I understand that tuition does not pay the entire cost of a student’s education at a school. It pays for a portion of it. The more money the college gets from outside sources, whether it is state/federal sources, loan proceeds, outside scholarships, some inside merit awards, and the student/family bank accounts, the less that gap is. Most colleges are limited as to how much aid they can give from their own accounts to offset the COA.
All of that information does not help a student who needs to come up with $X to pay at least the direct billed amounts after all the grants, savings, checks, loan money is received. That COA is increasing as is the gap, for some students. A lot of grants have barely increased over the years while costs have. Yeah, they raised PELL amounts. But costs have gone up more in a lot of places.
The kids who are hit hardest are those whose parents cannot or will not help. I know PELL eligible kids whose parents have done all they could to give their kids the most and best options. If it means commuting to the local CC, those parents help with the logistics and whatever money they can spare. They provide the financial info to make applying for financial aid possible. Then you have those who’ll hock the kid’s flute and steal from the kidbeg for kid’s money, and refuse to give any financial or tax info.
I’ve also seen well to do parents who refuse to provide financial info or the money for college. Those kids can’t even get the Direct Loan. Those kids can’t get much financial aid even with the info because it’s a matter of the parents spending all their money on other things than college costs. Even if Harvard material, it’s not gonna happen because these kids can’t get financial aid nor can they get parents to pay.