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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The people congratulating themselves for sacrificing while judging others without knowing anything about their circumstances is cracking me up. OK you love your kids more than we do because you drove the same car for 10 years.

Here's what the sanctimonious self-sacrificing crowd doesn't get. There are those of us who think that YOU'RE foolish to pay 85K per year for college. It doesn't make financial sense in most cases. You're obsessed with the &quot;best&quot; schools when most research shows that kids going to good publics do just as well. So there are those of us who think, unless you're wealthy, it's foolish to save for 85K a year when you can get the same quality for 40K per year. We're not as into prestige and we're certainly not paying for it. So just know as you're judging us, we're also looking at your values with some critical questions....

Sorry for my tone, but the judgment assuming those who haven't saved for 85K per year are just selfishly splurging.... it's so far from how many of us approach this.[/quote]

Most of us aren't &quot;congratulateing ourselves&quot; and are middle class, so, we actually get some aid.

The big issue many if us have is hearing those who didn't save complain. Totally fine for you to cashflow a 40k school, but don't complain that you should somehow get a discount at a 90k school.

We scrimp and save to afford the COA of 30k at the 90k school after FA. We could have stretched to 40k, but thank goodness got great aid.[/quote]

Fantastic but you are paying 60K less than many that also scrimped and saved.  The extra $60k is A LOT. That is what you people are missing.  We only drive Hondas, one is a 2006!  WE don't take splashy vacations or wear name brands, etc.  But--colleges have us on the hook for the full freight...even though we are scrimping and saving just as much as you.  We only had 2 kids and live frugally. WE do have lots of retirement savings and paid down our mortgage as a priority...we also were funding the 529s since birth.  AND if we only had to pay $30k like you--they would be able to attend the Ivies and SLACs that their hard work with no hooks got them into....but they are part of the donut hole class which is REAL no matter how much you people getting $60k discounts think it isn't.[/quote]
+1 lol at the ^PP who thinks they did it right by getting FA.

Excuse us, but we saved, too, and can afford $50/yr, but we are a donuthole family who gets zilch.  We can easily float in state, and maybe cheaper oos, but not the $90K/yr school that ^PP's kid is going to.    We also have more than one kid.

There aren't that many great in state options where we are, so even if we look oos, we are restricted to a small number of decent schools for $50K/year.[/quote]

Calling yourself a donut hole family is a bit of a joke as you have a comfortable salary and choose what you decided to save.  Your income has to be pretty high to save that.[/quote]

Exactly!  
As well--there are many many decent schools for $50K/year.  Outside of T50, most privates (and many OOS publics) will offer excellent merit to top/good students.  There are over 4000 universities in this country.  If you want affordable, there will be many excellent options in the T200 alone, and really in the T100.

[/quote]
Well, yes, I stated as much, that DCs are and will be going to a school that's &lt; $50k/year. But, that wasn't  the point to the ^PP who said that &quot;they did everything right and can afford an expensive college because they are getting $$ in aid&quot;.

Point is, we saved, too, more than that ^PP, but we won't get any aid.

No one in their right mind would pay $200K for a T100 below school. That's a dumb use of money.  If I'm paying $200K for a degree, it should be at least a somewhat good school.

Also, you are saying that in order to get any aid, your kid has to be super high achieving.

So, we have all these caveats to &quot;your kid can still go to an expensive school&quot;.   
[/quote]

I am that PP.  Why duch a beef with my kid's aid? You are saying YOU did everything right, but you never say how much you make which seems to be a lot.

If you have extensive health expenses,  that is considered in CSS, and you should get some aid if under 250k. So how much do you really make? And, why is it cool to go off on someone for getting need based aud. We have more need than you and less ability to save towards the cost. Why the grudge?
This just feels so entitled. 
[/quote]

Because it is ENTITLED!  They are made that someone is getting "a handout", in their opinion.  NEvermind that they would not want to actually switch places with you for the last 18+ years and live the life required to get that "reward".  30+ years ago, the elite schools were 65%+ rich kids.  I went to a T10 where 65% received NO FINANCIAL AIDE at all.  Now 60% of students get some aid.  That's quite a turnaround, and I for one am glad smart kids, that don't have the resources get the opportunity.  And you are accurate, people with 200K income get some FA, as it's a gradual decline as income increases.  And most top schools also use CSS so they get a full look at your finances (and unexplained circumstances if they exist).

Back when I went to school, I had twins in my HS who were going to go to college almost anywhere for free.  Why?  Because they were kids #11 and 12, their parents were already 70+.  They were also smart kids and did well in life.  But why should they be penalized because their parents were old?  If a private school wants to give them financial aid, that is the school's choice.  
I also got aide because my parents were poor, but not full aid and I had to work my ass off to earn enough to pay for everything and still had major loans.  But I don't begrudge the kids who got more aid, as they obviously needed it more
[/quote]

Nope. THis is BS. Need based/financial aid doesn't take into account the cost of living or real estate prices.  Families making $150k-200k in other parts of the country are living much ritzier lives in much ritzier homes and get the aid--so much so at the elite schools my kid got into it would almost be completely free for them at $150k.  Just look at the 'cost to live comfortably' at cities around the US and you will see.

Until there is a COL adjustment--it’s a bunch of sh*t.[/quote]

But it’s your choice to 
1) live in a HCOL area
2) be employed at your jobs making what you make. There are young couples mid twenties who are bringing home 250k easy. Why did you let yourself plateau and why are you griping about what are essentially choices that are fully in your control? 
Your whining is irritating. [/quote]

Lady, the jobs are in the high COL areas. [/quote]

You CAN commute like many do OR you can live in cheaper housing.  And, there is cheaper housing in this area so don't pretend like there isn't.[/quote]

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