How did your child pay for undergrad without going to bank of mom/dad/trust fund?

[Anonymous]

Saved since birth, state college.

[Anonymous]

If you can ace the PSAT your junior year and submit a very high SAT score with a small packet of questions, you can be at least a National Merit Finalist. At that level, the University of Alabama will give you a full ride, including room and board and book money.
However, if the student is female or LGBTQ+….its in Alabama so think carefully. There might be a few other schools available to National Merit finalists also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can ace the PSAT your junior year and submit a very high SAT score with a small packet of questions, you can be at least a National Merit Finalist. At that level, the University of Alabama will give you a full ride, including room and board and book money.
However, if the student is female or LGBTQ+….its in Alabama so think carefully. There might be a few other schools available to National Merit finalists also.

There are many schools that offer this type of merit-based full ride (including room, board and book money), separate from the National Merit system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nowadays it’s impossible to pay for college completely on their own. Better go to community college for two years and living at home while at the same time working a gig.

+1. This question is poorly formed, because the reality of how kids pay on their own these days is they go to a small number of schools that are very generous in meeting full need (and this assumes the parents have lower income/assets), they go to community college, or they go to a very discounted state school part time for several years, likely while living at home. But their options are limited and many don’t end up with a 4-year degree.

Yup. And that’s why retention rates are so low at many schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Saved since birth, state college.

What kind of job did they do as an infant?

[Anonymous]

Paying for DC’s college. I don’t see this as the “bank of mom and dad”. I wanted to do this but I don’t have to and that’s the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't 529s "the bank of mom and dad"? You're still paying for it even if you put the money aside earlier.

No, 529 is tax free. My 529 must have increased in value more than 10 times as compared to the fund put in. All those free money is tax free.

Ridiculous math fail.

[Anonymous]

What’s wrong with the bank of mom and dad paying for college, if they are able to? My mom and dad put me through college. (My dad literally retired the day after paying for my last semester.) I got a good job and put myself through professional school at night. We are paying DC’s college. Nothing wrong with that, in our opinion.

[Anonymous]

I'm a millennial that worked 3 jobs, played a division 1 sport and maintained a grade point average above a 4.0 (on a 5.0 scale) at MIT. Also very large loans

[Anonymous]

Kids earned full cost of attendance scholarships, and work part time on campus for extra money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s wrong with the bank of mom and dad paying for college, if they are able to? My mom and dad put me through college. (My dad literally retired the day after paying for my last semester.) I got a good job and put myself through professional school at night. We are paying DC’s college. Nothing wrong with that, in our opinion.

Donut hole families are in the worst situation. Can't get any fin aid, and not enough for full pay.
Agree nothing wrong with parents paying for kids' college. A 529 account is the best way to handle this tuition. Any responsible parents should do it.

[Anonymous]

ROTC pays tuition. We pay R&B. ROTC provides a monthly stipend, and kids have summer jobs, so we never give them spending $$.

[Anonymous]

My kid at UMD is friends with commuter students who are living at home and working retail jobs to pay for college themselves. Strong, determined people. I imagine every public college has students like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ROTC pays tuition. We pay R&B. ROTC provides a monthly stipend, and kids have summer jobs, so we never give them spending $$.

+1

[Anonymous]

Parents, grandparents, scholarships, financial aid grants, student loans. Can work way through college of ozarks if FAFSA checks right boxes. Or do community college for 2 years, then tranafer to university. Or, attend in-state commuter university.