Ivy League schools are still doing well with applicants, but below that level there has been a significant decline in the number of applications. The shine is wearing off the apple. With the rise of Kahn academy and other self-education resources available, technical knowledge is no longer locked behind a college door. Finding employers who feel that way may not be as easy, but IT companies are leading the way with only certificate requirements.

People have been brainwashed that going into long term debt is no big deal. It is.
That $200k you mentioned upon graduation would cost the kid over $2000/month for the next decade. Ridiculous, even half that is poor money management. I'd choose anything over that.

We got 2 going into college next year. Even with Merit money still going to be 60K x 4 years..Let the Parent Plus loans start rolling..if you need me, I'll be working 24/7 for the next 40 years!

When they are born open a college account, put something in it each paycheck no matter how small. Keep doing that and let it grow for 18 years. After 18 years use that money to pay for his ac***ulated travel hockey bills.:smiley:

After graduating from an Ivy league school with major in Women, Gender and Sexuality studies and a minor in Comparative Literature ... I can honestly say I am smarter and more woke than most of the people who patronize the coffee shop in which I work.

I just wish people would leave me larger tips, because the President only agree to pay a mere 10k of my 200k student debt, and even that is being held up by legal challenges.

In most cases (not all), college is the biggest scam going these days.

Bingo

The stupid thing is that all tuition is basically the same. Could be some crap liberal arts school, could be MIT - cost is pretty much the same. I agree that you just have to plan ahead. Not much else you can do other than hope for a scholarship or financial aid.

Tuition is pretty much the same? Really? In my experience, there are VAST differences.

Where? It seems like every college is 60k a year. State school not included.

Go to a state school for undergrad and if you do well be selective for your masters. . . and oh, have an employer pay for it.

UMASS Boston is still 27K per year..seriously!

Start the madness by sending them to a 75k prep school first.

Back in the day, a friend of mine worked a full time job managing a restaurant (40+ hours a week) and also managed straight A's at a prestigious midwestern business school. He slept about four hours a day.

Had a job Day 1 out of school at a "big five" accounting firm and has been a partner there for many years.

He had zero debt coming out of school and the only debt he likely has now is his seven-figure mortgage and maybe alimony.

Work hard and don't take student loans unless you literally can't make it happen otherwise. A self-employed carpenter is likely just as happy as the marketing major paying off her $320K degree from Notre Dame working at Macy's.

Parents and kid can swallow their pride and go CC for 1-2 years to chip away at credits before matriculating to traditional undergrad.

Military is an option too. Find a guaranteed technical job in the Air Force, do your 4-years, and get some dough for college. As a freshman, you'll only be a year older than the kids who aged-out of juniors lol.