The high cost of living the skiing life

Agree on two fronts:  
- any program not allowing the kids to free ski, or even directed ski, in all types of terrain, is missing out.  Steeps, glades, powder, bumps, so much learning activity.  I have experienced programs that are gates, gates, gates.  This limits the kids, and they were bored.
- 529 or other is not considered for scholarships, merits, nor part of the college package that is offered.  Parents financials are considered for federal and state aid.  Good luck with those govt aids if you have a job, especially a two-income family.  Put as much as you can in the 529 and take the state tax credit.  This is based on my current experience with a Jr in college, not professional advice.  Rather as the one paying the bills.

Coach Z wrote

Race programs that don't ski the whole mountain as part of their training are being done a big disservice.  A big part of our younger levels at Whiteface the kids are spending in the trees, bumps, skier cross and everything else but the park.  

I've seen racers unnecessarily injured in the trees and bumps. I suppose it's all about what you want in a ski racing program. Is it just about the ski racing and academics, or is a consideration given to producing a good all around skier. With that said, NYSEF is more than just a ski racing program, as they instruct, moguls, jumping, Nordic, etc., which I'm sure influences their overall programs.

I know you're not a fan of Burke, but the VT/NH ski academies don't try to be everything for everyone. Not there is anything wrong with attending tier two prep schools. They certainly serve needs in the marketplace. I consider Northwoods to be less of a specialized academy and more of an all around school serving the needs of many different athletes.
 

I didn't say I didn't like Burke just that given where I live and the quality of Northwood's more well rounded educational potential its not a good fit for my son.  Next year NW certainly will add to our costs but its a far better school educationally than the public HS he would otherwise attend.

Financial aid is primarily based on need and fiild the gap between. Onrs resources and cost except for privately financed endowed scholarships which may be either need or merit based regardless of family resource

We endowed a modest merit only based scholarship because my wife and i wanted to fund people who performed well independent of need because few public institutions do that to any great extent. NW in my experience puts out a decent grad,we had several fine kids who also pushed a puck attend our institution and do well with both their human and athletic development.

Financial aid is fairly straightforward in public universities,privates usually have more mature endowments and can if they wish to enhance. Their class profile offer a somewhat proximate NET BOTTOM LINE to that of a public college for kids they really want. It is somewhat of a tradeoff and each case is different.  Just look for a good ratio of gift vs pay back aid . assuming academic Quality AND JOB PLACEMENT STATS ARE COMPARABLE.

We found that if you are making over about $60k/yr you were screwed as far as need based grant money and that is what a 529 would offset. Numbers may be different now. Best thing is to keep him academically very strong and very very good SAT scores. But if that does not pan out - SUNY Buffalo is a bargain but I think your still looking at an $100k spend for 4 years including books & supplies and some pocket money.

I don't think you know how to raise Z's son better than Z himself does.  Everyone told me how stressful the college application process was, but it wasn't a big deal at all for me.

Says the kid who's bills come in his dad's name.

Thanks all when I ask for advise I do listen

Think now I need to increase the 529 monthly amount now as I might not be able to afford to put as much in during the NW years.

after spending a fortune on soccer and traveling all over gods creation to watch my kids, i swore we would keep skiing a family friendly sport without the pressure of competition. i don't mind spending the money on family enjoyment or a vacation. its been 18 years since we took up the sport and its the one thing we still do as a family.

Sometimes kids that are in competitive sports burn out and don't want to continue enjoying those sports later in life and others, well they never burn out and continue to love that sport forever. We are all wired differently and who knows what exactly the future holds for any of us or Z's kid. All I know from reading the Coach's posts is that he loves skiing, his son, and the time they have enjoying the sport together. Personally I think whatever you are spending Coach is probably ok as long as you and your family are happy with the time and experiences you are sharing. Shit man, we aren't around very long and you can't spend the money once you are dead so what the heck....I would do the same for my kid too as long as I knew for sure that was what they really wanted to be doing.

Okay, I made my serious comment in this thread a few pages back, and I gave it a little time, but this needs to be said:

"I'm sad because skiing is expensive" has to be the whitest of white people problems, right?

mattchuck2 wrote

"I'm sad because skiing is expensive" has to be the whitest of white people problems, right?

One of the most (only) coherent things you have said in the past year.