Your studious kid works her fanny off, excels and gets herself accepted into the ranks of the Ivy League, an acceptance that comes with a $60,000 price tag. Per. Year. Problem is, you’ve already depleted your savings because the family’s main breadwinner was out of work for an extended period of time and the jobs that both parents now have don’t rake in close to the family’s previous income. Not only that, but you’ve got another kid whose regular sessions with an expert in Asperger’s cost a fortune, oh, and you’ve just had a baby.
Do you tell your smart, ambitious kid that you’ll mortgage your future and family in order to send her to that elite university? Do you agree to help her take out massive loans so she can follow her dreams? Or do you tell her it’s not in the cards and that she should attend a more reasonably priced institution of higher learning so she’ll emerge with a bachelor’s degree sans a crushing load of debt?
Adam and Kristina were, initially, of the mind that Cornell cost too much and wasn’t worth the financial damage it would inflict upon their family and/or Haddie’s economic future. But, in the face of their daughter’s disappointment and her pointing out that her desires were once again trumped by her brother’s needs (i.e. — his pricey Asperger’s treatment), Adam didn’t have the heart to turn her down and tell her that Cornell was a non-starter.
With all the uncertainties in this dour economy, factoring in the horrifically ballooning costs of higher education, how families can afford to send their kids to college is a growing concern, particularly given that new graduates are having a nightmare of a time trying to find jobs. (Where do you think many of the Occupy Wall Streeters came from? Unemployed college grads with enormous student loans.)
Even though the Bravermans live in a large, beautiful home loaded with high-end appliances, and that on Adam’s previous salary the family could afford to have Kristina be an at-home mom, post-layoff, their finances have been strained even as Kristina has jumped back into the work force. Whereas the Cornell acceptance might have been heartily celebrated when Adam was an exec at the shoe company because they still had their savings and his salary, the acceptance is now a financial nightmare. I’m curious as to how the Parenthood writers are going to proceed with this thread, whether they’re going to keep it real or just let this issue fade away. Given the realities many American families are facing, I hope they continue to shine the light on the outrageous costs of college and the burden it places on parents.
The other storyline I found intriguing was the growing unease Zoe has been demonstrating about giving custody of her baby to Julia and Joel. I sincerely hope that Parenthood is just trying to illustrate that Zoe isn’t proceeding with the adoption lightly, that she is honestly being selfless and trying to provide her child with what she sees as a promising future with a happy, financially comfortable family, regardless of how hard it may be on her. Humanizing the birth mother’s experience by depicting the emotional impact is laudable. However I have a sneaking, nagging suspicion that Zoe’s obvious mounting reluctance is going to be exploited for a dramatic payoff during the ratings sweeps period in February, leaving Julia and Joel devastated as Zoe changes her mind. Please, Parenthood, don’t do that. That kind of a stunt it beneath you.
Oh, and I repeat my admonition from the previous episode review: Do not have Amber hook up with Bobby Little!
Clacked by Meredith O'Brien 
on Jan 18, 2012 @ 12:52 EST5EDT
This whole incident is mostly garbage since Cornell is a need-blind institution and will take care of any amount of money that the FAFSA determines the family can’t afford (EFC, or Expected Family Contribution.) Federal aid considers unemployment and unusual medical expenses when evaluating this amount.
The writers had dialogue mentioning this. As Adam said, the FAFSA is going to reflect the previous year’s income, when he was at the shoe company. Income taxes lag by a year, and FAFSA is based on your reported income tax. Yes, they allow you to indicate changed circumstances, but how long has it been since Adam and Kristina were in college and filled out those forms?
I have my precious infant at one of those Cornell-like schools and although we are far from rich, the Fafsa was brutal. So we got nothing. However, I think they are doing the right thing. I would not change the incredible education he is getting for anything. We make him earn all his spending money and he takes out Stafford Loans, but he has such a sense of growth, confidence, community, etc. that I do think there is something in those top schools that is more than the sum of its parts–it’s not just the name, they really actually do something special. (I went to a big state U.) I know Berkeley is a pretty good school and all, but did they seriously think it was going to satisfy Haddie to live at home and baby-sit her brother and sister for another four years? Did they think she was being a top student for THAT?