<p>It doesn’t get much better than Duke financial aid. If they say, no go, and I am assuming you did feel out the forms with your brother down as a student for next year too, then it’s not likely you are going to get aid anywhere else. Maybe with three in college, that will put in the running, but then that means another tuition to be paid. So, now, I don’t see how or where you are going to get the kind of money other than applying for outside awards the best you can and your parents looking at loans.</p>
<p>You are not middle class. Not if you did not qualify for aid from Duke with two in college. Look at what middle class income is in this country. You are way, way over. Like edging towards the Obama defined wealthy, certainly in the top 5% of income in the this country.</p>
<p>But if your family has lived up to its income in terms of buying a home and a lifestyle so that they are peers with those who make this kind of money, it is tough going to come up with the $60K+ that a private university costs. We have friends who are decidedly high income, live on the sound, have a great house and all the amenties and they are sucking it down big time with college costs with 3 in college, twins and a singleton all at colleges in the price range. They are taking out loans, and so are the kids, and the kids are working part time too, so that they can bring down some of the net price. Oh, and they are commuting this year, a pain, but it saves quite a bit of money. </p>
<p>In such cases, loans to spread out the cost over more years makes sense for your parents to take, since you will all be out of school all at once just as you are in college together and they can regroup and pay over time which is what we are doing with multiple kids with their ages spaced out so that we don’t have more than 2 in college at a time but for a year here and there.</p>