<p>Is it just me, or does it seem like posts from people who want to beat the system by scamming financial aid, changing their mind about their ED school,wanting to get around state residency requirements, have increased?</p>
<p>New posts by people who * don’t want their parents to have to spend any of their hard earned money, even though EFC is $99,999, so how can I be declared independent?*,
or maybe
I need a higher GPA for grad school, but instead of studying I am going to have my mother browbeat my prof into raising my grade!*</p>
<p>* I am going to whine about that I can’t go to my top choice school- but I just think it is not FAIR that I would have to take out loans, or work summers for tuition. I have PLANS for my summer like doing something fun, because I am STRESSED, and I need to RELAX!*</p>
<p>* My EFC is TOO high. Don’t they know my house payment is $6,000 a month!- how do the colleges expect me to pay tuition with those kind of bills?*</p>
<p>* whats the point of working hard and taking rigorous classes if it doesn’t get me merit aid to Yale?*</p>
<p>I don’t know why they are interested in attending college- when obviously they already know it all :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Emerald…you beat me to this post. I, too, am mighty tired of folks trying to game the system one way or another. Just this week there were two different posts…one about OOS tuition or rather how NOT to pay OOS tuition. The other was about figuring out a way to “adjust” residency so that it would be a tip in admissions. I wanted to scream both times (but I think I politely posted)…“Your residency is where your parents live and work and pay taxes…PERIOD.” And these are just two of many many posts where folks feel they can “stretch the truth” and it will somehow be to their advantage. Bottom line is…be honest. That is my humble opinion. Simply put, we aren’t too excited about our two kids and the college bills we will have next year, but we aren’t trying to figure out how to make ourselves look poorer so we’ll get more aid. Instead of trying to game the system, these folks should be grateful for what they have. I hope this post isn’t a violation of the TOS for this site!! If it is, I will understand if it is removed. I’m not speaking to any particular poster.</p>
<p>I had coffee this morning with an acquaintence who wanted to know how much “fudge factor” (his words exactly) there was in the charitable contribution deduction before he would be audited. I have no idea what exact dollar amount of deduction would trigger an audit, but I assured him that under audit any deduction without a cancelled check and/or a receipt from the charity would be disallowed almost automatically. His rationale for “fudging” - he already pays enough in taxes. Don’t we all. But it still doesn’t justify cheating. This desire to work “the system” seems rather pervasive in our society today.</p>
<p>Emerald I have to agree with you. But here is a bright spot in our son. Son # 2 wants to work this summer to help save money for college, whether he needs to or not. He was willing to live at home and go to school and not make a fuss about it, but when we told him we felt we could afford the dorm/board costs too, he was elated and still willing to work to have more $$. I have to say I told him how proud of him I am.</p>
<p>But I have met parents and kids like your describing, one dad once said publicly at a school meeting he did not want his kid going to school B over school A because his son drove a BMW and wouldn’t fit in at school B.</p>
<p>thats great sweetkids- I think kids should contribute to their own education, whether it is
taking out small loans, working summers or working their tail off to find scholarships ( or all three)
I think kids that do that, are likely to value their opportunities more, and have doors open wider for them. :)</p>
<p>I am not trying to suggest by any means that most people are trying to scam the system- but the ones that do are an constant irritant- of course we can read about their further exploits on the front page of the papers.</p>
<p>There are all kinds of folks in this world. Fortunately it does seem that there are many nice ones that are doing their best to raise their kids right.<br>
It is troubling to see the folks trying to “wiggle” out of promises & commitments. There are so many folks who want rules to apply to everyone but themselves. Very sad–and as parents you really wish they would take te high moral ground for themselves & their loved ones & those around them.
I’m pleasantly surprised by some of the schools–three of them have sent letters to my son reminding him of things he forgot to submit or they lost (tough to say which). One of the schools contacted him yet again, this time requesting FAid info, since he checked the box & never submitted any FAid ap. I am very impressed that the school bothered to follow up–we thanked them for their concern & informed them that our family has decided we will not apply for need-based FAid, as we do not qualify and would not like to take money from others who need it. Still waiting & hoping he will get into that school, as it is at the top of his list (tho VERY expensive & they don’t award merit aid :(…oh well, we shall see).</p>
<p>And don’t forget another big form of gaming the system: people who have lived white-bread lives forever who now suddenly remember a great-grandfather who once visited South Africa, or an aunt who had a terrific tamale recipe, or a great, great-grandmother who was rumored to be a “Cherokee princess”, and from this they try to weasel their way into claiming URM status.</p>
<p>I’m not sure it’s anything new. How many people do you know who use the good old ‘pay-cash-and-avoid-taxes’ game when they’re doing business, hiring a contractor, etc., or are the ones asking to be paid in cash? This kind of thing has gone on for a long time. It frustrates me tremendously to hear people bragging about doing this and looking at it as if they’ve done something praise-worthy by saving a few bucks/bilking the IRS out of tax dollars.</p>
<p>Amen to your original post E-kity…especially about summer jobs. Anytime my d even thinks about going down that road, I remind her that her father spent summers and Christmas holidays on offshore production platforms doing grunt work like painting stripes on heli-pads…and then during the school year, slung hash at the school cafeteria to pay for his own tuition and frat house bills. And that I waited tables and tossed pizzas to pay for my education. And that we both had college loans that we paid off ourselves…we wouldn’t have dreamed of ever asking our parents to pay. </p>
<p>D usually doesn’t go down the whiny road very often. :-)</p>
<p>One that bugs me is parents trying to get a normal kid “diagnosed”
with some handicap to get accomodations on standardized tests. No offense to those who are truly handicapped, of course.</p>
<p>It is sad when parents encourage “gaming” & dishonesty. Most kids I know will refuse accommodations except when they truly need it. Even getting certified for accommodations is a blessing & curse for many of them–they’d much rather take the test with their friends & peers than having to be off in a separate room. The good thing for them (especially those who have health conditions which limit their stamina) is that because there are fewer folks being tested, they may finish sooner & be allowed to go home & rest sooner after the test rather than waiting around for the last stragglers to arrive at the test site, etc.<br>
There are kids who are diagnosed with handicaps who refuse to even get College Board to certify that they qualify for accommodations as well. Then also, there are those kids that the CB refuses to acknowledge are entitled to accommodations, tho they have IEPs, 504 plans, medical evidence, etc.</p>
<p>SKM, only slightly OT: what’s the difference between a BMW and a porcupine? </p>
<p>A: The porcupine has the pricks on the outside.</p>
<p>I have nothing against wealthy people. I’d be hard pressed to earn a living without them. I have a big problem with the sometimes-attendant sense of entitlement.</p>
<p>I agree with TheDad – what I dislike in anyone is a sense of entitlement, and I’ve worked hard to make sure that my kids don’t pick up this attitude. We’ve told them our fair share of war stories about working our way through school and never looking for anyone else to take care of us.</p>
<p>I don’t know that ‘gaming the system’ is anything new – what is new, is the willingness to admit to it, especially in an online forum. Fwiw, I tend to believe in karma, or just desserts or whatever. People who try to gain some advantage that they don’t deserve often get caught through their own foolishness. I don’t think that admissions or financial aid people are that gullible – I’m sure they see through the nonsense.</p>
<p>TheDad, I needed a good laugh this morning. Thanks!</p>
<p>I see from the above posts, that most feel the frustrations that I feel. I have seen people who didn’t plan for retirement taken care of, even though they didn’t contribute to the system that takes care of them now. They’re often the first to complain about their benefits. I have also seen liars and cheats move to the top of organizations, be it work or school. This whole not paying anything for college is just another facet. Nothing wrong with merit money making things possible. Nothing at all. Just don’t whine about having to pay for r&b, books and fees.</p>
<p>The world has always had ants and grasshopppers, with ants being those of us that have carefully, and with purpose, built our lives by being responsible for them and grasshoppers being those who voraciously consume whatever they can, often not being deserving of that which they have consumed. I often find the mindset of the grasshopper incredible. If they spent as much time working as they do gaming the system, there’s not telling what they could do to contribute to society instead of draining it. I do think that grasshoppers often pay a social cost. They often use up friends and acquaintances at a blinding pace. Around here, they often switch churches on a frequent basis because it doesn’t take other church members long to figure out that they’re not needy but lazy and have more money in the bank than the church members that are babysitting their kids and mowing their lawns.</p>
<p>Alongfortheride – wonderful post! Thanks for reminding me of the ant and the grasshopper. Just this past weekend I was trying to remember the fable in a conversation with one of my kids, so now I can finish the discussion properly!</p>