Attn:Disney4me too and college expenses....

[Jill in Chicago]

Have you considered having your student get an on-campus part job. I believe the student should pay for all of their own entertainment expenses. How much the parent should pay for tuition, room and board.... is very personal. (Some parents believe they should cover it all, some none, and everywhere in between.)

When our son went to college freshman year, I did not want to burden him with an on-campus job his first semester. He was in the marching band, on top of studies. Come to find out all of his friends had part time jobs, and he wanted one too as he never asked us for money for extras.

When I was in school my best friend's parents, who were extremely well off, made her pay for all of her personal expenses except clothing. (She worked a summer job, and kept all of her earnings.) For clothing she was given a lump sum that had to last the whole year. Both of these were great lessons for her to learn how to budget.

Or, if you don't want to have him pay for all of his personal expenses, you could give him a monthly or by semester lump sum of money, the reason being he would have to learn how to budget, think ahead, spend wisely...