<p>“Twin A showed more initiative and drive while in high school,” You’ve said that twice, but did the parents ever say that they would pay more towards college expenses for a better high school record? </p>
<p>Can your parents cosign a loan for you to pay the difference between the state tuition and the pricey college you want to attend, with an agreement that you will be the one to repay this loan? If you aren’t even willing to fund that difference yourself (and it sounds like you aren’t), then I can’t begin to understand why you think your twin would want to pay that for you. </p>
<p>Admittedly, this is a cop-out from answering whether one student is “entitled” to more money just for doing better in school, but my gut says that
the difference between 4 years state flagship and 4 years “dream school”
is greater than
the difference between 2 years CC → 2 years state non-flagship and 4 years state non-flagship.</p>
<p>Therefore, the net utility is probably greatest if twin A goes to the “dream school” and twin B goes 2+2. But maybe twin A just wants to go to the higher-ranked school because it is ranked higher, but twin B has something specific in mind at the state non-flagship that would only be feasible for an incoming freshman, in which case the net utility would be greatest if the twins get the same funds.</p>
<p>I said this is a “cop-out” from answering the ethical question, but maybe deep down I think that the decision should be made based on desired outcome, rather than some idea of entitlement. Really, neither child is entitled to any of their parents’ money. A business should be concerned with giving people exactly what they have earned. A family should be concerned with investing in their children’s future.</p>
<p>Although it is different if twin A had an opportunity to seek financial aid to the favorite school but simply chose not to.</p>