@hrsmom You can naively believe everything that a business tells you as its your choice. But living in the real world, I know that isn’t the case. And I had no fewer than 5 colleges tell me and a group of other visiting parents and students “Don’t worry about sticker price because nobody pays it.” Now we know that statement isn’t true. There is nothing cynical about it. Its just a fact. There are plenty of people who pay sticker price. But they said it just the same.
Again, there is no reason for a school to care about the issue. Now there is a reason (a business one) to tell people you care. There are a lot of people who fall into the “they say it so it must be true” camp.
The $10k trip takes us down a path we have been many times on this board. There isn’t anything to be gained from going there yet again. But I will offer this suggestion which someone I know used which may well be as helpful: If you are worried about affording college, drive a 5 series BMW for a few years rather than a 7 series.