Anonymous
03/12/2026 17:38
Subject: Affording College
I find it difficult to justify 100K/ year for a school unless it Ivy.
I’m not sure ROI is there to justify it.
I’m not sure ROI is there to justify it.
Anonymous
03/12/2026 15:30
Subject: Affording College
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many colleges offer generous merit.
This only works if you have decently high stats for the college you applied to. So, if you aim low, and have much higher stats than that college's median/average, then chances are you can get good merit.
DC had decently high stats and applied to a few lower ranked private schools and oos publics. DC got generous merit aid from all of them.
The other option is to cashflow some of it. Some universities have payment plans (pay in 3 installments).
+1 Apply to schools a tier or two below your kid's reach level schools to go merit hunting, cash flow a little, kid gets a part-time job during the school year and a full-time job over the summer.
OP, don't feel bad. DCUM is a wealthy bubble telling Larlo they'll swing $400K for the most elite SLAC they can get into. Most families can't afford this.
+2
That was/is our plan. More than halfway through with DC1 and DC2 ready to roll out in August....and it's going well. They've gotten more merit than expected, better work-study and PT/FT opportunities, and we've been able to help out more than expected. That 2013 puddle-jumper car will just have to do us for a few more years! But we're OK with that. Our sincere hope is to get ours (under)graduated debt-freee.
SEC merit-school monies are starting to dry up but central and Midwest schools still have promise. Think outside the box (or East Coast) and you will have lots more opportunities to get and be creative.
Anonymous
03/12/2026 14:00
Subject: Affording College
Our neighbors have done kitchen renovations and recently replaced a second car with a newer model. They b_tch about instate college costs and swear their student isn't ready for a 4 year school. I think they didn't plan
Anonymous
03/12/2026 12:48
Subject: Affording College
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.
This. You patch together funding sources. You pay some from current earnings, some from 529, you take a small loan, and your child contributes from their work earnings.
Minimum wage is high and teens can make quite a bit especially if working through the summers.
If you patch together these sources, you’ll get there.
Anonymous
03/12/2026 12:25
Subject: Affording College
Yes, high salary with one working parent is very different than the same salary with two working parents, when childcare is $40k a year.
Anonymous
03/11/2026 19:21
Subject: Re:Affording College
Anonymous wrote:To reach $400,000 in a 529 account in 18 years, you would need to invest roughly $1,000 to $1,150 per month, assuming an average annual return of 7–8%. - AI IS smarter than us, good grief people, SAVE.
NP who has saved but not this amount. We were paying for childcare and then aftercare for years and could not afford $1,000+ per month. Don't be discouraged if you can't save $1,000 per month. Start with a couple hundred if that is all you have. Every bit helps.
Anonymous
03/11/2026 18:56
Subject: Affording College
Anonymous wrote:Thanks for those of you providing some actual suggestions and commiserating; I appreciate hearing that I am not making this up in my mind. We do make above 200K but literally just above it effective two years ago. When C1 was born, our HHI was 65K. My annoyance is that 200K in Fairfax is not equivalent to 200K in Richmond, and I know that FAFSA doesn't take that into account at all.
C2 isn't my worry--I am positive we can play the LAC game of merit with them.
The older one wants to do engineering--specifically mechatronics. The schools I am seeing that actually have that program are seemingly unattainable. Engineering admissions programs are recommending to do STEM camps over the summer just to be admitted. We don't have the extra money to drop on those programs, and C1 is going to be working for the next two summers to save for college. Mason has an engineering program (and is C1's safety school currently), but it really isn't the nuanced area they want to student. Test scores are just above average, though rigor will be the highest possible (will have IB diploma, DE math credit).
You're not imagining this. The term is called donut hole family. Can't afford the $$$ college costs but not poor enough to get financial aid.
Anonymous
03/11/2026 16:11
Subject: Affording College
Thanks for those of you providing some actual suggestions and commiserating; I appreciate hearing that I am not making this up in my mind. We do make above 200K but literally just above it effective two years ago. When C1 was born, our HHI was 65K. My annoyance is that 200K in Fairfax is not equivalent to 200K in Richmond, and I know that FAFSA doesn't take that into account at all.
C2 isn't my worry--I am positive we can play the LAC game of merit with them.
The older one wants to do engineering--specifically mechatronics. The schools I am seeing that actually have that program are seemingly unattainable. Engineering admissions programs are recommending to do STEM camps over the summer just to be admitted. We don't have the extra money to drop on those programs, and C1 is going to be working for the next two summers to save for college. Mason has an engineering program (and is C1's safety school currently), but it really isn't the nuanced area they want to student. Test scores are just above average, though rigor will be the highest possible (will have IB diploma, DE math credit).
C2 isn't my worry--I am positive we can play the LAC game of merit with them.
The older one wants to do engineering--specifically mechatronics. The schools I am seeing that actually have that program are seemingly unattainable. Engineering admissions programs are recommending to do STEM camps over the summer just to be admitted. We don't have the extra money to drop on those programs, and C1 is going to be working for the next two summers to save for college. Mason has an engineering program (and is C1's safety school currently), but it really isn't the nuanced area they want to student. Test scores are just above average, though rigor will be the highest possible (will have IB diploma, DE math credit).
Anonymous
03/11/2026 14:13
Subject: Re:Affording College
To reach $400,000 in a 529 account in 18 years, you would need to invest roughly $1,000 to $1,150 per month, assuming an average annual return of 7–8%. - AI IS smarter than us, good grief people, SAVE.
Anonymous
03/11/2026 14:12
Subject: Affording College
Anonymous wrote:Do you drive 2 cars? Have you renovated your kitchen in the last 20 years?
This, analyze your life, you should have started saving at birth, like us. It's a choice.
Anonymous
03/11/2026 11:46
Subject: Affording College
Anonymous wrote:George Mason and live at home.
+1. Easy as that.
Anonymous
03/11/2026 11:39
Subject: Affording College
Anonymous wrote:My child is in state. Tuition room and board (off campus ) is about 25K. It Was more expensive freshman year when on campus. We take the student federal aid loans and I’m paying them off although he may have to help with next year (senior year).
Kid can work. 20 hrs per week at minimum wage (or fewer hrs during school year and more over summer) should surely make them 10k per year to pay for room and board or apt
Anonymous
03/11/2026 11:16
Subject: Affording College
George Mason and live at home.
Anonymous
03/11/2026 10:46
Subject: Affording College
My child is in state. Tuition room and board (off campus ) is about 25K. It Was more expensive freshman year when on campus. We take the student federal aid loans and I’m paying them off although he may have to help with next year (senior year).
Anonymous
03/11/2026 10:18
Subject: Affording College
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Many colleges offer generous merit.
This only works if you have decently high stats for the college you applied to. So, if you aim low, and have much higher stats than that college's median/average, then chances are you can get good merit.
DC had decently high stats and applied to a few lower ranked private schools and oos publics. DC got generous merit aid from all of them.
The other option is to cashflow some of it. Some universities have payment plans (pay in 3 installments).
+1 Apply to schools a tier or two below your kid's reach level schools to go merit hunting, cash flow a little, kid gets a part-time job during the school year and a full-time job over the summer.
OP, don't feel bad. DCUM is a wealthy bubble telling Larlo they'll swing $400K for the most elite SLAC they can get into. Most families can't afford this.