Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:16     Subject: Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

You would rather pay interest on the sum you can pay for upfront? Brilliant! Kids either have "skin in the game" or they don't. Burdening them up with loans could potentially turn them away from school. Many liberal arts English majors go on to become lawyers because they are good writers.


1. Yes, and I can assure you that I can generate a higher rate of return on the money than the low interest rates on student debt.
2. My kids will know the value of moving up, because I am making sure that they know all too well how miserable dead-end manual or service jobs can be.
Of course, if they want to go the entrepreneur route rather than college then I am all for that. Didn't do Bill Gates or Branson any harm.
3. Literally the very last thing this country needs is more lawyers. I would rather expose my children at birth than add to their ranks.
'

How do you make your money, out of curiosity?


I run poetry workshops.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:15     Subject: Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
If they can, they should.

My father could have afforded to pay my tuition, but not only did he not help me out at all, he told others that he was in fact supporting me, which I found a bizarre lie. Furthermore, he expects me to support him financially in his retirement.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:13     Subject: Re:Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
My DH and I will have a child in college soon and we disagree somewhat on this. DH feels that we should pay all of it, regardless of where our kids go. I feel that we should pay for most of the costs, but the child should have to contribute small portion, especially if they go out of state.


Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:12     Subject: Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

You would rather pay interest on the sum you can pay for upfront? Brilliant! Kids either have "skin in the game" or they don't. Burdening them up with loans could potentially turn them away from school. Many liberal arts English majors go on to become lawyers because they are good writers.


1. Yes, and I can assure you that I can generate a higher rate of return on the money than the low interest rates on student debt.
2. My kids will know the value of moving up, because I am making sure that they know all too well how miserable dead-end manual or service jobs can be.
Of course, if they want to go the entrepreneur route rather than college then I am all for that. Didn't do Bill Gates or Branson any harm.
3. Literally the very last thing this country needs is more lawyers. I would rather expose my children at birth than add to their ranks.
'

How do you make your money, out of curiosity?
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:12     Subject: Re:Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
I will help out but I will not pay the full ride.

They will have to get student loans. I paid my way through college and it made me really think about how I spent my hours on the weekends while my friends were out every night with $50 bar tabs I was (in addition to my real job) working for a caterer to help pay off student loans.

I will also not pay for a car, phone, cable, or insurance.

I have boys so I will give them a certain amount of money when they get married to do with as they will - rehersal dinner or down payment on a house - up to them.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:12     Subject: Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
I believe parents should strive to pay for tuition (and room and board) but not at the cost of their own financial security. Home, health-care (including a plan for long-term and end-of-life care), retirement, and life insurance all come first. I also believe that college kids should pay for their own personal costs (movies, eating out, shoes/clothing, makeup, cell phone) during the school year by saving from summer jobs (which I believe they should always have). I don't believe they should pay rent if/when they're home in the summers and I probably personally wouldn't charge rent for the summer after college either.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:11     Subject: Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
Anonymous wrote:I'll pay if I have the money, if I don't, then my kid will just have to work through college like I did. It didn't break me, it made me a better person.

It's not a should or shouldn't question. It's a can or can't question. Like many things in life, I will try my best to set my kid up but if I don't have the means, she will just have to suck it up and deal.


I worked through college, too. It took me 6 years to graduate. But tuition was relatively cheap and I could do it on a minimum wage (or close) job. Not sure that's really possible anymore. Tuition is crazy -- University of Maryland estimates annual expenses, including tuition, etc., is $22,000 a year. A 40 hour a week min. wage job gets you about $15,000. Most of us here will be able to help our kids through college. But so many people can't.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:11     Subject: Re:Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
Anonymous wrote:Good question!

I'm going to assume that OP is talking about people that do have the financial means to put aside money, because yes, obviously that's not an option for some.

Even some parent that have the means do not do this. I had a boyfriend whose father paid a ridiculous amount of money for his kids to go to expensive private schools for high school, then gave them $0 for college. I know other parents who bought larger houses or spent money in other ways, but didn't set aside anything for their kids for college.

I feel so strongly about this that I actually had a discussion about it with my husband before having children. For me, since I am fortunate enough to lead a solidly middle-class lifestyle, I decided that to have kids meant making a commitment to pay for undergraduate college.

We aren't talking Ivy League here, just a good solid state school, because that's what we can afford. Children are welcome to attend elsewhere, and offset additional cost with scholarships and loans.
There are trade offs we have made, things we have gone without, so that we can sock away money each month, but I've run all the numbers and the research and we will be able to pay for undergrad, barring some catastrophe. (knock wood)
Again, this is NOT me bashing lower income people who can't do this! It's just that I know how very, VERY grateful I am to my parents for paying for my undergraduate tuition (again, state school)

I did go on to get a masters, but also got a fellowship, so only ended up having to take out a relatively small loan, which I was able to pay off in 3 years with small payments. With all the news about recent grads drowning in debt, I repeat I am so grateful that I did not have that burden, but was still able to get a good education, which set me up for a career and a good life.
So yes, I agree. Parents should pay for undergrad tuition.

I'll go one step further. I know people who, had they stopped at 2 kids, they could have paid for college for their kids. They instead have 4 kids (no multiples, no oops kids--they made a deliberate decision to have each one) and therefore no kid is getting help for college. One of the parents of these kids had college paid for, while the other had to work their tail off to make it through school due to lack of parent assistance (parents had money, just didn't offer support). I find it frustrating these parents, who value and benefit themselves from their own college education, made a deliberate choice to have more kids, when had they stopped at 2, they could have helped with college.

I now await the attacks to my admittedly judgmental stance on this issue.


Are u serious...u have basically valued t2 kids college education above the lives and existence of the othe 2.
Oow dumb is that?
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:10     Subject: Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
Anonymous wrote:We could afford to pay for the whole thing, but won't. I think it is important for the kids to have some skin in the game. If they work hard we will help them out with paying off the loans in the years after college.

Hopefully this approach will help steer them away from liberal arts bullsh!t.


I like this strategy. Let them get loans, or pay for it themselves, with the promise that if they keep their grades up, you will pay off the loans, if not, then they are stuck with it after graduation.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:08     Subject: Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

You would rather pay interest on the sum you can pay for upfront? Brilliant! Kids either have "skin in the game" or they don't. Burdening them up with loans could potentially turn them away from school. Many liberal arts English majors go on to become lawyers because they are good writers.


1. Yes, and I can assure you that I can generate a higher rate of return on the money than the low interest rates on student debt.
2. My kids will know the value of moving up, because I am making sure that they know all too well how miserable dead-end manual or service jobs can be.
Of course, if they want to go the entrepreneur route rather than college then I am all for that. Didn't do Bill Gates or Branson any harm.
3. Literally the very last thing this country needs is more lawyers. I would rather expose my children at birth than add to their ranks.


Clearly you either partied too much in college or didn't go at all. You are an idiot.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:06     Subject: Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
I'll pay if I have the money, if I don't, then my kid will just have to work through college like I did. It didn't break me, it made me a better person.

It's not a should or shouldn't question. It's a can or can't question. Like many things in life, I will try my best to set my kid up but if I don't have the means, she will just have to suck it up and deal.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:05     Subject: Re:Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not everyone is supposed to go to college. I am not going to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a crappy degree at a mediocre university. I would pay for UVA tuition or top 25 university tuition but only if DD takes my advice on what to major in. If she wants to study what she wants to study where she wants to study it, then she will need to pay for it. As they say, there is no free lunch.


Just out of curiosity, are you going to pay for her wedding?


If she turns out to be one of those women who care about weddings I will pay for DNA analysis first. I would pay a few thousand (up to 5 maybe) in today's dollars.


I suggest you put the $5000 in the college saving account and tell her to elope.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:04     Subject: Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
My parents had no interest in helping me pay for college, not one penny. I really resented it and still do. While I'm proud of putting myself through undergrad while working a full-time job, I would have had a much better experience without having to work so many hours (I was a commuter student and supported myself while living on my own). We plan to help our child pay for college, within reason (maybe not $50k+/year). With that will come expectations that our child works hard while in undergrad and tries to take advantage of a range of opportunities, not just party and get Bs. I would like our children to have the great college experience I missed out on, and we'll be giving a lot of help with that if we can.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:03     Subject: Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
Anonymous wrote:

You would rather pay interest on the sum you can pay for upfront? Brilliant! Kids either have "skin in the game" or they don't. Burdening them up with loans could potentially turn them away from school. Many liberal arts English majors go on to become lawyers because they are good writers.


1. Yes, and I can assure you that I can generate a higher rate of return on the money than the low interest rates on student debt.
2. My kids will know the value of moving up, because I am making sure that they know all too well how miserable dead-end manual or service jobs can be.
Of course, if they want to go the entrepreneur route rather than college then I am all for that. Didn't do Bill Gates or Branson any harm.
3. Literally the very last thing this country needs is more lawyers. I would rather expose my children at birth than add to their ranks.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2012 13:03     Subject: Re:Do you agree or disagree with this: Parents should pay for undergrad tuition
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not everyone is supposed to go to college. I am not going to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a crappy degree at a mediocre university. I would pay for UVA tuition or top 25 university tuition but only if DD takes my advice on what to major in. If she wants to study what she wants to study where she wants to study it, then she will need to pay for it. As they say, there is no free lunch.


Just out of curiosity, are you going to pay for her wedding?


If she turns out to be one of those women who care about weddings I will pay for DNA analysis first. I would pay a few thousand (up to 5 maybe) in today's dollars.