s/o Is everyone on DCUM planning to pay for their kids college?

[Anonymous]

Our plan is 4 years of in-state tuition. We hope to be able to also pay 50% of room and board. While I would love to pay 100%, I think we need to prioritize retirement. If our kids choose an out of state or private college, we will give them the equivalent money towards tuition. We don't want our kids to graduate with a load of debt, but see nothing wrong with them working summers and/or having a part-time job after freshman year of college. And if our financial picture changes, we will do more.

My parents paid 100%. I skipped a lot of classes and had a bit too much fun. DH paid every penny of his and he was a committed student. So I do agree with be PP comment that they should have some skin in the game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the previous poster whose kids are 15 and 17 and will be paying for it all (we have the means to do so, and I couldn't live with myself if I didn't).

To all of the previous posters who think that paying for an education is going to "spoil" your child -- for better or worse,once your kid is 18, the die is already cast. If you've raised a spoiled brat up to age 18, withholding college costs isn't going to magically turn them into a responsible adult. Conversely, if you've raised a grounded and reasonable 18 year old, then paying for the education isn't going to "spoil" them.

Agreed. My parents paid for it all, including graduate school and I was always good with money and being reasonable and responsible. My husband really struggled without a college degree and when he went back he was disappointed he could not have a real college experience like I did and only went to a crappy college via the military. Its not what you do after age 18, its the values you instill before 18.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our plan is 4 years of in-state tuition. We hope to be able to also pay 50% of room and board. While I would love to pay 100%, I think we need to prioritize retirement. If our kids choose an out of state or private college, we will give them the equivalent money towards tuition. We don't want our kids to graduate with a load of debt, but see nothing wrong with them working summers and/or having a part-time job after freshman year of college. And if our financial picture changes, we will do more.

My parents paid 100%. I skipped a lot of classes and had a bit too much fun. DH paid every penny of his and he was a committed student. So I do agree with be PP comment that they should have some skin in the game.

Yes you and your DH obviously represent the rest of the world and your children will be exactly like you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our plan is 4 years of in-state tuition. We hope to be able to also pay 50% of room and board. While I would love to pay 100%, I think we need to prioritize retirement. If our kids choose an out of state or private college, we will give them the equivalent money towards tuition. We don't want our kids to graduate with a load of debt, but see nothing wrong with them working summers and/or having a part-time job after freshman year of college. And if our financial picture changes, we will do more.

My parents paid 100%. I skipped a lot of classes and had a bit too much fun. DH paid every penny of his and he was a committed student. So I do agree with be PP comment that they should have some skin in the game.

My parents paid 100%. I don't think I EVER missed a class in 4 years of undergraduate school. Having skin in the game had nothing to do with it. I was raised to value education and to appreciate the sacrifices my parents made for me to get to college (neither one of them went).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our plan is 4 years of in-state tuition. We hope to be able to also pay 50% of room and board. While I would love to pay 100%, I think we need to prioritize retirement. If our kids choose an out of state or private college, we will give them the equivalent money towards tuition. We don't want our kids to graduate with a load of debt, but see nothing wrong with them working summers and/or having a part-time job after freshman year of college. And if our financial picture changes, we will do more.

My parents paid 100%. I skipped a lot of classes and had a bit too much fun. DH paid every penny of his and he was a committed student. So I do agree with be PP comment that they should have some skin in the game.

My parents paid 100%. I don't think I EVER missed a class in 4 years of undergraduate school. Having skin in the game had nothing to do with it. I was raised to value education and to appreciate the sacrifices my parents made for me to get to college (neither one of them went).

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our plan is 4 years of in-state tuition. We hope to be able to also pay 50% of room and board. While I would love to pay 100%, I think we need to prioritize retirement. If our kids choose an out of state or private college, we will give them the equivalent money towards tuition. We don't want our kids to graduate with a load of debt, but see nothing wrong with them working summers and/or having a part-time job after freshman year of college. And if our financial picture changes, we will do more.

My parents paid 100%. I skipped a lot of classes and had a bit too much fun. DH paid every penny of his and he was a committed student. So I do agree with be PP comment that they should have some skin in the game.

My parents paid 100%. I don't think I EVER missed a class in 4 years of undergraduate school. Having skin in the game had nothing to do with it. I was raised to value education and to appreciate the sacrifices my parents made for me to get to college (neither one of them went).

Agreed. I never skipped in less I was sick or for a good reason. It had nothing to do with skin in the game but respect for my parents who were paying for it. I was raised I was going to college and graduate school and they'd help as much as they can to pay for it and in return I was expected to do my best. A lot of it has to do with parenting and the relationship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll pay for a useful degree. If my kids wants to waste four years on a degree that won't land them a job afterwards, well, then they can pay for that themselves.

That is so incredibly controlling and sad. How do you know what will land them a job or not? I have so many friends with liberal arts degrees who have gotten very wealthy.

+1 I know a family that did this and their kids are all estranged now and seeking careers against their parents wishes.

Wow how entitled. What stopped them from getting the degrees they really wanted and paying for it themselves?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll pay for a useful degree. If my kids wants to waste four years on a degree that won't land them a job afterwards, well, then they can pay for that themselves.

That is so incredibly controlling and sad. How do you know what will land them a job or not? I have so many friends with liberal arts degrees who have gotten very wealthy.

I have a friend and her parents refused to pay for a degree in dance. They paid for her economics undergrad degree. She paid for her masters in dance. She graduated and opened a dance studio. Win win for all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we are planning to pay for it or at least help pay the loans. Already saving, but plan is to squeeze ourselves into small paid off apartment we have and use big chunk of our income to pay for college. We are low maintenance and should have plenty left for his college monthly.

Good plan. Probably also good prep for moving toward retirement?

[Anonymous]

I'll pay for 2 years of community college. They will have to pay for anything other than or beyond community college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll pay for 2 years of community college. They will have to pay for anything other than or beyond community college.

What is it with this weird refusal to pay for a decent education? Where is a 20-year-old with a community college degree going to find 50,000+ k?

If they don't qualify for FA because you make buchos bucks, then you can afford to chip in toward their tuition.

If they do qualify for said, let them apply at least to the state schools beyond community.

Community college isn't necessarily a bad choice, but it can be if your child qualfiies for admission to a better school and wants to major in an area that bigger school teachers well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll pay for a useful degree. If my kids wants to waste four years on a degree that won't land them a job afterwards, well, then they can pay for that themselves.

That is so incredibly controlling and sad. How do you know what will land them a job or not? I have so many friends with liberal arts degrees who have gotten very wealthy.

+1 I know a family that did this and their kids are all estranged now and seeking careers against their parents wishes.

Wow how entitled. What stopped them from getting the degrees they really wanted and paying for it themselves?

What makes you think they didn't? The post clearly says that they are "seeking careers against their parents wishes".

Bonus: In the course of becoming informed and enlightened individuals they came to the realization that their parents are assholes!

[Anonymous]

Who says you can't get a decent education at a community college? There are lots of allied health professions that can pay you a decent salary (60k+) on just a 2-year degree. I see non reason why students or parents should pay top dollars at 4-year colleges for useless core classes (psychology, history, social studies).

[Anonymous]

Planning on paying but also planning on encouraging them to work part-time (10-18hrs/week) for spending money, extras etc. 80% of kids in college work part time now. I don't really think it's a bad thing and I think it helps some kids to remain on a normal sleep schedule (I.e. Not sleeping in too late).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who says you can't get a decent education at a community college? There are lots of allied health professions that can pay you a decent salary (60k+) on just a 2-year degree. I see non reason why students or parents should pay top dollars at 4-year colleges for useless core classes (psychology, history, social studies).

I didn't say you can't get a decent education. I did say that it may not fit your child's goals. You just decided that only thing anyone needs is a career in health using an associate's degree. Maybe your child will want to teach English or build robots.

I don't understand scripting a child's choices, whether it is by insisting on elite colleges or community.