I have two kids in school, spending 1400-1600/ month on each with tuition management; no aid, no loans, no govt welfare. It comes out on the 10th of every month; actually a pretty good deal if you are the type of person that likes to not depend on the govt. Of course, we drive old vehicles, my favorite being a 1990 ford truck, live within our means, and not upset with college costs. People need to take a look at themselves.
Like you, hubby and I put two kids through state schools
(UCIrvine and CSUFullerton), at the same time with cash.
We are the white, middle class who must pay for everything.
We pay our bills and sacrifice a little:
No hair salon,
No nail salon,
No spa,
No vacations,
No new cars,
No labels on our clothes,
No Coach handbags (hate those handbags - big waste of money).
No eating out.
Good news is our children are educated and have jobs
that pay well. They are not in debt and neither are we.
PRAISING GOD! It was all worth it.
Government handouts are a shackle.
Being a Cal-state grad - always thought the kid would go that route. 2 years of JC, then we had enough saved for 2 years of state college level tuition. Well - the kid surprised us and got a National Merit Scholarship. He is going to the University of Oklahoma...where two years of California tuition stretches to 4 years.
The money he is being educated on was put away by my wife and I during the late 90’s/early 2000’s during the dot-com boom. We hadn’t been able to contribute to the fund actively for quite awhile. ‘
Moral of story - he is going to get through school without owing anyone any money, and we are only out of pocket the transportation too/from OU. If he needs to go longer...he gets a job!