General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: For Poor, Leap to College Often Ends in a Hard Fall. NY Times article well worth the read... [View all]exboyfil
(17,862 posts)in Iowa, and, unless you get a 30 on the ACT or are lower middle class, you won't get a dime in financial aid.
Agree it is B.S. to report any loans with the financial aid package. That should be standardized. The first you see should be the cost without borrowing. Borrowing should not even be discussed until after all other options are explored, then it should be done in terms of placement rates, starting salaries, and projected ROIs. The fact that, short of death, there is virtually no way to discharge this debt. In placement rates another column should be added - did you want to go on for a graduate degree or did you do it because you could not get full time employment after your B.S./B.A.? I would even include a small financial incentive for answering the survey (say $10) or a free year of membership in the alumni organization.
I would urge kids to make full use of dual enroll, PSEO and community college. Get as many credits at home before going on campus, but make sure that your credits will transfer. We have strong articulation agreements in Iowa.