How do you save for kids college fund?

[Marionnette]

Getting into the classes that they need is a HUGE problem at our my son's state school. I don't know about the others. With less and less funding, it's only going to get worse.

My son is a freshman who is ALREADY having trouble getting into classes. He didn't pick the school I would have picked for him for many reasons - this being one of them. He knows he only gets four years of funding from us. (As others have said we can always switch this later we just wanted him to have this expectation) His AP credits will hopefully enable him to get through in those 4 years. We knew getting into classes would be a problem, but we didn't expect it to be this bad right away!

Most universities give preference to the upperclassmen when it comes to course selection. Freshmen get whatever is left after the others sign up. It can make it difficult that first year. Don't let him get discouraged.

 

[disykat]

Most universities give preference to the upperclassmen when it comes to course selection. Freshmen get whatever is left after the others sign up. It can make it difficult that first year. Don't let him get discouraged.

Yeah - he has AP credit for many of the freshman classes so, although he had to register as a freshman, he is competing with upperclassmen for the classes he needs. The other problem is that he needs a basic freshman writing class, but it has to be this term. For THAT class, they give freshman priority and he'll be registering as a junior next term because of his APs. He can't win for losing! Thankfully, he did get into a writing class - it's just at a bad time. On Tuesday he auditioned and got into a music ensemble that meets at that time. He's been desperately trying to get into another section. I haven't heard from again, but I know he only has until tomorrow (3rd day of classes) to get it worked out.

Updating to add - he got into another sections of writing and gets to stay in his ensemble. Yay!

 

[Piecey]

If you can't do it, you can't do it.

However, if the argument is simply, "Well, we had to pay our own way and gosh darn it, our kids won't be getting a penny from me because we never got anything." then I would have to disagree with you.

I have never taken for granted that my parents paid for my undergrad.

Dawn

While I don't think most people would necessarily take it for granted that their parents paid for their education, I think that it depends on the kid.

My parents saved for my brother's education (state plan), cashed in bonds, took PLUS loans, etc... when it was my turn I didn't get a cent. They hadn't saved for me (I'm 3 years younger) and they didn't approve of what I wanted to do so they wouldn't take loans for it.

All I could get was unsubsidized loans, since I was a dependent and my EFC was well above the cost to attend where I ended up.

I worked 3 crappy PT jobs, paid my own tuition, saved to do a summer cultural course that went abroad for 3+ weeks, and moved out at 19.

My husbands family doesn't support higher education, and they didn't have anything to give even if they did. He joined the military and is getting a degree with the GI Bill (this is his last semester, he's 29)...

I would be done by now, too, if I hadn't changed my major.


Anyway-- my point is that while I see both sides, it really does depend on the person.
We're saving for their education but don't plan on telling them that. My kids are still babies (1 & 2) but even if we could save enough to pay their entire 4 years of undergrad, my husband and I both agree we wouldn't.

It's even written into our will that they don't get a stipend to live off of in school. They get their expenses paid, but they'll be responsible for figuring out how to "live" on their own. Lawyer tried to talk us out of it but we both feel strongly that we want to them to work through school, or at the very least figure out how to get by.

Hopefully that doesn't come into play, but that is what we want. We'll help pay for school but they've got to work to live and figure it out from there.

 

[crjack]

My understanding is that getting into your classes is a significant issue here in MA too which is why I asked about it in an earlier post. We have nieces & nephews enrolled now and I hear stories of being up at midnight the day of registration to log on and how quickly things fill up.

Most majors require some type of order with classes and one issue here or there you can typically work around between summer options, etc but with budget cuts and staff shortages, combined with full enrollment, I see it getting worse before it gets better.

 

[TinkPirateMom]

My parents didn't pay for college for me nor did DH's for him so I think we will help all we can but we are not covering all tuition room and board for our kids. Hopefully, DD will get some scholarship money. I paid for 9 years of private school tuition and most of those years I was a single Mom so nope didn't really save much for college (modest amount put away in a couple CD's and a savings account).

 

[punkin]

Many students at large state universities can't get into the classes they need, thus requiring an additional year of school. Everyone here seems set on the state U's, but I'm not a huge fan. The best public U in our state costs $30,000-$35,000/ year so it is no bargain.

That really is a negative of large state universities. However, my DD is in a small, private, liberal arts college. She can get into pretty much any course she wants to and all courses she needs. Right now she's planning to double major and has that planned out in 4 years. If there's a problem, one of the majors will drop to a minor. I really cannot afford more than 4 years since I have a little one closing in on college as well, and I am planning to do as much for her as I did for her sister. The way it stands now DD has not had to take out any loans, nor has she worked (outside of babysitting) during the school year. If she had to find a way to pay for a fifth year, it wouldn't kill her. I just don't think it should be necessary.

 

[Sandy61]

Just thought I would give you more things to think about...

My DS loved taking classes in high school and took college classes offered at his school. He ended up with a full semester of college credit by the time he enrolled in a private college. The classes counted as high school credit and college credit. The colleges he applied to loved it because this was one more piece of info that he would be a good student for them. We made sure the college he was going to go to would accept the classes as credit.

Having done that, he is still struggling to fit in another Spanish class he needs to graduate and he is a junior! He may have to take it this summer and that will be expensive and take away from his time to work. He did not change majors but wanted to do so much and it was difficult to figure out. He has a great advisor but it is still a problem.

He is in an excellent private college in our hometown and still has to live in the dorms because of residency requirements. He wanted to live in the dorms any way but just because a college is close, you may not be allowed to live at home and commute. I am sure there are waivers but I don't know anything about it.

 

[punkin]

Just thought I would give you more things to think about...

My DS loved taking classes in high school and took college classes offered at his school. He ended up with a full semester of college credit by the time he enrolled in a private college. The classes counted as high school credit and college credit. The colleges he applied to loved it because this was one more piece of info that he would be a good student for them. We made sure the college he was going to go to would accept the classes as credit.

Having done that, he is still struggling to fit in another Spanish class he needs to graduate and he is a junior! He may have to take it this summer and that will be expensive and take away from his time to work. He did not change majors but wanted to do so much and it was difficult to figure out. He has a great advisor but it is still a problem.

He is in an excellent private college in our hometown and still has to live in the dorms because of residency requirements. He wanted to live in the dorms any way but just because a college is close, you may not be allowed to live at home and commute. I am sure there are waivers but I don't know anything about it.

DD's school will pretty much give no credit for any classes taken outside of the school unless they were taken at certain pre-approved schools. DD is supposed to speak to her advisor to see if she can take a required science class during the summer at the local U. It would be much cheaper and would free up a slot for a class she really wants to take.