<p>I wonder what my incentive is to live frugally and save for my children’s college expenses? The more I have, the more I will be expected to pay when the time comes.</p>
<p>To echo another poster’s idea, if the prices were set in stone, then they’d no doubt be more manageable for all students to bear the burden themselves. </p>
<p>Class envy is all the rage, I get it. But is there really no room for discussion, just insults and bitter vitrol?</p>
<p>Sew:</p>
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<p>Perhaps they would prefer their kids NOT go to extremely expensive colleges (because their kids would have to face the ire of … well, people like you), but their kids go anyway, because the KIDS applied and got in, and got merit and needs-based aid (which likely not one thin dime of your kid’s tuition money went to) to make it possible.</p>
<p>kentucky:</p>
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<p>So your kid is working herself through school, then, right? Because surely she is not entitled to YOUR money.</p>
<p>Hard_Knocks, because you want to give your kid as many options as you can, perhaps. I know that’s why I saved for my S’s college expenses over the years.</p>
<p>It is completely naive to believe that the high tuition of the full-payers does not fund a good portion of need-based aid. </p>
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<p>You have this backwards. I am entitled to do with my own money whatever I please. </p>
<p>She could never work herself through school at these prices. The same way you are saying the kids with the poor parents couldn’t.</p>
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<p>Indeed. </p>
<p>The funny thing is, it appears that the well to do here envy the less fortunate.</p>
<p>Oh my, what have we come to?</p>
<p>Funny thing is, I don’t consider those getting a free ride to an elite institution as “less fortunate”. </p>
<p>Are you implying that the well-to-do got their money from the lottery? Do you realize that they earned what they have and that they didn’t get it for free, just because, say, their parents were “less fortunate”?</p>
<p>^ lol</p>
<p>I’d say there’s bitterness and ire to go around on both sides of this equation.</p>
<p>In general, I think those receiving FA should give some thought to the situation of the families who are not receiving FA and are not millionaires. </p>
<p>FWIW, we are contemplating an abrupt and early retirement at a fraction of our current income in order to avoid these tuition payments. Downsizing. Kicking back. Letting others pay for our kid at college. We are a little slow sometimes but starting to catch on. And of course we have to think about the lousy example we have been setting for our kids. Wouldn’t want them to get the idea that it pays off to work hard in America any more. What kind of citizens would be raising?</p>
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<p>Why, “citizens of the World” LOL</p>
<p>Yes, kentucky, you can do what you want with your money, and the universities can do what they want with theirs. Once you’ve forked over your cash to the school, it’s not yours anymore. Maybe you didn’t understand that? If you don’t like what the university does with its money, maybe you should reconsider your support of it. Refuse to purchase its product for your kid; that’ll show 'em.</p>
<p>Sew, too bad you have just seen the light; a pity you didn’t have take the opportunity to live on much, much less much earlier in life, and deal with what that means in the lives of those who’ve done so (no health care, for example. Not owning a house. Taking the bus to work because a car is an unaffordable luxury. And so on.).</p>
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<p>You’re right, owlice. That’ll show 'em. But I have a feeling I’m not the first to finally see the light, and to refuse to support this system any longer. Then let’s see how long they last without the full payers.</p>
<p>Owlice,</p>
<p>Who says my spouse and I haven’t had the opportunity to
What is it you’re assuming about me? That I was born to the manor? I’m not going to assume that you were born into squalor simply because you are in favor of the FA model and presumably benefit from it.</p>
<p>Why is it that so many without the means to pay these tuitions are so full of class bigotry? </p>
<p>I don’t know your circumstances but I would guess that in fact my life journey has involved quite a bit more penury than yours.</p>
<p>owlice, In order to give my children as many options as possible in regards to college, I would do better to live beyond my means and look less affluent on paper. Irony?</p>
<p>My being in the middle-class bracket, my children may not qualify for any FA, and my paying $50k a year would NOT be “doable.”</p>
<p>I really hope that those of you who disdain lower income families are not passing these selfish views on to your bright young students. This is prejudice–pure and simple. Do you see less fortunate people (your convenience store clerk, your landscaper or housekeeper) as less valuable to mankind.<br>
Should your luxury SUV every break down, and I’m traveling along I-75 and can assist you, I gladly will. That is if you don’t mind a ride to the mechanic in my '94 accord.
Think “content of their character”. Does that ring a bell?</p>
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<p>right, which is why all of 'em are there on someone else’s dime.</p>
<p>Hard Knocks–I sent my kids to school on what you’d call a middle class income, and paid full-pay for six years. It’s doable.</p>
<p>Just thinking how I looked for schools that guaranteed to meet need - looks like kentuckymom should have been looking for schools that guaranteed NOT to meet need! Apparently you were wise with your investments but not too wise in reviewing schools financial aid policies. Don’t worry too much about Vanderbilt, your daughter probably wouldn’t want to slum it with all those lazy, poor folk down there anyways.
**I have never posted anything mean but you have crossed the line - for low income families and my country.</p>
<p>^ Yes yes TNVandyParent so true but this logic has not worked with kentuckymom.</p>
<p>Yes, Hardknocks, you may as well quit taking the bus to work, and finance a new luxury car, as it sounds as if Owlice feels owning a car is a right too. (Helps that the President now owns a car company–I’m sure a plan for this is in the works to, along with healthcare and education.) Nevermind that maybe you CHOOSE to ride the bus because you are saving for, say, your child’s education. Kind of like I drive a car with 100,000 plus miles on it, because I was saving for my own child’s.</p>
<p>goodschoolhopefully–how have I crossed the line? Because I am against Socialism?</p>
<p>It’s exactly because I DON’T think less of anybody based on their parents’ finances, that I think everyone should be given the chance to attend good schools by being able to finance their education on their own.</p>
<p>As the parent of a child that will be on the full tuition plan, I feel no anger toward those on FA who will not pay full tuition. More power to them. I hope they become successful, contributing members of our society. My father in law went to college on the ultimate FA program, the GI bill, and became quite successful.
Daughter actually turned down admission to two schools that offered nice merit packages.
My wife and I have been sucessful and have saved for this for 18 years. Now it is time to pay up.
Everyone has the right to decided for themselves if something is worth what is charged.</p>