One of the parents who commented on my previous post (MYOS) seemed surprised that this mother/physician didn’t understand that elite institutions give out few, if any, merit awards.  Actually, I believe that the vast majority of parents aren’t aware of this phenomenon.

The Guardian newspaper in London published an article last spring that suggests that children of upper-middle-class families are having to attend public universities because they are too affluent to receive need-based aid and they aren’t getting scholarship from private institutions.

What the reporter, who happens to be the wife of Bill Keller, the former executive editor of The New York Times, didn’t seem to realize is that outside the East Coast bubble most colleges and universities provide merit scholarships to students who don’t qualify for need-based financial aid.

In fact, according to the National Association of College and University Business Officer, 87% of students (a historic high) attending private colleges and universities don’t pay full price and the average tuition discount is 53%.

3. Don’t Fish in the Same Pond