Safety and Reach



A number of high school seniors I know have sent in their confirmations to the colleges and universities that have accepted them, and something funny has happened. The kids who were accepted at some pretty fancy selective schools are sending the yes postcards to the state universities.

The reason is money.

And we parents are feeling a little bit bitter that we bought off on the advice that told us, “ don't let the cost stop you because you’ll be amazed at the financial aid packages schools offer.”

So while we encouraged our kids to apply to some of these schools, and congratulated them on their acceptance, we are the ones who have to make the decision, to tell our kids, we aren't going to be robbing ourselves of retirement funds to send you to your first choice school.

Oh what a bitter taste to feel as if you've been courted, flirted with, even kissed, only to be dropped like a spurned lover.

Admittedly, there are some good scholarships and grants, and in our case, we are happy that Hans was offered a sizable scholarship to two of the schools to which he was accepted. But two of the private schools didn't offer him anything, but couldn't wait to meet him on acceptance day. Someone out there thinks we’re going to have our kid take out loans to finance a $44,000 a year school? Does anyone think borrowing 10, 20, even 30 thousand a year is responsible?

High school counselors suggest students apply to a reach college, as well as a safety college. I am pretty sure they’re talking academics and acceptance. It turns out that terminology is now being used for affordability, as news articles pick up on the precarious state of our national economy, and warn students that loan companies with which colleges contract are in trouble.

Apply to a reach college, and a safety college.

Harvard and Stanford University plan to reduce the cost of tuition in an attempt to make their schools more affordable to the middle class. In Harvard’s case, tuition for a middle class family would be limited to ten percent of the household’s income up to $180,000. What a commendable, honorable, and just plain democratic effort. If you fit the academic and leadership profiles of a strong candidate, you should be able to imagine an education from such a school without incurring extreme debt.

Colleges need to hear when students don’t choose a school because they can’t afford it; maybe then there will be a greater effort to make college affordable to the middle class.