not a lottery system, it is based on need. The school or degree someone has does not determine need. Need is based on actual income and expenses. For anyone to assume that the type of degree  or school one went to determines your need only suggests they have not been paying attention to the financial market. There are many people with fancy degrees from fancy schools that are struggling to get by. I do not begrudge anyone who is scrapping by to pay for their child's tuition, but perhaps they too should be applying for FA instead of viewing it as a government handout they are ashamed to accept. Seems to me that is what is driving most of these comments. Those scrapping by don't want the wealthy full pays to look down on them, yet they freight at night over whether they really fit in or their kid is going to feel their middle class lifestyle is actually akin to poverty.

What's most disturbing about this thread is most of what I have read seems to go completely against the ideal of most IS we have toured. The have tons of donors who are don't have children currently enrolled in the school who donate millions of dollars so the school can offer FA to attract people from all walks of life (what do you think would be a better use of the donors money since THAT IS THE EXACT REASON THEY DONATE IT...I mean where should the million plus dollars slated for FA be redirected?) They all speak of equality for all, social justice for all, equal access to education for ALL regardless of income level (not degree or school attended), yet they seem to admit a significant amount of people who don't hold those core values. Or maybe you all are the exception to the rule and just have the loudest voice because those who are committed to the values don't spend their time looking for posts to unleash their misplaced anger on. Maybe you should move your kids to schools that do not offer FA (some exist) and then you won't have to worry about it.

Here I thought IS where mostly progressive liberal minded people...clearly not.[/quote]

Our family is part of a private school and I am bemused that people think that there are tons of donors throwing  millions of dollars at schools.  I would say ideals are upheld to best ability but there's just not that much money between FA and the faculty and capital improvements that make those schools attractive to you.  Local private schools don't have the endowments that colleges like the IVY's have.  And what endowments exist have been impacted by the economy just as people's finances have been. Personally I have no issues with FA for kids the school determines they want regardless of the parent's jobs or degrees.  Full pay parents are saying that the tuition increases have become close to unaffordable for them.  Those are the same people that also were contributing to FA so the well is shallower now.  In this economy there is a very real conflict between FA and a lid on tuition costs for everyone.  It doesn't mean they don't hold the core values.  Don't you think they are smart enough to apply for financial aid for themselves if they thought it would do any good?  Our yearly tuition has more than doubled since joining the school.  Where is all this FA money going to come from when the parents you suggest move to public, have to do so?  That million + you refer to comes from a lot of donors giving what they can not just the very wealthy.   [/quote]

I don't disagree with controlling the cost of tuition. Certainly if they did then the cost would be affordable to more people. As for how a school raises 1+ million dollars for FA I can only speak to what the administration has told us at open houses and tours. My understanding is that the cost per child is more than they charge for tuition as is, so perhaps this idea that full pay are subsidizing others is not true. I don't know any one particular schools financials, my point is really this idea of how do we decide who is deserving of FA and who isn't and that it seems ridiculous to say it should be based on the degree someone has or the college they went to. [/quote]

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