S/O What is our obligation as parents regarding college $$$?

[Anonymous]

My parents didn’t pay for college or grad school, I figured it out on my own. 2 degrees, no debt, great career, and I’m grateful to my parents for not raising me to be entitled.

There are too many parents who’ve turned giving their kid “THE BEST POSSIBLE ADVANTAGES” into a religion. This is not normal, it didn’t used to be this way, and it’s one of the main factors contributing to the insane inequality in this country and directly hurting other less privileged kids.

College costs today are $80-$90k/year at private schools. It’ll be even higher by the time my kids are going. It’s a racket - they keep raising the prices because there’s enough dumb rich parents willing to pay no matter how high they go. My kids are going to be just fine without playing that game...

[Anonymous]

HHI 900k.

We intend to pay for all of college. However, my children will get tuition provided from special city grant to any public state college and a several state privates for undergrad. They will need to have a really good reason to pass up that money and go out of state or private school in state that isn’t included.

We will fund graduate and post graduate if they pursue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to admit I am kind of appalled by this - really you wouldn’t feel obligated to fund a top private? I am Asian and it is basically written into my dna that if I can afford it (and even if I can’t I would try) that I will pay for my kids’ college tuition.I kid, but It was never a question for me growing up that as long as it was a “good” school my parents would pay. That comes with all the stereotypical strings you can imagine.

My parents paid for grad school as well. I had the option of a top 30 program full ride scholarship vs a top 15 program with no scholarship. I didn’t want to take out debt but was perfectly willing to go to the lower ranked school - my parents paid for the higher ranked school. I didn’t realize how much of a leg up that gave me back then but I surely appreciate that now. Having school fully paid for did not make me a bum, as I hear people cite as a reason they think having debt is good.

Our HHI is well over 550k and we’ll absolutely pay for undergrad and grad school, within reason. Why wouldn’t I? My kids are very little now but I can’t imagine telling them to go to their second choice school or take out a crap ton of crippling debt when I can perfectly well afford it. If I couldn’t afford, it would be a different story - no one should bankrupt their retirement to pay for college - but you clearly can. Maybe this is a theoretical thought exercise for you and you’ll change your mind when / if it is a reality

I am very curious what you are doing now that you wouldn't have done if you went to a top 30 school vs. top 15. I am actually quite appalled that you would have asked your parents to pay for grad school when you had a perfectly find option for free. Assuming your parents aren't multi-millionaires, forcing them to work harder and longer to go to a school that most likely will not make any significant difference in your future is incredibly selfish.

NP. I can tell you that the law field is very elitist and you absolutely have different career opportunities coming out of school and for the rest of your career if you went to a top 30 versus the top 15.

Agree. I was stupid and listened to my parents (who were not paying) - I attended a law school that gave me $$ and was ranked twenty places lower (but still "first tier") than my favored school, which offered me minimal assistance. Huge mistake, which I realized as soon as I started looking for jobs (despite a good GPA) - the name recognition absolutely means something if you do not have any connections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to admit I am kind of appalled by this - really you wouldn’t feel obligated to fund a top private? I am Asian and it is basically written into my dna that if I can afford it (and even if I can’t I would try) that I will pay for my kids’ college tuition.I kid, but It was never a question for me growing up that as long as it was a “good” school my parents would pay. That comes with all the stereotypical strings you can imagine.

My parents paid for grad school as well. I had the option of a top 30 program full ride scholarship vs a top 15 program with no scholarship. I didn’t want to take out debt but was perfectly willing to go to the lower ranked school - my parents paid for the higher ranked school. I didn’t realize how much of a leg up that gave me back then but I surely appreciate that now. Having school fully paid for did not make me a bum, as I hear people cite as a reason they think having debt is good.

Our HHI is well over 550k and we’ll absolutely pay for undergrad and grad school, within reason. Why wouldn’t I? My kids are very little now but I can’t imagine telling them to go to their second choice school or take out a crap ton of crippling debt when I can perfectly well afford it. If I couldn’t afford, it would be a different story - no one should bankrupt their retirement to pay for college - but you clearly can. Maybe this is a theoretical thought exercise for you and you’ll change your mind when / if it is a reality

I am very curious what you are doing now that you wouldn't have done if you went to a top 30 school vs. top 15. I am actually quite appalled that you would have asked your parents to pay for grad school when you had a perfectly find option for free. Assuming your parents aren't multi-millionaires, forcing them to work harder and longer to go to a school that most likely will not make any significant difference in your future is incredibly selfish.

NP. I can tell you that the law field is very elitist and you absolutely have different career opportunities coming out of school and for the rest of your career if you went to a top 30 versus the top 15.

Agree. I was stupid and listened to my parents (who were not paying) - I attended a law school that gave me $$ and was ranked twenty places lower (but still "first tier") than my favored school, which offered me minimal assistance. Huge mistake, which I realized as soon as I started looking for jobs (despite a good GPA) - the name recognition absolutely means something if you do not have any connections.

Also, that said, I think that name recognition is more important for grad school than undergrad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
We make 130 HHI and have three kids (admittedly, HHI was over 200k for some years before I became a SAHM). We’ve prepaid state (VA) schools for two and put in 80k so far for one. My goal is to pay all of college and grad school for all three.

For us, providing good education is like putting healthy food on the table.

+1000, I don't need a big fancy house, cars or vacations but my kids need college and graduate school with as little to no debt to give them a good start to life.

Op is too busy showing everyone her hhi to save anything. Gross.

[Anonymous]

It’s funny to me how people on here are totally against student loan forgiveness, but when someone comes on here trying to do something to save money so that they will never end up needing SL forgiveness, people shit on community college, using credits by exam to get ahead, schools like Towson, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to admit I am kind of appalled by this - really you wouldn’t feel obligated to fund a top private? I am Asian and it is basically written into my dna that if I can afford it (and even if I can’t I would try) that I will pay for my kids’ college tuition.I kid, but It was never a question for me growing up that as long as it was a “good” school my parents would pay. That comes with all the stereotypical strings you can imagine.

My parents paid for grad school as well. I had the option of a top 30 program full ride scholarship vs a top 15 program with no scholarship. I didn’t want to take out debt but was perfectly willing to go to the lower ranked school - my parents paid for the higher ranked school. I didn’t realize how much of a leg up that gave me back then but I surely appreciate that now. Having school fully paid for did not make me a bum, as I hear people cite as a reason they think having debt is good.

Our HHI is well over 550k and we’ll absolutely pay for undergrad and grad school, within reason. Why wouldn’t I? My kids are very little now but I can’t imagine telling them to go to their second choice school or take out a crap ton of crippling debt when I can perfectly well afford it. If I couldn’t afford, it would be a different story - no one should bankrupt their retirement to pay for college - but you clearly can. Maybe this is a theoretical thought exercise for you and you’ll change your mind when / if it is a reality

I am very curious what you are doing now that you wouldn't have done if you went to a top 30 school vs. top 15. I am actually quite appalled that you would have asked your parents to pay for grad school when you had a perfectly find option for free. Assuming your parents aren't multi-millionaires, forcing them to work harder and longer to go to a school that most likely will not make any significant difference in your future is incredibly selfish.

NP. I can tell you that the law field is very elitist and you absolutely have different career opportunities coming out of school and for the rest of your career if you went to a top 30 versus the top 15.

Assuming that's true (and Amy Coney Barrett is Exhibit A for why it is not), do people stop to consider whether they *want* those career opportunities?

She went to ND law school. Where you went to undergrad hardly matters in the law field.