What’s more scarier and nerve-racking than waiting for the college decision? Opening the financial aid award letter. Families all across the country have been doing this in the last few weeks. Some with excitement…as in this video:

…and some parents are wringing their hands wondering how they will pay for the college that offered their student admission. Sometimes a little levity helps, but even in the hysterical way The Middle addresses it, there are underlying realities that parents must face.

1. The college decision is first and foremost a financial one–I’ve said it before and I will say it again: have the “money talk” before you apply to colleges. This avoids any disappointment if the college does not offer enough aid to cover your costs.
2. Even though a college offers admission, it doesn’t mean you will receive financial aid–Colleges use the money to attract the most desirable students. If they don’t consider that your student is desirable, they won’t offer aid or they will gap you.
3. Families anguish over the high cost of college–College has become increasingly expensive and it’s clear that the decision to attend college is not based on the education alone.