I don't think this financial problem is unique to first generation students. I'm taking out waaaay to many loans to attend film school right now and my parents are pretty well off. (Although I am a grad student and therefore doing much of the paying myself). I'm not sure if it's completely an issue of financial aid and communication between parents, schools, etc. These issues are bound to exist so long as there is this game to be played with financial aid and scholarships, etc..

I like the model of Rice U, which spreads it's endowment evenly among everyone, and for a great private school education, students pay considerably less for tuition. The efficiency in such a system whereby people know exactly how much it will cost year in and year out vs. the amount of their aid packages, etc. would help plan the cost of education and avoid all the numerous middle men reviewing and weighing the merits of one student against another.

Perhaps instead of employing massive numbers of administration and food service people, colleges employ more students, not so much based upon need, but upon willingness and time to work.

It does seems like school costs way too much. It really ought to be possible to "put yourself through school," through work and not through aid. Why the skyrocketing cost of tuition? Is it because more people are attending college? Why would that increase the cost? Shouldn't there be economies of scale related to that influx? Shouldn't new schools open, with good teachers, to compete with bastions of students? I think part of it has to do with the "brand." A lot of top tier colleges can justify tuition on the basis of what a "Harvard" degree is worth. There seem to be a lot of people profiting, ie textbook companies, administration, equipment companies in film schools, and certainly businesses and companies who profit off the labor and hard work and education of college graduates (but at least they pay for it).

A better society would make it possible to incur less debt, therefore allowing students more freedom post-college. All the money seems to be "back-ended," that is, you make all the money down the road, when you really don't need it as much. But what do I know? I'm just a poor graduate student, feeling like I'm overpaying some mediocre professors and getting my money's worth with others.