(04-27-2020 11:26 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote: The Ivy League schools and their peers are NOT the problem here when it comes to costs.
We might have to define "peers," because quite a few of these great schools really don't help the kids out much; the threshold (is) high for aid. That's by design, though, if you're simply trying to keep your costs competitive with other peer institutions. Like, pay Penn State-ish prices for NYU...but that's not saying too much given how tight PSU can be with their aid and other costs.
Maybe it's changed some, but, those folks who went to the "good," small private baccalaureate schools were the ones getting the good deals. Those schools, because their endowments aren't like the big guys, are the ones I worry about. The ones that have to keep up with the big state schools and private ivies but don't carry the name. These are the schools who fall into eventual obscurity and then shutter because they're simply lost in the mix.
But, sadly, I agree with what you say about people ultimately not giving up their slots at some of these big name schools. I fear that's gotten worse, especially as businesses partner with certain institutions to pipeline future talent.
However, again, I do feel there will be spats over costs even at these places. My Brown or Penn experience wasn't what you got, and yet I paid more, blah, blah, blah. And, while it might not hurt enrollment, I have to believe that future donor line is going to shrivel a bit. There may be some "lost classes" where schools may have to ignore. COVID costs, less giving...the kind of stuff that's probably going to jack up the cost of higher education even more. It's always something.