<p>I do agree that no one is entitled to an elite education. </p>
<p>That’s true for everyone.</p>
<p>If the price is too high, there are other options. If you find the cost Harvard would charge you too high, your kid may be a strong enough student to win a merit scholarship to another university. In which case, it would be sensible to take the merit scholarship. (Does anyone know how many students take this route?)</p>
<p>After a few Google searches, I found claims that Ivy League colleges charge about 1/2 the full cost of educating a student.</p>
<p>That’s the core of Mr. Asen’s argument, I suppose. The schools should officially charge the full cost, and adjust the amount paid to reflect each family’s means. For most families, it wouldn’t change the amount paid, but the 0.001% at the top would pay $100,000, rather than $49,810. </p>
<p>I don’t object to need-based financial aid. I think it’s fairer than unendowed merit scholarships. (Cue the uproar.) The other enrolled students are covering the cost of the unendowed merit scholarships. Apparently, most colleges which award merit scholarships are effectively “buying” better class SAT score averages, etc. So, the salesman’s daughter pays higher tuition to subsidize the discount (i.e., merit scholarship) offered to the dentist’s son.</p>