Any of your kids live at home and commute to college?

[loves to dive]

We live in the same town at University of Georgia (Athens - go Dawgs) and my son didn't live at home since he didn't want to follow our rules. He got an apartment and room mates, worked full time to pay for it and went to UGA full time. We told him he could live at home and we would pay for college but it was our rules. In all fairness, his tuition was paid 100% because he got the Hope scholarship but he wanted to be on his own.

 

[aprilgail]

One thing that I've noticed, and this is purely anecdotal, but it seems like people in the Northeast are more inclined to look at CC as a "lesser" option. Maybe because there are just so many colleges in the Northeast, I don't know. But here in NC, it's just considered one decent option out of many. Also, it seems like in the South, students are more likely to stay in their home state, if not their home town, for college. When I mention my DD's studying in Boston, people think I sound so exotic. Back in NH, nobody would bat an eye at attending college in Boston. I thought Boston's reputation as being a big college town was well-known, but maybe not.

Our local community college you don't even need to take an SAT or ACT to get in- they take pretty much anyone in there so its very different than other colleges.

 

[HeatherC]

My daughter does. She is attending a State University for Math and Elementary Education and wouldn't have it any other way. She is not interested in the dorm life at all. Her boyfriend actually lives there so she gets to hang out there and then come home when she wants.

We bought her a 2013 Honda Civic for graduation last year and we hope it will serve her well for many years to come.

She is working as an after school leader at a local YMCA program during the school year and loves it.

She was lucky in that she graduated with enough AP credits that she started alost a year ahead credit wise. Between that and the fact that her tuition is only $8000 full time for the entire year, she will not have any loans and we are paying out of pocket.

Every kid is different, but for her it has been terrific. Plus she will graduate early and only have paid $24,000 TOTAL for a dual major Bachelors Degree.

Good luck with whatever you guys decide!

 

[Darcy03231]

DD went to a local 4 year university. She applied at places both away from home and locally. The local university gave her the best financial aid package, allowed her to keep her job, and live at home to save even more money. It was a good choice for her. She moved out of our home shortly after she graduated. She's in a much better financial position than many of her friends due to her choice. Many of them are still living at home after college graduation because they can't afford to live out on their own, even with roommates.

 

[clori]

My dd is entering 11th grade and hasn't really finalized a list of colleges. She wants to be within about 4-5 hours at most. If she ends up going to a local college (Boston) she may end up commuting for various reasons such as location, cost, and not all colleges having dorms for all 4 years. For instance I think Suffolk University only has Freshman dorms but nothing after that. U Mass Boston is a commuter school which is getting a freshman dorm starting dd's Freshman year but no other dorms yet. If she goes to UNH due to cost there is a chance she will live with family about 20 minutes away. She would love to go to school in Manhattan but again due to cost living with family would be better financially though I don't see that working out.

I went to college 3.5 hours away and lived on campus all 4 years. Dh went to Columbia and lived at home in Manhattan due mostly to cost of room/board. We do have a local community college that my guess is many kids do go to either because they aren't ready to go to a 4 year school or more frequently to save money. My dd will be taking classes there for free including books while in high school. I've noticed some people associate Univ. of Massachusetts in Boston as a community college since it is a commuter school even though it is a 4 year school. I would love dd to live on campus or at least an off campus apartment in a safe/easy commute to school but if that doesn't happen and she lives at home that is fine. I think dd would also prefer to live on campus.

My niece did a bit of everything. She lived on campus her freshman year. She transferred schools her sophomore year and lived on campus. Her junior year she lived in an off campus apartment to save a bit of money. The last two years (senior year and Masters) she ended up living with my parents about 20 minutes from school. In some ways it was easier than living with her mother (single parent) though in some ways harder. She ended up getting married in June right after her Master's graduation so she stayed with my parents until then.

 

[Snowflakey]

Two DD's - first one went to private college to the tune of $60,000 a year. Stayed on campus first semester then moved home. Graduated with a boat load of debt.

Second DD went to community college last year and will again this year. Living at home. Will only owe $14,000 for the first two years. Will complete school at a local college.

Whatever your child is happy with is the answer

 

[luvmarypoppins]

All 3 of our ds commuted to college.

There are 3 community college campuses, 4 private colleges (one just closed) and the state univ. All within a 30 minute or less commute.

They all dont have the 4 year room and board debt.

Between studying and having part time jobs it was like they werent here that much anyway except to eat at times.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Both sons commuted. Youngest DS was awarded an internship for grad school at KSU and starts this Fall. He is still commuting. Nothing wrong with that!

TC

 

[QueenIsabella]

Our local community college you don't even need to take an SAT or ACT to get in- they take pretty much anyone in there so its very different than other colleges.

See, this just feeds into the misperceptions of community college. It's true that they'll take almost anyone--my DS19 took the SAT, but didn't need a certain score to get in. He took some placement testing, but only to see if he qualified for college-level courses, or needed remedial work. But, his CC also offers programs that are competitive and tough to get into--three that I can think of are cooking, fine arts, and nursing. (There may well be more, DS wasn't interested in these types of programs). There's no way anyone is walking into that school and strolling into these programs. The only one that I personally have experience with is the Fine Arts one, through my kids' dance studios. Let me tell you, those kids are super talented! And I know the nursing program is accredited, so it can't be any easier than at any other state school (TBH, it might feed into a 4-year program, I don't know). DS's CC even offers pre-med as a major--again, I have no idea how easy it is to get into the program.

My point is, community college gets a lot of flak because they deal with a lot of non-traditional students. The vibe is very different from the standard 4-year school. It certainly isn't the right choice for everyone. And some are glorified high schools. But, attendance at the local community college shouldn't just be dismissed out of hand--for some, it's an excellent choice.

 

[roseaster]

I have 2 starting college next month. Twin girls, 17, (will be 18 in August) One is going away, one is staying home. They are of very different personalities, and they made their own decisions regarding what they wanted to do.

I'm fine with it. My daughter living at home, I am going to try to give her the same type of freedom that my daughter away will get. That will be an adjustment.

I think both are good an reasonable choices given a lot of circumstances. Cost is certainly a big one. One bone of contention right now is that my daughter living at home got a car, but we are spending significantly less on her tuition. College is VERY expensive and not all families have the ability to pay for extra expenses like room and board and food.

The other is the kid themselves. My one daughter is outgoing, and outspoken. My other is quieter, slower to make friends, and likes her privacy. One will do fine in the dorms, the other knows living with strangers is not for her. It's okay.

Kids also mature at different rates. Some kids are ready to be on their own and juggle that responsibility AND school, others are not. I have known more than one person who has sent their child to college to have them go a little wild with freedom and fail.

 

[AustinTink]

This is a tough one. We have the best public university in Texas here in Austin. It would be silly for my son not to apply and consider attending the University of Texas. That said, if he gets in we don't want him to live at home. We will encourage him to live in the dorms. Occasionally, if he wants to drive 40 minutes home on the weekends, sleep in his own bed and get some real rest that would be great. It would feel like the best of both worlds.

 

[Magpie]

My offspring are both currently living at home.

My son was 17 when he started university last year, in Economics. I asked him, "Did you feel like your first year of University was really just Grade 13?"

"Yes!"

"Is that why you're moving out in September?" (He's been planning this for awhile, organizing his finances and finding friends to share a flat with.)

"Yes!" he says emphatically.

He can't wait to leave home, but personally - I'm glad he lived here this past year. Seventeen is very young to be out and on your own. I'm happy he'll be a legal adult when he leaves.

My daughter (now 20) has just completed her second year in Health Sciences. She's interned these past two summers in her University's bio lab. I asked her, "Do you feel like your university experience has been an extension of high school?"

She thought about it, carefully. "Maybe...? A bit? But I'm really happy here."

"Do you think living at home has kept you from growing up?"

She thought some more. "I think it's slowed the process down. Like having a safety net. I'm still growing up, but I'm doing it at a slower pace than I would have if I'd moved out. And, I'm good with that." (For the record, she has no intention of leaving before the end of her Bachelor. Then it'll all come down to where she does her Masters.)

When it came to where to go to school, we left the choice in our children's hands. We laid out the finances, including all of the money we'd put aside in their RESPs and went over the budget. But in the end, it was their decision. I don't personally think living at home or living abroad is the make-or-break moment of anyone's life. Even with her "safety net" of living at home, our daughter's life is still full of growth experiences (working, travel to an academic conference this spring, managing her budget, dealing with the impending death of her grandmother, etc). I think it helps that her father and I expect her to do all of her own banking, medical appts, etc. We stay out of her academic and professional life, too. She's not a child, and we try very hard not to treat her as one.

 

[tvguy]

My DS just graduated in June and will be attending a community college near us and staying at home. (Happy DW) Saving a lot of money. ($5500 a semester versus over $20-30,000-state school) After 2.5 years he will then transfer to another school, to get a more specialized degree in the medical field. Good Luck!

Oh my, your community college and state school tuition is outrageous.
DD went to a Community college for a year, current tuition is $46 a unit, so about $1,104 a year for 12 units full time. Until a few years ago community college was free.
And the Cal State University system is $5,472 full time per year.
Guess I can't complain abou the $43,132 a year my son's private college is charging now.

 

[DawnM]

It wasn't really all that easy then. $3000 in 1958 was about $25,000 in 2016 dollars. Not quite $40,00, but not cheap, either.

He made it work He worked summer jobs on farms working 15 hours per day for 3.5 months and was able to pay it that way. And he lived at home so no room or board. He and his mother shared a car. She was a nurse and worked at the University Hospital on the same campus. I am not sure it would have been so easy if it had been more.

And, when I am talking to my son about college, $25K per year is far less than $40K. That is a $60K difference over 4 years.

 

[DawnM]

Oh my, your community college and state school tuition is outrageous.
DD went to a Community college for a year, current tuition is $46 a unit, so about $1,104 a year for 12 units full time. Until a few years ago community college was free.
And the Cal State University system is $5,472 full time per year.
Guess I can't complain abou the $43,132 a year my son's private college is charging now.

How many years ago? I worked in CA from '88 on and it wasn't free then, at least not in LA County. It wasn't expensive, but it wasn't free.

 

[DawnM]

My DS just graduated in June and will be attending a community college near us and staying at home. (Happy DW) Saving a lot of money. ($5500 a semester versus over $20-30,000-state school) After 2.5 years he will then transfer to another school, to get a more specialized degree in the medical field. Good Luck!

PER SEMESTER?

 

[punkin]

Whatever your child is happy with is the answer

...and this is the only correct answer!

 

[CookieandOatmeal]

I'm 30 so I don't feel that far removed from my college years. As a super mature 18 year old, I decided to live at home and go to a good private college 10 minutes from my house because my main focus was getting a good education and not owe my life in return. My mom wanted me to live on campus (at least the first year) to get a taste of college life but I wasn't interested in that. Looking back, do I regret it? NO!! I also don't mind my small college debt compared to friends who went away and graduated with debt up to their eyeballs.

 

[PlainJane]

I lived at home for two years of CC and then when I transferred to a 4 year school I initially lived in a dorm, but I hated it. My roommate was an early to bed light sleeper and I was an up late studying type. Beyond that I did not like the party atmosphere of the dorm. A girl in the room next door didn't have class on Fridays and it was often miserable trying to study or sleep on Thursday nights. The school was roughly an hour away from home and I made the decision to commute. It was rough commuting for those two years, it really cut into my time to study and have a social life, and I was always stressed out about making it to school on time or if there would be a backup. I was always happy to live at home outside of the commute.

I then went to grad school further away from home for a year and shared an apartment for part of that time. Sharing an apartment was fine. Having two separate bedrooms and bathrooms was a totally different experience than a tiny dorm room.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Two of my kids lived at home while attending university (the oldest and the youngest), the other two lived first in residence and then got apartments with friends. I think it can work just fine either way, but you can definitely save money by living at home.