Freshman "Funds"

[nchulka]

On the other hand, College is VERY expensive. I would rather have my college age daughter studying and concentrating on her studies rather than working a minimum wage job and having that take up her time when she could be studying.

If I am paying for tuition, I'm going to pay for food. She can work in the summer, but during the semester, studying is the #1 priority.

I think most parents think they are "studying" but most kids are "partying" with all of their free time and free money!

 

[Hannathy]

I think most parents think they are "studying" but most kids are "partying" with all of their free time and free money!

I couldn't disagree with you more! and you have a mighty poor opinion of your own children if this is what you think.

There is very little free time in college if you are in a difficult major and actually very little partying. Yes there is some and that is part of school but it isn't party central, not anymore. None of the college kids I know are excessive partiers.

I don't understand the go away to school but starve! how cruel. Plus how well is the student going to do working all hours and then living on the cheapest mac and cheese they can find. And like we have said, I would like to see you try to feed 4 on $350 a month if you have to shop at Walgreens with inflated even more than usual prices.

 

[Christine]

My DD does her share of partying, I'm sure. She also takes 18 credits a semester and works a part time job. That part time job only pays $7.25 per hour and her job only gives her 10-13 hours per week because the job is nice enough to work around her school schedule.

On Sunday, she and her three roommates usually go to the Kroger or the Sav-A-Lot and buy bulk chicken breasts or various other staples. They all try to have 1-2 nights a week where they rotate and cook a nice meal. After that, it's sort of every man for himself for food as they have different schedules. So, she eats a lot of sandwiches or pre-made stuff from the grocery store. She also buys a lot of fruit. The $100 a week is probably a bit more than she needs.

The money she makes at work (which is usually about $50-$60 per week) pays for the gas in her car to get to and from work and to and from campus as well as anything that goes beyond what I give her.

 

[Buckalew11]

My son's school's meal plans are required if you stay on campus and they're $1300 for the entire semester for unlimited meals plus $100 for visitors. Wow, they're not as bad as I thought now!!

The food at his school is aMAzing, though, better than what I remember back in the stone age!

Robin, DD's fall semester 19 meal plan is 2442.00

The food is good there too but she claims it is better when parents and alumni are visiting. I think she's probably already eaten there too much if she thinks this! lol)

 

[Brier Rose]

At the first of each semester we go to Sam's and buy DD cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, canned goods, and seasonings, general stuff like ketchup, chicken bouillon cubes, etc. Then every 2 to 3 weeks we'll get her stuff like a huge package of boneless skinless chicken breast, boneless pork chops, and hamburger meat. She will divide all of that into single serving portions and keep in her freezer.

Each week she gets $85.00 to spend on the fresh staples she needs from the grocery store, and the few quick meals out she grabs when she is too busy to cook.

She really enjoys cooking, and coming up with new meals, and honestly rarely ever uses the whole $85 each week. DH and I always encourage her to take some of her "left-over" cash and treat herself to something like a nice meal out, or a pedicure, etc.

This will be her first semester in an apt totally alone. I'm anxious to see how much longer her supplies last without her roommate using MORE than half of them, but never replacing anything..ever!

 

[bdcp]

Remember that most kids can't get to a decent grocery store from campus, so food is expensive and very lacking in availability. They are stuck shopping at 7-11's or Walgreens, or small food stores close to campus, so food costs a lot more.

That really depends on where they go to school. There are schools "in town", and there are schools with very good bus systems. My oldest DS went to UVA where there were both good bus systems and they were right in town. He had a car after his second year, but even so, Harris Teeter was very close to the "grounds" and there were markets, etc. Youngest DS was on a rural campus, so they school had a convenience store and there was a town close by. He also had a car after his second year. They both had partial meal plans (ala carte) those last two years they lived off campus and it's been a few years, but I gave them about $150/month. It's been 4 and 6 years since they went to school. BTW, where the rural school was located in PA, groceries were cheaper than where UVA is.

Experiment the first month, then see how much he needed and go from there.

As for paying for "adults", my DH and I had to pay our own way through school, commuting and working almost full time. It really affected our grades. We made a decision from before we even had kids that we would pay their way and we did. We weren't going to be as selfish as our parents were. Oldest worked full time in summers and graduated with a double major in math and astronomy and wasn't and still isn't a big "partier". Youngest DS struggled and not because he was a "partier" but because he's not as "academic" as his brother, but he is much more creative and artistic, and he stayed at colllege 3.5 years and then came home to get him associates degree. He has a great job in IT. He worked 10 hours per week in the college computer lab and worked full time during the summers..

 

[nchulka]

I couldn't disagree with you more! and you have a mighty poor opinion of your own children if this is what you think.

There is very little free time in college if you are in a difficult major and actually very little partying. Yes there is some and that is part of school but it isn't party central, not anymore. None of the college kids I know are excessive partiers.

I don't understand the go away to school but starve! how cruel. Plus how well is the student going to do working all hours and then living on the cheapest mac and cheese they can find. And like we have said, I would like to see you try to feed 4 on $350 a month if you have to shop at Walgreens with inflated even more than usual prices.

I don't have a bad opinion of my own children, just kids in general who attend liberal arts colleges. My kids are not even close to college age yet. When I was in school, I had a job and never even thought of asking my parents to pay for anything, including my tuition. I thought of myself as an adult (which I was at 18) and I was proud to take care of my own life. I will not be paying for my kids education. I've talked to my son about joining the military to pay for school and talked to my daughter about the College of the Ozarks which is a work for your tuition school. You are assigned a job on campus and you graduate debt free. It's also a very strict Christian college, so no partying going on there

 

[Robinrs]

Robin, DD's fall semester 19 meal plan is 2442.00

The food is good there too but she claims it is better when parents and alumni are visiting. I think she's probably already eaten there too much if she thinks this! lol)

That's what I thought, too so we snuck up there one NON parent visit day and ate. The food is remarkably good and for feeding a teenaged boy, the price is tolerable.

Yikes, 2442!! I guess they can charge whatever they want, huh?

 

[Princess Dolly]

These are adults not pre-schoolers! As an adult the first thing they need to learn is you don't work, you don't eat! I would never consider giving my adult children monthly money for food. As far as some of these amounts they are outrageous! I feed a family of 4 for under 350.00 per month! After learning don't work, don't eat, the next lesson is how to budget and plan, and they will it alot faster with a hungry belly! No real reason to learn how to spend money wisely when mom's handing out 600 bucks a month in food money!

Did you even read the first post? This is a kid going to college.

 

[Princess Dolly]

I think most parents think they are "studying" but most kids are "partying" with all of their free time and free money!

Did you go to college? Did you party and piss your money away?

OK back to the OP. I would plan on $500 and then adjust it if needed, that is if you have that to spare. I ate pretty cheap in college, but that's because I had to, even with working when I had time.

 

[nchulka]

Did you go to college? Did you party and piss your money away?

No I didn't at all, but lots of other kids did. I said before that I had a job and paid my own way through college, tuition and all. I was 18, an adult, and never even thought about asking my parent to pay I have never in my life had any interest in the party scene, nothing about getting drunk and stupid with a bunch of other people has ever appealed to me in the least. I was disgusted by other kids that would behave that way, and I guess that is what has left a bad taste in my mouth.

I have nothing but respects for adults (18+) who work hard, go to school, study hard, and make something of themselves.

I have nothing but disgust for adults (18+) who attend college on mommy and daddy's dime, are given handouts for everything, party it up, and then move back home after 4 years and spend the next several years playing video games in the basement and yelling a mom for getting their laundry done faster.

I'm sure there are plenty of kids that fall somewhere in between.

I'm all about hard work and responsibility, and I think handing your kid cash when they are adults, teaches them to reach out their hand instead of pulling up their bootstraps!

 

[shortbun]

That's for 4 adults. Actually, you can eat pretty cheaply and healthy if you cruise the various farmers markets around the area, and buy groceries based on what is on sale.

Well, where you are is certainly different than where I am. Farmer's markets are fresher but the cheap food is at the grocery store. And, it was you who claimed to be 'dining' on 'macaroni and cheese' which would not be cheap at the Farmer's market. My girlfriend makes pasta and sells it at a Farmer's Market in Indianapolis for a small fortune. Why torture your children with impossible tasks? I understand telling your son he didn't have the funds for grilling steaks but right now, lobster is cheaper than bologna. kwim?

 

[DVCLiz]

No I didn't at all, but lots of other kids did. I said before that I had a job and paid my own way through college, tuition and all. I was 18, an adult, and never even thought about asking my parent to pay I have never in my life had any interest in the party scene, nothing about getting drunk and stupid with a bunch of other people has ever appealed to me in the least. I was disgusted by other kids that would behave that way, and I guess that is what has left a bad taste in my mouth.

I have nothing but respects for adults (18+) who work hard, go to school, study hard, and make something of themselves.

I have nothing but disgust for adults (18+) who attend college on mommy and daddy's dime, are given handouts for everything, party it up, and then move back home after 4 years and spend the next several years playing video games in the basement and yelling a mom for getting their laundry done faster.

I'm sure there are plenty of kids that fall somewhere in between.

I'm all about hard work and responsibility, and I think handing your kid cash when they are adults, teaches them to reach out their hand instead of pulling up their bootstraps!

This is just silly, so I won't dignify any of it by taking it seriously, but I will say that every college student I personally have known in the last seven years - that covers the time period my oldest daughter went to school and graduated, then joined the workforce -had all college and other expenses completely paid for by parents, and every single one has successfully found employment and worked for three years or has gone on to get a Master's degree and is either employed or in the last year of grad school.

Every single one of those families has put education for their children first and made the necessary plans to fund it. Every single student has excelled because they know what the family's expectations are. I feel sad for kids who go through life without parents involved in their higher education goals. I think that would be a terrible roadblock in the way of success.

 

[Laura66]

I gotta say - I don't understand the whole "I want them to concentrate on school/college" as a excuse for not working in college or high school.
We aren't rich but we could afford to let them have a free ride. We won't.
College tuition, room and board (meal plan) andd books are paid for us for 4 years. Any extras they need for food, clothes, funny money - its up to them to get a job and learn to live with a budget like we do.
When you get into the real word you to balance your job AND work AND household AND children if you have them!
My older two have had excellent grades and been very active in school as well as holding down part time jobs for their fun money.
My husband will not hire candidates who have not worked in HS or college anymore. They have no drive to do things on their own, cannot multi-task and have no work ethics.

 

[Princess Dolly]

This is just silly, so I won't dignify any of it by taking it seriously, but I will say that every college student I personally have known in the last seven years - that covers the time period my oldest daughter went to school and graduated, then joined the workforce -had all college and other expenses completely paid for by parents, and every single one has successfully found employment and worked for three years or has gone on to get a Master's degree and is either employed or in the last year of grad school.

Every single one of those families has put education for their children first and made the necessary plans to fund it. Every single student has excelled because they know what the family's expectations are. I feel sad for kids who go through life without parents involved in their higher education goals. I think that would be a terrible roadblock in the way of success.

Sometimes things happen. My mom helped me with college as much as she could. Thankfully I received grants, loans and work study. It wasn't easy for her after my father passed away. It was always expected I would go to college, and thankfully we were able to make it work. So please don't think that if a parent can't fully fund an education it means that education wasn't put first or that they aren't involved in higher education goals.

 

[nchulka]

This is just silly, so I won't dignify any of it by taking it seriously, but I will say that every college student I personally have known in the last seven years - that covers the time period my oldest daughter went to school and graduated, then joined the workforce -had all college and other expenses completely paid for by parents, and every single one has successfully found employment and worked for three years or has gone on to get a Master's degree and is either employed or in the last year of grad school.

Every single one of those families has put education for their children first and made the necessary plans to fund it. Every single student has excelled because they know what the family's expectations are. I feel sad for kids who go through life without parents involved in their higher education goals. I think that would be a terrible roadblock in the way of success.

I am highly involved in my kids education, I am actually homeschooling. We have a local university that allows home-schooled children to enroll at the age of 16 and take classes as dual enrollment, meaning it counts as high school and college. As I said before I am encouraging my son to join the military, and my 10 year old DD is already looking at the College of the Ozarks where you work your way through and graduate debt free. I think it is silly for adults to be paying out thousands and thousands of dollars for their ADULT children to be going to school to better themselves. That does not mean I am not interested in my children's future. I put a lot of effort into teaching them and helping them to plan for their futures in a way that will not put anyone in debt and teach them to be responsible for themselves and not leave them thinking I am and never-ending piggy bank.

 

[nchulka]

I gotta say - I don't understand the whole "I want them to concentrate on school/college" as a excuse for not working in college or high school.
We aren't rich but we could afford to let them have a free ride. We won't.
College tuition, room and board (meal plan) andd books are paid for us for 4 years. Any extras they need for food, clothes, funny money - its up to them to get a job and learn to live with a budget like we do.
When you get into the real word you to balance your job AND work AND household AND children if you have them!
My older two have had excellent grades and been very active in school as well as holding down part time jobs for their fun money.
My husband will not hire candidates who have not worked in HS or college anymore. They have no drive to do things on their own, cannot multi-task and have no work ethics.

 

[bdcp]

No I didn't at all, but lots of other kids did. I said before that I had a job and paid my own way through college, tuition and all. I was 18, an adult, and never even thought about asking my parent to pay I have never in my life had any interest in the party scene, nothing about getting drunk and stupid with a bunch of other people has ever appealed to me in the least. I was disgusted by other kids that would behave that way, and I guess that is what has left a bad taste in my mouth.

I have nothing but respects for adults (18+) who work hard, go to school, study hard, and make something of themselves.

I have nothing but disgust for adults (18+) who attend college on mommy and daddy's dime, are given handouts for everything, party it up, and then move back home after 4 years and spend the next several years playing video games in the basement and yelling a mom for getting their laundry done faster.

I'm sure there are plenty of kids that fall somewhere in between.

I'm all about hard work and responsibility, and I think handing your kid cash when they are adults, teaches them to reach out their hand instead of pulling up their bootstraps!

You have some real issues with those who had their way paid, my guess is envy.

Our boys did have to come up with their own spending money and pay for books as well as gasoline. They both joined campus groups and had great social lives without "partying".

Both my sons are fully employed and only moved back home for a few months after college and both worked. We just gave them a roof over their head which is the least we could do for our responsible children that we LOVE. They both found jobs right after school locally so living at home enabled them to save some money and set up a roommate situation. Oldest DS owns his own home which he bought without ANY assistance from anyone. Youngest is still renting, but that's a choice he and his friends have made. He will probably be engaged within the year. Our kids appreciate everything we did for them and have told us many times.

The only reason I went back to work after years of living on a very tight budget so I could be the one raising them, was to pay for their school. It's all choices and it's no one else's business whether parents pay for their kids school or not.

I resent my mom more for not helping us pay for college by working part time after we got older. She did it for purely selfish motives. She didn't want to work.

 

[Laura66]

The assumption that parents who can't afford or won't give their children a free ride to college have not put their child's education first is preposterous!
You are very blessed to be able to do that - as are your friends - but that doesn't make you a better parent.

 

[Janepod]

You have some real issues with those who had their way paid, my guess is envy.

And I don't have a problem with teenagers getting drunk and stupid in college either.