It is easy to see these families as manipulating the system, but then so are colleges that charge $300,000 for 4-year college. College costs are rising much faster than the rate of inflation. In many cases these colleges are raising tuition for the same reason pharmaceutical companies are raising prices to insane levels -- because they can. It doesn't surprise me one bit that smart families are coming up with ways to beat this system. If colleges aren't playing fair why should they?