Hillbilly Elegy

financial aid package Yale offered
exceeded my wildest dreams. In my first
year, it was nearly a full ride. That
wasn’t because of anything I’d done or
earned—it was because I was one of the
poorest kids in school. Yale offered tens
of thousands in need-based aid. It was
the first time being so broke paid so
well. Yale wasn’t just my dream school,
it was also the cheapest option on the
table.
The New York Times recently
reported that the most expensive schools
are paradoxically cheaper for low-
income students. Take, for example, a
student whose parents earn thirty
thousand per year—not a lot of money