<p>Obviously how much $ a family is willing/able to spend on education is a highly personal decision. Believe me when I say that you do NOT want the cost of your education to jeopardize your parents’ financial future (if only because that will later negatively impact you), but in theory the FAFSA and CSS Profile will prevent a school from asking your family for more than they can afford to contribute. </p>
<p>Then we get into “needs” versus “wants”. In practice, I have seen that most families can afford a lot more than what they WANT to spend if they are willing to prioritize. For example, our family vacations now largely tie in to getting D to/from school and our entertainment includes vicariously hearing about her school adventures. So far we are nothing but thrilled that we made the choice we did… money is NOT everything!</p>
<p>Then there is the nebulous question of value. Here is a thread that explains what convinced some of us that it was worth it to spend more on NU (a choice that many families have to weigh since ALL NU kids are highly desirable to other schools and have been offered big scholarships elsewhere).</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/northwestern-university/1263836-why-do-people-choose-go-nu.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/northwestern-university/1263836-why-do-people-choose-go-nu.html</a></p>
<p>Good luck in your decision!</p>