Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:It’s good that people are finally starting to question the cost of college. Both private schools and out-of-state publics are such a rip-off and disconnect from building career (aka, no career in AI generation)

And let's also a question the destruction of the job market. It's gone into a nose dive with this new administration.

Not everything is about politics, my friend. Most people are just trying to get by. When it comes to the job market, everyone knows it’s the rich who are consuming the world’s resources — and yes, elite schools and big corporations are part of that group. Everything is about profit...

I don't know that much about politics, but I have kids in college getting ready to graduate into this absolute crap job market. I sure wish they were graduating into the job market from the last administration. I can tell you that.

If companies want to layoff anyone they can layoff anyone anytime they want to even if your kids landed a job already... what's the difference? Governments don't own the private sectors.

Then why so many corporate sponsors for the new WH ballroom?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Very few people spend $200,000 on college. Only the rich and the faux rich do.

Not true. Michigan out of state is over 80k per year.. most SLAC’s arts colleges cost that much too. Out of state public’s will easily cost around 200k.

And only rich or faux rich would be willing to pay that 80k OOS at Mich.

We are not rich, but DC got great aid at a SLAC and we will not be paying 200k. It would be foolish of us to spend that much.

190K income. paying 20K per year to an Ivy. DC also got into two other ivies (not hyp) and we accepted the lowest COA offer. No hooks. White.

Under 200k HHI pays very little at most selective schools (esp at ivys). Financial aid disappears around $250k. It’s a weird system that allows folks right around$ 200 k to pay almost nothing, but expects folks making $225-300 to pay $100k a year. It is what it is.

I find it hilarious all this complaining about cost and also at the same time all the claims that the selective schools are the only ways to get connections for a job that pays enough.

I went to a non-ivy but good school. Got all my jobs via my own merit and not connections. Love my job. And make enough to pay for both my kids to attend whatever school they want plus grad schools full pay, no worries, and have enough for long term care and retirement.

No, ivy or even ivy+ not necessary to make a good living and have enough to pay for your kid to go to ivy if they want, full pay.
Just sayin'

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Those expensive schools need to prove their worth. Many middle- and upper-middle-class families don’t qualify for financial aid — yet they also happen to have the most competitive kids applying to selective schools. It makes no sense for them to keep funding institutions that give them nothing in return.

Top schools give need based aid of some amount all the way up to 300k household income and occasionally higher. That is well beyond upper middle class it’s top 2%! If you cannot afford full pay for one kid above that then you have serious saving and budgeting issues. There is NO middle class donut hole, only an upper class one, a first world problem no one should complain about.

They really don’t provide much if any aid to donut hole families. And if you live in a high COL area, a salary of 250k or so doesn’t go far. You also assume the parent was earning 250k+ for years and could save. The fact is that 90k a year for schools is RIDICULOUS and the schools need to fix this.

DP: So if they were not earning 250K for 18+ years (which is most likely true), then as they went from $125K to 250K, they could have chosen to direct a good portion of that to retirement AND college savings. $20K/year saved for 10+ years and invested in stock funds would allow your kid to attend almost any school.

To be fair, that wouldn’t be possible if you also have a large mortgage and/or are paying off student loans yourself and/or have medical debt or any number of big expenses. $250 k isn’t a particularly large salary in the dmv and hasn’t been for a long time.

If you were living on $125K 10-15 years ago, you had the choice to still live on that and save most of the rest. It's a choice to not do that. You didn't have to get a bigger mortgage.

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Anonymous wrote:In the meantime, ambitious and capable upper-middle-class and middle-class kids will do just fine wherever they go. Those so-called “values,” like alumni networks, peer effects, recruiting pipelines. You get those from any selective schools, including state flagship

This is so true.

Send your kid wherever you want to send your kid. Why you so deep in other people's business? If they want to waste their money on Harvard and MIT then let them. What do you care?

+1
Also it's not wasting the $$$ if they can easily afford it. Many can, many have saved and invested to do just that.

If I have $800 K for my kid, they can attend Harvard and medical school using that (or any professional school) I saved for that why not use it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very few people spend $200,000 on college. Only the rich and the faux rich do.

Not true. Michigan out of state is over 80k per year.. most SLAC’s arts colleges cost that much too. Out of state public’s will easily cost around 200k.

And only rich or faux rich would be willing to pay that 80k OOS at Mich.

We are not rich, but DC got great aid at a SLAC and we will not be paying 200k. It would be foolish of us to spend that much.

190K income. paying 20K per year to an Ivy. DC also got into two other ivies (not hyp) and we accepted the lowest COA offer. No hooks. White.

Anonymous wrote:Those expensive schools need to prove their worth. Many middle- and upper-middle-class families don’t qualify for financial aid — yet they also happen to have the most competitive kids applying to selective schools. It makes no sense for them to keep funding institutions that give them nothing in return.

There are plenty of highly competitive kids who are qualified and can afford the schools. If you can't afford it, you don't go. Quite simple. Smart kids will excel wherever they attend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those expensive schools need to prove their worth. Many middle- and upper-middle-class families don’t qualify for financial aid — yet they also happen to have the most competitive kids applying to selective schools. It makes no sense for them to keep funding institutions that give them nothing in return.

Top schools give need based aid of some amount all the way up to 300k household income and occasionally higher. That is well beyond upper middle class it’s top 2%! If you cannot afford full pay for one kid above that then you have serious saving and budgeting issues. There is NO middle class donut hole, only an upper class one, a first world problem no one should complain about.

They really don’t provide much if any aid to donut hole families. And if you live in a high COL area, a salary of 250k or so doesn’t go far. You also assume the parent was earning 250k+ for years and could save. The fact is that 90k a year for schools is RIDICULOUS and the schools need to fix this.

Don’t hold your breath.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those expensive schools need to prove their worth. Many middle- and upper-middle-class families don’t qualify for financial aid — yet they also happen to have the most competitive kids applying to selective schools. It makes no sense for them to keep funding institutions that give them nothing in return.

Top schools give need based aid of some amount all the way up to 300k household income and occasionally higher. That is well beyond upper middle class it’s top 2%! If you cannot afford full pay for one kid above that then you have serious saving and budgeting issues. There is NO middle class donut hole, only an upper class one, a first world problem no one should complain about.

They really don’t provide much if any aid to donut hole families. And if you live in a high COL area, a salary of 250k or so doesn’t go far. You also assume the parent was earning 250k+ for years and could save. The fact is that 90k a year for schools is RIDICULOUS and the schools need to fix this.

DP: So if they were not earning 250K for 18+ years (which is most likely true), then as they went from $125K to 250K, they could have chosen to direct a good portion of that to retirement AND college savings. $20K/year saved for 10+ years and invested in stock funds would allow your kid to attend almost any school.

To be fair, that wouldn’t be possible if you also have a large mortgage and/or are paying off student loans yourself and/or have medical debt or any number of big expenses. $250 k isn’t a particularly large salary in the dmv and hasn’t been for a long time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very few people spend $200,000 on college. Only the rich and the faux rich do.

UVA in-state 4 years is about that price.

No. It isn’t. It’s $40,383 a year for instate. All costs included. See here. https://sfs.virginia.edu/financial-aid-new-applicants/financial-aid-basics/estimated-undergraduate-cost-attendance-2025-2026

It is NOT for material and engineering. The cost is 51K for the first year, and 52K per year after that. That's over 200K for an in-state education at UVA.

No one here cares about engineering. Only 719 entering students of 4,000 are entering UVA engineering. The rest are in college of Arts and Sciences and which exactly $40,383. What is your problem on this issue? You harangue about it on every thread! Are you bitter that your kid didn’t get in to UVA? Are you bitter your engineer kids had to pay a few thousand more at UVA for that particular major? Our kid was in UVA aerospace engineering and we were thrilled to pay whatever surcharge tacked on for engineering because it was STILL $40K less a year than Ivies.

Take it easy Karen. The fact of the matter is that my kid is currently at UVA school of material & engineering, and I am paying 51K+ for his first year and 52K+ for the next three years after this one. I do care about UVA engineering KAREN.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very few people spend $200,000 on college. Only the rich and the faux rich do.

Not true. Michigan out of state is over 80k per year.. most SLAC’s arts colleges cost that much too. Out of state public’s will easily cost around 200k.

And only rich or faux rich would be willing to pay that 80k OOS at Mich.

We are not rich, but DC got great aid at a SLAC and we will not be paying 200k. It would be foolish of us to spend that much.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those expensive schools need to prove their worth. Many middle- and upper-middle-class families don’t qualify for financial aid — yet they also happen to have the most competitive kids applying to selective schools. It makes no sense for them to keep funding institutions that give them nothing in return.

Top schools give need based aid of some amount all the way up to 300k household income and occasionally higher. That is well beyond upper middle class it’s top 2%! If you cannot afford full pay for one kid above that then you have serious saving and budgeting issues. There is NO middle class donut hole, only an upper class one, a first world problem no one should complain about.

They really don’t provide much if any aid to donut hole families. And if you live in a high COL area, a salary of 250k or so doesn’t go far. You also assume the parent was earning 250k+ for years and could save. The fact is that 90k a year for schools is RIDICULOUS and the schools need to fix this.

DP: So if they were not earning 250K for 18+ years (which is most likely true), then as they went from $125K to 250K, they could have chosen to direct a good portion of that to retirement AND college savings. $20K/year saved for 10+ years and invested in stock funds would allow your kid to attend almost any school.

Anonymous wrote:Very few people spend $200,000 on college. Only the rich and the faux rich do.

200k sounds like a bargain.

We are gearing up to prepay 320k for 4 years in one go.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the meantime, ambitious and capable upper-middle-class and middle-class kids will do just fine wherever they go. Those so-called “values,” like alumni networks, peer effects, recruiting pipelines. You get those from any selective schools, including state flagship

This is so true.

Send your kid wherever you want to send your kid. Why you so deep in other people's business? If they want to waste their money on Harvard and MIT then let them. What do you care?

Anonymous wrote:In the meantime, ambitious and capable upper-middle-class and middle-class kids will do just fine wherever they go. Those so-called “values,” like alumni networks, peer effects, recruiting pipelines. You get those from any selective schools, including state flagship

This is so true.