Surely there is an instate option for less than 20k per year. Maybe it isn’t first choice, but most in state universities are less than 20k.

Bonus if kid can live at home and commute.

Then there is always ROTC or less prestigious schools that give great scholarships. Where you go doest really matter. Always pick the school you can afford vs prestige

Too late for you now, but one of the things I suggest to couples who plan to have a child, is to investigate what they will be paying for childcare and save that amount the year before the child is born (basically once you make the decision to start trying, start saving). Then, they need to use that money to jump start their college savings.

Anonymous wrote:How does the middle class in our area afford college? We are solid middle class in Fairfax (based on the Pew Research tool), which absolutely puts us out of the running for the schools with free tuition and any need-based grants. The same jobs (education and non-profit) in SW VA would likely qualify us for those opportunities because they would have a lower incomes (and we'd have a bigger house).

We will have about $50-60K in our 504 when our oldest is ready to start college. We are trying to save for retirement too. Our kiddos are academically strong with great EC, but anything more than $20 year would literally break us financially.

Is the only option community college for two years?

Your child can work in the summers in high school and save a few thousand each summer. They can continue to work in summers during college adding more. Your child can be an RA in the dorms sophomore through senior year, check with a specific college, this usually comes with free housing and meals. Instate schools, RA and summer jobs should give enough for your child. If necessary, they will be able to get away with minimal loans.

Your household expenses will decrease when your child is gone. There may be some more wiggle room for you. My dad claimed his water bill decreased by a third when I left for college.

Loans should be by the student, not the parents. Student needs to pick a career paying enough to afford to pay back those loans. Explain this to them now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loans, if needed. My kid went in state (MD). Tuition, fees, room & board are $32,000. Almost everyone gets merit $, but my kid, alas, did not. We were just happy he got in, to be honest.

We can also pay about $20,000 a year, which leaves us $12,000 per year from the 529. We have enough to cover 4 years at that rate. If we didn’t, then we’d take loans to make it possible. It seems a reasonable reason to take on some debt.

Same here. But UMD gives very little merit so don't feel like your kid missed out. Virginia has more public school options but MD schools are cheaper.

He isn’t at UMD but at another one our many Maryland public colleges. Don’t forget Towson, UMBC, SMCM, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Loans, if needed. My kid went in state (MD). Tuition, fees, room & board are $32,000. Almost everyone gets merit $, but my kid, alas, did not. We were just happy he got in, to be honest.

We can also pay about $20,000 a year, which leaves us $12,000 per year from the 529. We have enough to cover 4 years at that rate. If we didn’t, then we’d take loans to make it possible. It seems a reasonable reason to take on some debt.

Same here. But UMD gives very little merit so don't feel like your kid missed out. Virginia has more public school options but MD schools are cheaper.

I know one who transferred to Cornell.

It was a smart move, but my hunch is he or she was a New York State resident and attended a public community college. Certain parts of Cornell are a land grant institution. As a result of that, Cornell has articulation agreements with New York State community colleges that give a clear path to transfer. (BTW, these parts of of Cornell have lower tuition for NY state residents.)

As a result of its financial arrangements with NY state, Cornell is required to accept a certain number of transfers from NY State community colleges. If you want to do this, the BEST place to go is Sullivan County Community College.

You aren't going to have the same odds of getting into Cornell if you go to a CC in the DMV. I am not saying it's impossible; I'm only saying when you look at the number of CC transfers accepted at Cornell, be aware that most of them are from NY State CCs.

I think Northern Virginia Community College has articulation agreements with Virginia's public universities. So if you go there and do well, you'll have a better path to getting into any of Virginia's public universities than if you went to community college in a different state.

Among private colleges, Stanford accepts an unusually high number of CC transfers. If you kick the tires, you'll find out that an unusually high percentage of them are veterans who completed CC while on active duty.

So,if you do decide on the CC route, check out the articulation agreements the CC has with 4 year colleges and plan your course schedule accordingly.

Anonymous wrote:How does the middle class in our area afford college? We are solid middle class in Fairfax (based on the Pew Research tool), which absolutely puts us out of the running for the schools with free tuition and any need-based grants. The same jobs (education and non-profit) in SW VA would likely qualify us for those opportunities because they would have a lower incomes (and we'd have a bigger house).

We will have about $50-60K in our 504 when our oldest is ready to start college. We are trying to save for retirement too. Our kiddos are academically strong with great EC, but anything more than $20 year would literally break us financially.

Is the only option community college for two years?

Very weird perspective in your last sentence of your first paragraph. Essentially it’s: but if we made less, we’d qualify for free tuition.

You don’t make less and do not live in SW VA. Why are you wasting thoughts on this?

Im not a huge fan of the community college then transfer approach but it can be done and successfully too if the kid has the right mindset. I know one who transferred to Cornell. He’s at McKinsey now. He went into community college hellbent on changing his ways. Got a 4.0 and transferred and then killed it at college and then ran the interview gamut for consulting. It’s what you make of it.

At Texas Tech you’d get the in-state tuition rate AND thousands in merit aid.

Where exactly do you fall? Above or below 150? Several schools offer financial aid below 150 and even below 200

Anonymous wrote:How does the middle class in our area afford college? We are solid middle class in Fairfax (based on the Pew Research tool), which absolutely puts us out of the running for the schools with free tuition and any need-based grants. The same jobs (education and non-profit) in SW VA would likely qualify us for those opportunities because they would have a lower incomes (and we'd have a bigger house).

We will have about $50-60K in our 504 when our oldest is ready to start college. We are trying to save for retirement too. Our kiddos are academically strong with great EC, but anything more than $20 year would literally break us financially.

Is the only option community college for two years?

If 20K is your max, add student loans (5.5K first year), student working during the summer (3K-5K) and working during the school year (another 2-3K) and that’s about 33K. Kids also use AP credits and dual enrollment to graduate a semester or year early. Some also RA, live at home and commute, or live very cheaply off campus (without needing to purchase full meal plan) to save on living expenses. Also not sure if they still offer it but University if Alabama had full tuition scholarships for National Merit Finalists above s certain GPA.

Bottom line is yes there are options, however it’s not going to be about getting into the best school based on grades and great ECs but rather best school that family can afford and you want to have that baked into the college list early on.

Anonymous wrote:How does the middle class in our area afford college? We are solid middle class in Fairfax (based on the Pew Research tool), which absolutely puts us out of the running for the schools with free tuition and any need-based grants. The same jobs (education and non-profit) in SW VA would likely qualify us for those opportunities because they would have a lower incomes (and we'd have a bigger house).

We will have about $50-60K in our 504 when our oldest is ready to start college. We are trying to save for retirement too. Our kiddos are academically strong with great EC, but anything more than $20 year would literally break us financially.

Is the only option community college for two years?

Good grades and top scores (NMF) can get you full rides at some schools. Look at the University of Tulsa… Alabama?

You were supposed to start saving/investing as soon as your kids were born. This is how middle class people afford in-state college with no debt.

Saving $50k for college is not something most middle class families can do. My kid lives at home and goes to UMBC part-time. He has a student loan and works PT.