<p>Blueiguana–thank you for posting that article. I pulled that section out of the paper and took it with me on our six college tour Sunday, but returned home with it unread. Will pull it to the top of the pile again. Excellent article and I agree with it. My college spreadsheet includes a column for endowment but all I really do with the figure is compare enrollments and endowments on a relative basis. Completely unscientific.</p>
<p>I know that my boys will not receive need-based aid, but I am still much happier to hear that a school offers little or no merit-based aid. I am highly suspicious of this discounting off list, and do worry that the rapidly expanding acceptance of MOOCs will further undermine the future of these heavily-discounted schools. Where will these schools be when the student loan market goes the way of the mortgage market?</p>
<p>As we tour all of these schools, my younger son has asked why they are all essentially the same price. He wonders why the ‘better’ schools do not charge more, or how it can be that schools that appear so different in size, facilities and offerings can all charge the same price. I have not been able to provide him with a satisfactory response.</p>
<p>I found this thread interesting but it died out.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/985589-endowment-woes-liquidity-issues-top-colleges-40.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/985589-endowment-woes-liquidity-issues-top-colleges-40.html</a></p>