A lot of times parents go on the assumption that if their kids do well in school, get the high test scores, they will get a full ride scholarships to anywhere they want to go. They think schools will be lining up to pay for their kids.
My brother reports that there are big time college fairs in CA where you’d think that they are paying for students instead of the other way around. Until the accept letter with Cost Of Attendance laid out, the road to filing that application is filled with financial aid seminars , “how to fund your education” talks all laden with promise and possibilities.
I have a cousin who is convinced his kid is pure gold because of all the mail he’s getting wanting him to apply. He doesn’t believe me one bit that it’s going to take a helluva lot of work and luck to get the cost to $15k unless kid commutes to a state school
It’s a bitter awakening that in the US, the most highly sought after schools are private, cost more than a middle income (by my definition, a danged good income) and it’s not just pure academics that get you a seat in those schools. Plus no merit money. This is completely different from most all other cultures