NYT: College Aid Rules Change, and Families Pay More

[Pirate Smile]

No matter how she parses it, Roberta Proctor cannot make sense of her son's college bill. Her income and her assets have not changed. If anything, she says, her family's finances have deteriorated somewhat.

So, she wonders, how could she possibly owe an extra $6,000 for the coming school year, when tuition has not increased anywhere near that amount?

But she does. Like Ms. Proctor, a Californian whose son just finished his freshman year at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, thousands of American families might find it harder to qualify for financial aid this year and might be asked to contribute more money toward the cost of college because of changes to a complicated federal formula they barely know about, much less understand.

Taken together, these changes, some based on overly optimistic predictions of inflation, have required families to count a greater share of their incomes and assets toward college expenses before becoming eligible for financial aid. As a consequence, tens of thousands of low-income students will no longer be eligible for federal grants; middle-class families are digging deeper into their savings; and some colleges are putting up their own money to make up the difference.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/06/education/06aid.html?hp&ex=1118030400&en=492f12806375a836&ei=5094&partner=homepage

I vaguely remember hearing this would be the result when Republicans passed some legislation. Now the reality hits the people.

[liberaliraqvet26]

1. Its funny how...

tuition has gone up more in states with repug govs...
NY/FL/CA

Randi Rhodes always says they are trying to "dumb the masses"

[G2099]

2. The article goes on to say

"Whatever the changes to financial aid, they say, students as a whole have rarely stopped pursuing degrees and college attendance rates remain high nationally."

As long as "attendance rates remain high nationally" that's all that matters.

Many young people see college as a chance to "be something" in life and this society and will pay anything for the degree. So the ball just keeps on rolling

[Erika]

3. Bush is cutting off federal $ to states for education

and the states are raising tuition fees dramatically for state colleges.

The end result will be only the elite being able to afford an education. Many of our "volunteer" military forces are signing up only for the hope of getting help to pay for college. How very sad for this country.

[PeaceProgProsp]

4. Why isn't this article in the NY Times's series on class?

Why is the NY Times's opinion of class about the difference between two different kinds of rich people who live on Nantucket and not about how a generation of college-aged American probably will never make into the middle class because of choices our government is making.

[lovuian]

5. Yes it began when Bush got into office... the kids were asked to

take on more and more debt and parents too...tuition keeps going up and up and the funds dry up... the elite or wealthy will be the ONLY ones in college that doesn't make for a good society!!!

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Adding graphic that appeared with article --

[depakid]

7. Bush lied about this in the debates, too

A woman in college asked him A DIRECT AND SIMPLE question about this proposal- and he looked her right in the eyes and lied to her.

The coporate media whores said nothing.

[FreedomAngel82]

8. This is so disgusting

God I hate these people so much. They bring so much pain onto people. :mad: