Is anyone else not saving or paying for college?

[goofy4tink]

As I am entitled to call her post naive. It will be my kid's responsibility to figure out how they will meet their goals financially, be it militarily, a school that does not require FASFA for merit aid or working to offer to cover their expenses of college. Will my kid requests LOAN from mom and dad? Will my kid offer to save 50% of the costs for a match? We require skin in the game and are not saving nor planning to pay for all of college.

My spouse and I are looking forward to marriage 3.0 and have no problems traveling the world while our kid struggles after leaving home. I don't understand where this notion came that a parent should delay their retirement or borrow on behalf of their children and go into debt to do it.

As my kid is in a sports program where 90% of the participants have received full ride scholarships, it will be encumbent on my child to be n that 90%. Or end up paying or earning their keep for college. Even if it means taking on debt or WORKING. A semester And attending a semester.

As I said our true hope will be for our kid to be an entrepreneur and not have to eventually work for anyone else. If others want to different for their children fine, but by asking this question I had HOPED to find like minded people and not contrarians, but that is ok.

Never said you couldn't call someone 'naive'...merely asked why you called them naive. Just curious. I think it's wonderful that you are lucky enough to have a child that is in such a wonderful sports program. Not very many people have that option. I know that when my dd decided on a private college, I knew that I was going to have to cut back on my travel. That's part of being a parent. Just because she's 19 doesn't mean I get to stop being a parent!!!
That goes on until the day I die.

It has been our philosophy since our child grew out of the toddler stage. As long as it was not a safety issue, we let our child fail. We let our child struggle. We never "let" our kid win. One of the greatest joys to me as a parent came on the day my kid put me in checkmate in chess.

I see so many parents today who don't want their kid to struggle. They give them cellphones at age 10, they give them cars, pay for insurance and gas. Come back and let them live at home into their late 20's. We believe we are giving our kid a foundation to make the correct decisions.

This hot summer our kid wanted to do a lemonade stand. While we fronted the money for supplies, our kid had to pay us back before counting profit. Now my kid has figured out how to earn money around the 'hood in ways that are age appropriate.

Our kid may struggle working at a minimum wage job or may figure out that sacrificing a social life to babysit every weekend as possible from the age of 12 can allow big money for savings and spending.

We won't feel guilty if our kid does struggle though when it is time for college. We will be able to live the life we feel we have earned. It will be awhile before our kid will be able to do the same.

Oh, believe me...my children have been allowed to fail. I'm the idiot that allowed her dd to touch the pot of water on the stove to see how 'hot' feels!! My dd has never been 'built up' by me...I have always been brutally honest. And it has made her feel awful many times.
And my older kids? Yep, they have been allowed to move back home in order to save money. My ds moved into our basement for 5 months while he saved enough money to move 1200 miles away, to Tampa. Now he is the finance director in his company. Eldest dd? Yes, she lived in the basement for 4 months....bad situation with former roommates, and needed to save enough for a security deposit. Now, happily living on her own.
So, sure, my kids have had issues, they have had their failures. But, I don't see that as license to allow them to go into deep debt.
Yes, my dd chose a school that has tuition set at $14,000 a semester!!! But, both my dh and I feel that the 'experience' she is getting is worth the cost. Sure it would have been terrific if it cost less. And sure, she could have gone to community college and lived at home. But for us, we felt that the living away from home, having the whole 'college experience' is a huge plus. Others may not have the same philosophy...and that's fine. But, my dd pays for her own books, will have some debt at the end, makes her own spending money and is expected to pull a 3.0, lowest, gpa each year.
That is what I signed on for when we had her. That is part of my job as her parent. Just because she graduated from high school doesn't mean I'm done!!!

 

[punkin]

For those who feel it is their obligation to pay for college for their kids, why are many of you only paying for undergrad but not grad school.

So many fields today require a Master's degree to be able to get a job. I realize not all do but a Bachelor's degree is a dime a dozen. It's comparable to what a high school diploma was years ago-expected. A Master's degree can really set an applicant apart from those with just a Bachelor's degree.

So why do you set your kids loose when it comes to grad school-isn't that part of your obligation too?

Some of us do the best we can as parents. If we can afford to help with college, we do. If we can afford to help with graduate school, we will. Some of us can't afford to help at all other than provide moral support and maybe a place to live; that's OK too. I think what most parents on this thread object to is the idea that making kids "struggle" is somehow good for them, and that it's perfectly OK for parents to travel the world spending money while their children "struggle."

 

[GrnMtnMan]

So why do you set your kids loose when it comes to grad school-isn't that part of your obligation too?

Because grad school's don't expect a parental contribution. You're considered an independent adult by the institution providing the education after you have completed an undergraduate degree.

And there are different types of grad schools programs. If you are going into an academic pursuit, you generally will be hired as a TA and become a adjunct faculty member while you are getting a degree....this is just part of the degree program. Generally grad students in this type of program pay very little tuition.

If you are going into a graduate program that qualifies you for some future profession, (medicine, law, engineering, business) you are expected to take out loans because you are acquiring credentials and knowledge that will allow you to increase your lifetime earning power.

That said, if I have the means, I'll help them out financially any way I can throughout life. As I said in a previous post, if my kids are loser mooches who don't appreciate anything by the time college rolls around, that'll be the end of a series of parenting failures, not the beginning.

 

[Southernmiss]

Many times, people pursuing a grad degree are already gainfully employed using their undergrad degree and their employers will offer tuition assistance.

Kids I know who have gone back for their grad degrees have also found scholarships for them as well.

DH worked and paid for his undergrad expenses himself. His dad actually paid for DH to go back for his masters. I believe DFIL realized he got off cheap with DH and felt a bit of guilt!

Families will do what is right for their family.

 

[Christine]

Re: the grad degree. My daughter is a soft major so the requirement for a graduate degree at this point is not necessary. She had no clue what she's doing when she gets out. All of the employers I have worked for in recent years have provided tuition assistance for graduate degrees so I will be encouraging her to try to get that degree at a later date with some employer financing. We shall see.

My son will be entering college right at the time my DD would be pursuing a graduate degree. I don't think I can swing both.

 

[Caradana]

Great question re: grad school:
For me, it's because most graduate programs I anticipate my kids would be interested in would be Ph.D. track and would come with stipends and fellowships (especially common in math, science, some of the more obscure liberal arts disciplines). I anticipate them needing substantially less financial support as grad students than they will as undergrads. I could also see an outcome where they work in business for a few years and then return to school part-time for an executive MBA, and in that case, corporate tuition reimbursement would play in.

Two exceptions to the stipend/fellowship/corporate reimbursement thinking: med school is typically solely out of pocket (I would contribute to that) and law school is typically big $$$ (if law as an industry looks anything like it does right now when that future day comes, I'm not financially contributing to law school unless it's Top 10, because the unemployment rates from schools beneath that tier are obscenely high, and law firm associate life stinks, frankly. Ever try to bill 2000 hours in a year? NOT FUN. Not the lifestyle I want to encourage for my kids ... there are better ways to achieve lucrative professional success than law at this point)

Maybe now you're seeing what may be a flaw in my character, depending on your value system. A big goal in my life has been to make money, specifically making career choices more for income potential than personal passion. I do not think you need to passionately love your job. I think liking your job is more than sufficient if it is paying you enough to live very well. I am going to encourage high-income professional tracks for my daughters. It makes life so much better. Of course, not everyone agrees. My nanny (my DH's cousin) is about to take a social work job in Philadelphia where she will never break $40K for a very difficult and emotionally taxing job. That is her vocation. I support her 100%, but I will not encourage that outcome for my girls - if they say they want a career in social service, I am going to encourage psychiatry, public health administration, more lucrative paths.

So why might I have that flaw in my character? And why do I feel so strongly about helping my kids pay for college? Because I DIDN'T have that financial support behind me. I worked 20 HPW at a tanning salon through high school to help pay the rent for my single-parent family after my father went to jail, child support stopped and the house got foreclosed. I would literally go to school 7-3, sports practice 3-5:30, musical rehearsals 5:30-7, tanning salon 7-11, whatever studying I could manage 11-1, sleep, up at 6, lather rinse repeat. My teachers knew what I was doing and kindly turned a blind eye to the fact that I barely handled in homework. I do not think this was a character-building experience. I think the only thing that got me through it was knowing that if I could make it to June of senior year and graduate as valedictorian, going to college for free was going to happen for me.

I was able to go to college because I got a lot of scholarship and financial aid help from a very generous school with a no-loan policy (they covered my full financial need). It was a miracle. It changed my life. A big part of my personal mission is to give my girls that same gift I was given, to come out of school with no loans and be free to explore the world in their 20s. I had the luxury of being able to do that and IT WAS AWESOME.

 

[antmaril]

Your strategy is to build character in your daughter through adversity, and send strong messages about capitalism and work ethic (i.e. no lemonade stand unless it is profitable). Ok by me.
My strategy is to build character in my daughters by providing a safe environment to play, experiment, be creative, and articulate their ideas (i.e. lemonade stand sounds fun, let's make a bunch of different-colored lemonades and talk about why). I anticipate zero discussions about money until they are pre-teens. Money as a topic stresses out little kids, who intuitively sense worry (if they keep talking about saving money, maybe there isn't enough? Maybe bad things could happen to Mommy and Daddy?) and they quietly stew in it with zero power to change the situation.

Your daughter will very likely come out of this with exemplary character and $50K+ of student loan debt. Ok by me
She will be side by side in the workplace with my daughters, who will have a good sense of how the world works, the same degrees, and $0 in debt.

Who can go to grad school if she wants?
Who will be financially ready for marriage and babies first?
Who will likely buy a house first?
Who will feel less stress?
Who will be able to use her paycheck to cash flow going out to dinner with friends, travel, live it up a little, really enjoy her 20s?
Who is going to be sitting on her couch with a TV dinner and writing huge checks to banks until she is in her 40s?

Flipping it around, why would I WANT to put my daughters behind the 8-ball with debt if I can prevent it? Why would I disadvantage them by choice?

It'd be ironic if I invested as much in them as I plan to (lessons, braces, camps, enrichment, dermatology if they need it, special academic help if they need it) and then thrust them out into the world deep in the hole??? To compete against girls without that disadvantage? I don't think so.

Opened the 529s the day I found out we were pregnant.

p.s. sometimes I theorize that the people most resolute about NOT PAYING are the ones who are subconsciously angry that despite their hard work, life didn't turn out in a way that equipped them to pay. They are often the ones who have felt unfairly treated by life.

Well said. I am with you 100%.

 

[Tinijocaro]

What an amazing story. I posed the grad question, knowing that I dh and I didn't pay for grad school. I guess it's true that many grad programs have assistantships, fellowships and stipends. I also knew many people who were paying for grad school, not everyone can get grad school for free.

May I ask where you went to college? One school ds was looking at this summer had a no loan policy, I thought that was awesome. Might have been an Ivy League.

I am also encouraging my four kids similarly-choose a major where there will be jobs, not necessarily lucrative jobs but jobs where you can make a decent living. Not looking for the high life for my kids, but then again, I don't have the background you do, so I can see where you are coming from.

Great question re: grad school:
For me, it's because most graduate programs I anticipate my kids would be interested in would be Ph.D. track and would come with stipends and fellowships (especially common in math, science, some of the more obscure liberal arts disciplines). I anticipate them needing substantially less financial support as grad students than they will as undergrads. I could also see an outcome where they work in business for a few years and then return to school part-time for an executive MBA, and in that case, corporate tuition reimbursement would play in.

Two exceptions to the stipend/fellowship/corporate reimbursement thinking: med school is typically solely out of pocket (I would contribute to that) and law school is typically big $$$ (if law as an industry looks anything like it does right now when that future day comes, I'm not financially contributing to law school unless it's Top 10, because the unemployment rates from schools beneath that tier are obscenely high, and law firm associate life stinks, frankly. Ever try to bill 2000 hours in a year? NOT FUN. Not the lifestyle I want to encourage for my kids ... there are better ways to achieve lucrative professional success than law at this point)

Maybe now you're seeing what may be a flaw in my character, depending on your value system. A big goal in my life has been to make money, specifically making career choices more for income potential than personal passion. I do not think you need to passionately love your job. I think liking your job is more than sufficient if it is paying you enough to live very well. I am going to encourage high-income professional tracks for my daughters. It makes life so much better. Of course, not everyone agrees. My nanny (my DH's cousin) is about to take a social work job in Philadelphia where she will never break $40K for a very difficult and emotionally taxing job. That is her vocation. I support her 100%, but I will not encourage that outcome for my girls - if they say they want a career in social service, I am going to encourage psychiatry, public health administration, more lucrative paths.

So why might I have that flaw in my character? And why do I feel so strongly about helping my kids pay for college? Because I DIDN'T have that financial support behind me. I worked 20 HPW at a tanning salon through high school to help pay the rent for my single-parent family after my father went to jail, child support stopped and the house got foreclosed. I would literally go to school 7-3, sports practice 3-5:30, musical rehearsals 5:30-7, tanning salon 7-11, whatever studing I could manage 11-1, sleep, up at 6, lather rinse repeat. I do not think this was a character-building experience. I think the only thing that got me through it was knowing that if I could make it to June of senior year and graduate as valedictorian, going to college for free was going to happen for me.

I was able to go to college because I got a lot of scholarship and financial aid help from a very generous school with a no-loan policy (they covered my full financial need). It was a miracle. It changed my life. A big part of my personal mission is to give my girls that same gift I was given, to come out of school with no loans and be free to explore the world in their 20s. I had the luxury of being able to do that and IT WAS AWESOME.

 

[KennesawNemo]

Great question re: grad school:
For me, it's because most graduate programs I anticipate my kids would be interested in would be Ph.D. track and would come with stipends and fellowships (especially common in math, science, some of the more obscure liberal arts disciplines). I anticipate them needing substantially less financial support as grad students than they will as undergrads. I could also see an outcome where they work in business for a few years and then return to school part-time for an executive MBA, and in that case, corporate tuition reimbursement would play in.

Two exceptions to the stipend/fellowship/corporate reimbursement thinking: med school is typically solely out of pocket (I would contribute to that) and law school is typically big $$$ (if law as an industry looks anything like it does right now when that future day comes, I'm not financially contributing to law school unless it's Top 10, because the unemployment rates from schools beneath that tier are obscenely high, and law firm associate life stinks, frankly. Ever try to bill 2000 hours in a year? NOT FUN. Not the lifestyle I want to encourage for my kids ... there are better ways to achieve lucrative professional success than law at this point)

Maybe now you're seeing what may be a flaw in my character, depending on your value system. A big goal in my life has been to make money, specifically making career choices more for income potential than personal passion. I do not think you need to passionately love your job. I think liking your job is more than sufficient if it is paying you enough to live very well. I am going to encourage high-income professional tracks for my daughters. It makes life so much better. Of course, not everyone agrees. My nanny (my DH's cousin) is about to take a social work job in Philadelphia where she will never break $40K for a very difficult and emotionally taxing job. That is her vocation. I support her 100%, but I will not encourage that outcome for my girls - if they say they want a career in social service, I am going to encourage psychiatry, public health administration, more lucrative paths.

So why might I have that flaw in my character? And why do I feel so strongly about helping my kids pay for college? Because I DIDN'T have that financial support behind me. I worked 20 HPW at a tanning salon through high school to help pay the rent for my single-parent family after my father went to jail, child support stopped and the house got foreclosed. I would literally go to school 7-3, sports practice 3-5:30, musical rehearsals 5:30-7, tanning salon 7-11, whatever studying I could manage 11-1, sleep, up at 6, lather rinse repeat. My teachers knew what I was doing and kindly turned a blind eye to the fact that I barely handled in homework. I do not think this was a character-building experience. I think the only thing that got me through it was knowing that if I could make it to June of senior year and graduate as valedictorian, going to college for free was going to happen for me.

I was able to go to college because I got a lot of scholarship and financial aid help from a very generous school with a no-loan policy (they covered my full financial need). It was a miracle. It changed my life. A big part of my personal mission is to give my girls that same gift I was given, to come out of school with no loans and be free to explore the world in their 20s. I had the luxury of being able to do that and IT WAS AWESOME.

Very well written.

 

[HeatherC]

We have three kids and 529 plans for each of them. They will still have to contribute something too, but we do not want them to have to go so far in debt on student loans that it will take them years to just get caught up...never mind get ahead.

Our philosophy is that the world is hard enough today. If we all help each other out to the best of our ability, the world would be a kinder place. I hope that my kids will do the same for theirs.

As long as we are trying to raise our kids to be hard working, responsible, and caring adults I think dh and I are on the right track.

 

[Caradana]

Thanks Tinijocaro, KennesawNemo. Tini, I sent you a PM. Part of the reason I love the Disboards is that I joined this board when I was a freshman in college, and for the first time, I didn't have to take the $ from my part-time college job to pay bills anymore, and I got it in my mind that I wanted to go see Disney World. Some of the old timers here may have seen this whole saga unfold, from 1998 to now, college to job to marriage to kids. So this board reminds me of a great time in my life when, for the first time, I wasn't worried about debt and financial obligations ... ironically, freshman year of college

Apologies for thread hijack. Back to original flow of conversation!

 

[goofyintoronto]

Your strategy is to build character in your daughter through adversity, and send strong messages about capitalism and work ethic (i.e. no lemonade stand unless it is profitable). Ok by me.
My strategy is to build character in my daughters by providing a safe environment to play, experiment, be creative, and articulate their ideas (i.e. lemonade stand sounds fun, let's make a bunch of different-colored lemonades and talk about why). I anticipate zero discussions about money until they are pre-teens. Money as a topic stresses out little kids, who intuitively sense worry (if they keep talking about saving money, maybe there isn't enough? Maybe bad things could happen to Mommy and Daddy?) and they quietly stew in it with zero power to change the situation.

Your daughter will very likely come out of this with exemplary character and $50K+ of student loan debt. Ok by me
She will be side by side in the workplace with my daughters, who will have a good sense of how the world works, the same degrees, and $0 in debt.

Who can go to grad school if she wants?
Who will be financially ready for marriage and babies first?
Who will likely buy a house first?
Who will feel less stress?
Who will be able to use her paycheck to cash flow going out to dinner with friends, travel, live it up a little, really enjoy her 20s?
Who is going to be sitting on her couch with a TV dinner and writing huge checks to banks until she is in her 40s?

Flipping it around, why would I WANT to put my daughters behind the 8-ball with debt if I can prevent it? Why would I disadvantage them by choice?

It'd be ironic if I invested as much in them as I plan to (lessons, braces, camps, enrichment, dermatology if they need it, special academic help if they need it) and then thrust them out into the world deep in the hole??? To compete against girls without that disadvantage? I don't think so.

Opened the 529s the day I found out we were pregnant.

p.s. sometimes I theorize that the people most resolute about NOT PAYING are the ones who are subconsciously angry that despite their hard work, life didn't turn out in a way that equipped them to pay. They are often the ones who have felt unfairly treated by life.

VERY VERY well said. Couldnt have said it any better!

 

[LisaR]

Grad school: I don't feel an obligation because a graduate degree isn't a necessity. I truly feel an undergraduate degree is a necessity today. I am not saying that those without a college degree will fail, not at all. However, since we are stuck in the unfortunate mindset that everyone must go to college, we are at a point where those without an undergrad will be the odd one out. I don't like it and I hope this trend changes, but right now, it is what it is.

Having said that, we will pay for my DD to go to grad school and we will likely not pay for my DS to go to grad school.

DD will need an MA to do the type of work she wants to do. An employer won't pay for that degree. Her undergraduate degree will not open any doors in the field she wants to pursue. An MA is a necessity. Knowing this for a long time, we have made it very clear to DD that she will need to help. That means choosing an undergrad degree at an affordable school. It means getting good enough grades/test scores to qualify for scholarships, and, in her case, she also shaved two years off of her undergrad by getting her AA for free thanks to dual enrollment.

My son has never leaned toward anything that would necessitate a graduate degree. He also won't be able to contribute much in terms of scholarships because he doesn't test well. He has a number of learning disabilities and at this point, I'm not even certain college is the right choice for him. Knowing what we know about him, we aren't saving for grad school. We are saving for a more expensive private school for his potential undergrad that would be able to accommodate his needs better than a huge state university. We have also strongly encouraged him to pursue the community college route if he is still undecided. Time will tell, but I don't see grad school as a necessity in his life.

 

[TXinmyheart]

Your daughter will very likely come out of this with exemplary character and $50K+ of student loan debt. Ok by me
She will be side by side in the workplace with my daughters, who will have a good sense of how the world works, the same degrees, and $0 in debt.

You really do not know that my child will come out of school with $50K in student loan debt any more than I do. I know that there are schools and programs available that if my kid plays the right cards will also graduate debt free having earned it even if it means struggling instead of having it given.

To me that is what goes into building an exemplary character. It works for our family. We tried to live the lifestyle of our parents in our 20's and ended up not having two nickels to rub together. Now we are debt free having worked hard and continue to work hard. While we may work 80 hours a week, we also play very hard as often as we can! We hope one day our child will be able to travel six weeks out of the year or more like we did last year. It won't happen right away, but there will be struggle first. It is just our philosophy.

 

[KennesawNemo]

Thanks Tinijocaro, KennesawNemo. Tini, I sent you a PM. Part of the reason I love the Disboards is that I joined this board when I was a freshman in college, and for the first time, I didn't have to take the $ from my part-time college job to pay bills anymore, and I got it in my mind that I wanted to go see Disney World. Some of the old timers here may have seen this whole saga unfold, from 1998 to now, college to job to marriage to kids. So this board reminds me of a great time in my life when, for the first time, I wasn't worried about debt and financial obligations ... ironically, freshman year of college

Apologies for thread hijack. Back to original flow of conversation!

You should be very very proud of yourself!

 

[design_mom]

Our goal is to save enough to pay for 4 years at a state school. If they choose to attend a more expensive school, or go on to get an advanced degree, we'll help as we are able but they might have to kick in some of their own.

My parents paid for tuition for my undergrad (state school) and rent-free living if I wanted to commute. I was responsible for books, supplies, transportation (and room/board if I chose to live away from home, which I did for the first 2 years). I had to work lots of hours in the summer, or carry a part time job during the school year to cover my portion. I had some "skin in the game." However, there was never really a danger of not being able to continue my schooling.

I appreciate the fact that my parents did that for me, and it's something I hope to be able to do for my kids. Depending on what school they choose, we might not be able to help them fully, but we'll do what we can.

 

[Pigeon]

You really do not know that my child will come out of school with $50K in student loan debt any more than I do. I know that there are schools and programs available that if my kid plays the right cards will also graduate debt free having earned it even if it means struggling instead of having it given.

To me that is what goes into building an exemplary character. It works for our family. We tried to live the lifestyle of our parents in our 20's and ended up not having two nickels to rub together. Now we are debt free having worked hard and continue to work hard. While we may work 80 hours a week, we also play very hard as often as we can! We hope one day our child will be able to travel six weeks out of the year or more like we did last year. It won't happen right away, but there will be struggle first. It is just our philosophy.

I guess you and I would define exemplary character quite differently, because what you describe as your goals for yourself and your treatment of your kids I would consider quite selfish, not "exemplary" in any way.

 

[jgh]

I guess I just don't get some of these prices. My semester is $2100, this includes 13 credit hours, 5 classes including books. This is the most I have had so far and this is my 4th. I do not understand these 20k per year pricings.
Even my daughter who is full time 12 credit hours at FAU is less thank $3k for the semester. This is for her bachelors.

I wish college was that cheap here...I attend the University of Georgia, without any scholarships it's about $5,000 per semester with books (that's IN state). Thankfully I get HOPE (state funded scholarship for high grades), which covers about half of tuition, so it's about $2,500 per semester for me. HOPE does not cover books, living expenses, dining plans, etc.

I attend Summer classes and live at home and don't have a dining plan, so it's about $7,500 per school year for me to attend UGA. I'm extremely fortunate enough for my parents to pay for my tuition and I cover my books and anything else that I might need. If I had to live on campus with a dining plan it would be closer to the $20,000 range.

UGA has a "cost of attendance" page...I can't believe how much out of state tuition is compared to in state! https://www.admissions.uga.edu/article/tuition-and-costs-of-attending.html

 

[HerRoyalHighness]

It may be a little late for some of you, but prepping your children from a very early age will help OODLES in the long run as far as getting scholarships.

Get your kids reading before Kindergarten. It doesn't take that much time. 10-15 minutes a day starting around the age of 3 will have them reading when they're 4.

After they become readers it's easier for them to learn other things.

If you give them tools to learn ahead of their grade level (ie skill workbooks, computer programs like Elementary Advantage) they'll do better in all their classes.

If you spend time with them, encouraging learning, seeing and trying new things...it all adds up. You end up raising children that search out knowledge like a sponge.

And something my parents did NOT do for me...prepare your kids for what they're going to run into money wise for college. And basic every day run of the mill chores.

There was a lot of learning on the fly for me, but I think things would have been a bit easier if I didn't spend so much time trying to figure out how to do simple stuff.

 

[vttkdmom]

I agree with previous posters regarding college costs undermining a family's ability to pay. We live in Vermont, which has limited choices for in-state colleges. My ODS is an engineering major and my DD (HS senior) is planning to major in nursing. for both of these majors, UVM is the only option instate. For ODS, it was actually CHEAPER to send him out of state. He goes to a SUNY school and pays 24K/year tuition/room&board. The INSTATE cost for UVM is almost 30K. My DD is looking into nursing schools in FL, we have family there, and if tuition is in the 30k ballpark, why not chose a school she WANTS to go to? There is no "inexpensive" instate option for my kids.

As much as I love this state, and it has been a great place to raise my kids, being VT state residents with middle-income parents pretty much guarantees they will graduate with crippling debt.

I did save for my kid's college to the tune of around 30k/kid, which for a middle income family, having 90k put away for college was a pretty big sacrifice, I did what I could, but it does break my heart a bit that my son is graduating next year 80k in debt. I am hoping that this year, with two in college that our FAFSA results come back with more aid for the kids....