Athletic/academic scholarships... spend like a fool to win?

[milpitas99]

ASSume... someone owns a home that has reasonable equity in it. Read; lived in responsibly, didn't suck out all the equity for toys, trips, buying 8 rental properties and b.s... And it is intended as a retirement nestegg. DD looks at schools. Schools say "no scholarship money" because there is sufficient equity in the house. Not $2.9M, but reasonable equity.

Compare that to the next door neighbor (for example only) who sucks out all the equity, spends like a drunken sailor, pisses away everything... but they would "qualify".

It seems or appears that living responsibly is becoming, or should become, a thing of the past. When looking at college expenses, $225,000 is not out of the question; $40K tuition per year, $10K in living expenses, and roll in travel and miscellaneous... dang, down right ugly but even MORE ugly if you dare to be fiscally responsible and haven't bought the Ferrari, Santa Cruz 70 sailboat, 2 vacations a year to Tahiti and 1/2 of a twin engine Beechcraft with all the equity that you sucked out of your home.

Ok, it's an unfair world, life isn't perfect, blah, blah, blah. I can feel Skype warming up his keyboard already. But whether its softball or lacrosse or track or baseball... having to sell your home to pay for tuition since you don't qualify based on having equity kinda sucks. If I were an illegal alien I would have a better chance. Somehow, from my totally myopic perspective, this seems upside down.

Ok, my whining is over. There. I have vented. It sort of feels better now. Actually, it doesn't but I can't to squat about it. So, I'll just suck it up, pay the tuition and move to Idaho or Nevada or somewhere in North Dakota (statewide population of 9).

Ah... no one said life is "fair". I think a very cold beer is in order. Thank you for letting me vent.

[Skarp]

College aid is just one in a long list of entitlement programs that punish the responsible and reward the irresponsible. The lesson: party like a rock star and spend every cent, because if you don't pay for your own party you're damn sure going to pay for someone else's.