One of the most embarrassing facts about the Connecticut college financial aid system is the fact that parents and students are practically forced to go into even further debt under the guise of financial aid to pay for college. I meet with parents everyday who are already in debt and cannot afford to go an additional fifty thousand dollars in debt. Why do Connecticut colleges have billions of dollars in cash sitting around and yet force parents and students to take on so much debt?
Most parents that I meet with have a small amount of savings and a minimal retirement account, but that alone does not mean they should automatically get approved for grants and scholarships. The fact is that these parents are the ones with great students who deserve and have worked very hard to get to the college level. Connecticut colleges are not being fair in penalizing the students because their parents have home equity or have a small retirement account.