Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a value to moving away from home.

What exactly is the value of CRUSHING debt,
and NOT being able to get MARRIED or buy a HOUSE?

Not everybody didn't save for college.

Not everyone is rich. Most kids have crushing debt.
Hey, can you please pop your little bubble?

NP: About 70% of kids take on student loans. Their average student loan debt is under 30k. Manageable student loan debt is considered 1 year of starting salary or less. Most college graduates have a starting salary > than 30k. So I think it's mistaken to say that most kids have crushing debt.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a value to moving away from home.

What exactly is the value of CRUSHING debt,
and NOT being able to get MARRIED or buy a HOUSE?

Not everybody didn't save for college.

Not everyone is rich. Most kids have crushing debt.
Hey, can you please pop your little bubble?

Then don’t send them to college. No one is forcing you. Have them learn a trade. You’re such a whiny baby.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a value to moving away from home.

What exactly is the value of CRUSHING debt,
and NOT being able to get MARRIED or buy a HOUSE?

Not everybody didn't save for college.

Not everyone is rich. Most kids have crushing debt.
Hey, can you please pop your little bubble?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a value to moving away from home.

What exactly is the value of CRUSHING debt,
and NOT being able to get MARRIED or buy a HOUSE?

Not everybody didn't save for college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With these incredibly high college costs, is it really worth the money for your kid go somewhere other than a college/university near home?

Wouldn't you get a bigger bang for your buck by sending them to a local university and having them stay at home instead of paying the exorbitant room and board fees?

It's not like they couldn't go out with their friends at night or the weekend!

I agree with you except for one thing: It IS worth the money to get this kid out of my house. And with this kid, it will grow her up in a good way. So I'm paying for my own sanity, and for her to grow up some. Yes the price is worth it.

My other kid...she could live with me forever; she's very helpful and kind. But I think that's because she's very independent--already acts like an adult. So she doesn't need the push and could stay home.

Bingo! A college guidance counselor once chuckled this is EXACTLY why colleges get away with charging ANYTHING. Colleges indeed USED to be a safe space. But that’s HISTORY. Now, you throw your kid into a lion pit AND you PAY for the OPPORTUNITY. What a deal!!!!

Anonymous wrote:I plan to insist on my kids going out of state for college (we’re in Maryland, so anywhere in the state is “close” IMO). To me, part of the college experience is getting out from under your parents and starting to make your own way in the world. I also want them to get out of the DC metro bubble and meet people from other parts of the country. If we are only an hour or two away, it’s too easy for them to rely on mom and dad as plan B.

This is my mother’s philosophy and i will also encourage my DCs to go out of state. It was a great experience and offered me the opportunity to become independent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a value to moving away from home.

What exactly is the value of CRUSHING debt,
and NOT being able to get MARRIED or buy a HOUSE?

Why would you not be able to get MARRIED due to debt?

Um, lack of money. Perhaps not enough space in their parents basement.

Anonymous wrote:With these incredibly high college costs, is it really worth the money for your kid go somewhere other than a college/university near home?

Wouldn't you get a bigger bang for your buck by sending them to a local university and having them stay at home instead of paying the exorbitant room and board fees?

It's not like they couldn't go out with their friends at night or the weekend!

I agree with you except for one thing: It IS worth the money to get this kid out of my house. And with this kid, it will grow her up in a good way. So I'm paying for my own sanity, and for her to grow up some. Yes the price is worth it.

My other kid...she could live with me forever; she's very helpful and kind. But I think that's because she's very independent--already acts like an adult. So she doesn't need the push and could stay home.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a value to moving away from home.

What exactly is the value of CRUSHING debt,
and NOT being able to get MARRIED or buy a HOUSE?

Why would you not be able to get MARRIED due to debt?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's a value to moving away from home.

What exactly is the value of CRUSHING debt,
and NOT being able to get MARRIED or buy a HOUSE?

The crushing debt loads you hear about from undergrad are usually when someone goes to a high priced institution and borrows extra.
The maximum federal subsidized student loans for undergraduate are 23,000 for the total 4 year period. At current rates this results in about a $265/month payment for 10 years. The problem comes when people decide to add in private loans and take them to pay for additional living expenses and then live fairly large or they opt to go to an expensive private university, don't qualify for financial aid but also don't have savings to support it. Then the big cost is from tuition not R&B. The average cost of room and board is $11,000 year. It's cheaper to stay home, but you'd have to add in food costs at home, commuting/parking costs for school and any eating out done at school because of the commuting factor.

College costs are unsustainable.

It's smart to consider the costs and evaluate the type of salary you anticipate your kid will likely get in their chosen field.

VA has a great program where the student can do to 2 years at NOVA and then transfer to another VA school. To me that's pretty savvy on the part of the student and the parents to take advantage of this and not take out a lot of loans to cover the costs for 4 years.

I also see where that takes discipline on the part of the student and it's not ideal, but I've long thought my kids won't have the same college experience I had.

Anonymous wrote:There's a value to moving away from home.

What exactly is the value of CRUSHING debt,
and NOT being able to get MARRIED or buy a HOUSE?

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read through this thread, so this may have already been brought up, but to a degree I agree with OP. I don't think its "worth it" for normal middle class families to go out of state or pay for private for college, but moving off campus to attend a state college? Yes. Living in a dorm vs living at home with your parents and being a day student is a completely different experience.

Exactly this. If you live at home you are basically still in high school while taking college classes.

Anonymous wrote:With these incredibly high college costs, is it really worth the money for your kid go somewhere other than a college/university near home?

Wouldn't you get a bigger bang for your buck by sending them to a local university and having them stay at home instead of paying the exorbitant room and board fees?

It's not like they couldn't go out with their friends at night or the weekend!

Considering the crushing debt most kids have, this is a VERY important question more families SHOULD be asking.

I did it three ways: lived in dorm freshman year, at home and off-campus group house. Group house was the BEST! Three months in the dorm would have been enough for me. You meet all the people the first 3 months of schools after that it is an unhealthy prison cell.