We pay $70K+ for Amherst, but DC has gotten summer fellowships, grant $ from working in labs and TAing and all-expense paid academic trips that altogether add up to about $15-20k/year that he gets back.

We had enough saved in his 529s to pay for about 2 years of school.

Anonymous wrote:We make 180k. We received financial aid that is roughly half the sticker price, $32k. We pay 16k from 529 and the other half from our salaries. This is a school that dies not offer merit aid, meets full need and is well endowed

NP here- did your financial aid package include loans or just need based “scholarship?” We would really like to try and avoid loans.

Anonymous wrote:We pay about $35K at a HYPSM school. $22K from 529, $5K from an outside scholarship DD received, $8K from salary. Quite doable.

Then you are probably not UMC. If your household income is >= 180k, then the chance of getting need based said is slim.

We pay about $35K at a HYPSM school. $22K from 529, $5K from an outside scholarship DD received, $8K from salary. Quite doable.

Son just graduated from HYP. Paid about $275K. No merit available. We had saved assuming Virginia state school so 529 did not cover it. Painful but we live simply and made it work. I wouldn’t pay that much for more than a handful of schools though

Anonymous wrote:About $40-$45k per year each. One kid to OOS and one kid in private with $25k per year scholarship. Difference in cost with In state flagship was $5-10K our year. Both went to better schools in terms of fit and stature.

My numbers are similar. Both kids are at privates with all-in sticker prices of around $70k. Our actual out of pocket for each is around $40k.

There is merit aid out there. You are mixing some things here with this question:

* kid preference,

* our means

* kid’s packet.

We were clear we weren’t paying $70 unless he did his best to bring down the price through scholarship.

He is at an OOS flagship with some merit aid.

He is in a field where this is a better choice than the posh schools.

It is ok to tell your kids you won’t come up with $70k.

For us, and this is starting next year, the merit aid DD got at multiple schools brought the cost down to in-state in VA.

Since W & M is better (for her) than any of the OOS, and costs basically the same (in-state tuition), she will go to W & M. it will be about 35K for tuition room and board.

FYI, my EFC on FASFA was about 50K, so I might not be UMC by DCUM definition, but anyone else, I am.

Oh, I have done the math....with our savings and cashflow, we will not have to borrow anything or pull out from assets.

Anonymous wrote:About $40-$45k per year each. One kid to OOS and one kid in private with $25k per year scholarship. Difference in cost with In state flagship was $5-10K our year. Both went to better schools in terms of fit and stature.

+1, this year. DC #1 is a senior and it has risen over the years.

They are both at privates with merit scholarships and got into UMD but wanted smaller schools.

You just have to decide - if you want merit aid, look at schools that are less well ranked. We are going through this now.

My DS was offered merit aid at his safety school - we are waiting on some other schools and then he will decide.

"If you plugged in the calculator on some of the private sites and received no aid.. did you end up getting merit? "

You have to do the calculator at every school DC might be interested in.

Each school has a different size endowment and treat the information slightly differently.

In general HYPSM did better than schools ranked in the 20s.

Things like having 2 in college at the same time really matter at some schools.

If you plugged in the calculator on some of the private sites and received no aid.. did you end up getting merit?

We make 180k. We received financial aid that is roughly half the sticker price, $32k. We pay 16k from 529 and the other half from our salaries. This is a school that dies not offer merit aid, meets full need and is well endowed

About $40-$45k per year each. One kid to OOS and one kid in private with $25k per year scholarship. Difference in cost with In state flagship was $5-10K our year. Both went to better schools in terms of fit and stature.

For families that are UMC with higher incomes, significant retirement and substantial home equity... how did college costs come into play when it came time to decide?

Did your kids end up getting merit and how much? Did you give them the choice to attend a private or OOS school even if they were admitted to a great flagship?

We have some time but I am running the numbers and see we wouldn't qualify for any aid at SLAC and our state has a good flagship. Are we in that tough spot that it probably just doesn't make sense to send our kids to private schools and pay 75k a year (aside from the small chance they were accepted into a top 20 or something along those lines) if they can get in the excellent in state flagship?