1952: How Colleges Quietly Discount Tuition and What Families Need to Know

<p>Many parents believe college now costs <strong>$100,000 a year.</strong> But the truth is far more complicated.</p><br><p>Today on <em>So Money</em>, I’m joined by <a href="https://ronlieber.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Ron Lieber</strong></a>, longtime <em>New York Times</em> “Your Money” columnist and author of the bestselling book <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-price-you-pay-for-college-ron-lieber?variant=39791328264226" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Price You Pay for College</em></a>. Ron has spent years investigating how college pricing really works—and why the “sticker price” is often not the price families actually pay.</p><br><p>In our conversation, Ron explains why the most important question isn’t <em>how to save for college</em> or even <em>how to pay for college</em>.</p><p>It’s this: <strong>What should you actually pay?</strong></p><br><p>In this episode, we discuss:</p><br><p>• Why the $100,000 college headline can be misleading</p><p>• How merit aid scholarships really work</p><p>• Why colleges quietly compete for students with discounts</p><p>• How families can ask for more aid (without turning the process into a battle)</p><p>• The surprising story behind the merit-aid “arms race” in higher education</p><br><p>Learn more about Ron's course and get his free checklist: <a href="https://meritaidcourse.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Understanding Merit Aid</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>