Interesting piece @mom4bwayboy. I think many people here on CC would definitely object to the author’s use of private school tuition as the “average” cost for a middle class student’s college but I think her research and stories like yours are really important for parents of artists to consider. We all love and support our kids but we also want them to eventually be able to pay their own way in life… and living in the large cities where jobs are generally found is super expensive. We parents need to think of ourselves and our ability to support ourselves in retirement with as much respect as we do our children’s training and pursuit of dreams. It’s very hard to say “we can’t afford this dream school” to an excited senior but being willing to say it might make or break their future because young artists just can’t count on making the money to pay rent and student loans through a “subsistence” job. No one goes into MT for the money … but a consideration of how much money will be available for paying tuition and loans is critical to making a college choice - or even making the decision not to attend college at all.