Parents paying for college

[bjscheel]

Is that without roommates? Dd18's accounting program is actally 5 years, but she will come out with a masters, plus CPA exam classes. She did get a firm job offer for $60,000 after graduation. However, it's by her university, which means she won't live home to save money, and I'm guessing she won't want so many roommates (next year she will be paying the same amount of rent, but have 6 roommates, in a house). Part of me would prefer having her move home and save, work in NYC (my cousin is a partner in one ore big four accounting firms, and says she will have a job, but she really likes the firm where she did her internship (only 100 employees), plus she got the job on her own.

The $550 rent is for student housing (adjacent to campus but not owned by the school) where she has her own bedroom/bathroom and shares a common living room and kitchen with 3 other girls. Her lease is independent of the other girls, so she pays that amount regardless if anyone leaves.

 

[mjkacmom]

The $550 rent is for student housing (adjacent to campus but not owned by the school) where she has her own bedroom/bathroom and shares a common living room and kitchen with 3 other girls. Her lease is independent of the other girls, so she pays that amount regardless if anyone leaves.

That sounds like a great set up! Dd will be sharing 2 bathrooms next year (I guess it is t so bad, our family of 7 shares 1 1/2 bathrooms!

 

[georgina]

My parents did not. I took out student loans for my bachelor's and master's degrees and graduated with a little over 100k in student loan debt. My cousins had all their educations fully paid for by their parents (similar income levels as my parents). Not sure why my parents didn't start a college fund for us as they were financially capable of doing so, and they posed it as a requirement for me to attend.. there was so much pressure on me from them to attend college and have advanced degrees. Now I'm totally regretting having life choices made for me and fulfilling other people's dreams.. and unhappy with the career field I'm in. Slowly paying off the debt. It'll take a few decades.

I just wanted to say I get what you are saying and hang in there. My parents also stressed college but provided no money towards it, even though they could have. I also chose a field (which I ended up hating) which would enable me to make enough to pay of my loans. Work on that debt and perhaps the future may be brighter for you; a lot of people change careers these days

 

[dosekies]

For those talking about CC, I wish my area was more open to it. When I was in high school, everyone made it seem like you were a complete joke if you went to our local CC. No one talked about it as a serious place to go and it wasn't really something that was recommended to anyone except those who they knew wouldn't make it through anything more. Had I known more about it and had someone talk to me seriously about it, I completely would have considered it as an option as a way to get my gen eds out of the way.

In terms of housing on campus, I got one of the cheapest apartments I could find after getting out of the dorms: $500 a person for a 3 bed/1 bath apartment about at 15 minute walk from campus. It was completely beat down. Anything nicer or with less roommates, etc. was at least $700 or more per person.

 

[mom2rtk]

For those talking about CC, I wish my area was more open to it. When I was in high school, everyone made it seem like you were a complete joke if you went to our local CC. No one talked about it as a serious place to go and it wasn't really something that was recommended to anyone except those who they knew wouldn't make it through anything more. Had I known more about it and had someone talk to me seriously about it, I completely would have considered it as an option as a way to get my gen eds out of the way.

In terms of housing on campus, I got one of the cheapest apartments I could find after getting out of the dorms: $500 a person for a 3 bed/1 bath apartment about at 15 minute walk from campus. It was completely beat down. Anything nicer or with less roommates, etc. was at least $700 or more per person.

Why does it matter what your high school classmates thought?

If you go 2 years to CC then on to the University, guess what school will be on your diploma?

 

[dosekies]

Why does it matter what your high school classmates thought?

If you go 2 years to CC then on to the University, guess what school will be on your diploma?

It honestly wasn't even the classmates, it was everyone. No teachers or counselors or anyone took going to CC seriously, especially if you were a student with good grades, in AP classes, etc. They would just brush it off to the side and talk to you about other schools. If you asked, they would change the subject and talk about 'better schools'. Once I got to college, I realized how wrong they were and WISH they took it more seriously for the students.

 

[mom2rtk]

It honestly wasn't even the classmates, it was everyone. No teachers or counselors or anyone took going to CC seriously, especially if you were a student with good grades, in AP classes, etc. They would just brush it off to the side and talk to you about other schools. If you asked, they would change the subject and talk about 'better schools'. Once I got to college, I realized how wrong they were and WISH they took it more seriously for the students.

Sounds like some very dated attitudes. Lots of high schools these days are in cooperative arrangements with local CC's to provide dual credit courses as part of the high school curriculum. Some kids are leaving high school with their Associate's Degree already completed.

I do think though that a lot of students get wrapped up in the prestige of this school versus that school without consideration to the best value for their money. I guess it's hard to really grasp the enormity of the numbers at that age. But parents and school counselors really need to give that some consideration when guiding students through the process.

 

[mnrose]

I 100% agree. I see it often on the budget board, especially. My BA cost me less than $25,000. Today, that is about what one year costs at a state university.

I'm dating myself, but my undergrad AND law school tuition combined was around $30K ($1500-1800 ALL in for college per year) and around $5-6K per year for law school (not including living expenses....by that point, DH and I were sharing a home and he worked to pay living expenses). Now, one year at college cost that much.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

I paid for my own college. Not only did I sign for my loans, but my mother kept the social security and Veteran's benefits that were only continued because I was IN college. I am the oldest of 4, and my dad died when I was 14. Mom had collected SS and VA benefits for all of us, but once I aged out the only way that my money continued was if I was in college. I don't know how it works now as opposed to then, but she kept my share of the money that was supposed to go towards paying my college costs.
e!

My father died when I was 15 and my brother was 17. My mother received Social Security until we turned 18, then the checks were paid directly to us until we turned 22. My father died in 1974 and I graduated in 1982.

Other than SS, my mother paid some, I earned some scholarship money, a loan, and I worked. I was on a 5 year co-op program. Years 2, 3, and 4, were 6 months of classes and 6 months of a paid internship.

I don't remember what my degree cost, but I'm pretty sure it was cheaper than one year at that university today.

12 years later I got my MBA. My employer covered the bulk of the tuition. I paid for fees, books, supplies, etc. It took 6 years of evening and weekend classes to earn it while working full time.

 

[aprilgail]

The thing that helped the most was getting married in school. I got married before my junior year and my DH was going into his senior year. When 100% of your household is enrolled as full time students and you're well below the poverty line then you definitely qualify for grants. We both continued to work while taking classes and between that, my scholarships, and the federal aid we both graduated debt free.
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My daughter and her best friend were actually considering getting married for the reason of financial aid!- i was fine with it and his parents were too (he is gay so it would be in name only anyway) but once we got a lot of financial aid she didnt need to do that. I earned way to much working to qualify for any aid- i retired in 2015 (which had been planned since she was born) and that lowered my income but in all reality it really didnt- once i retired i no longer paid state tax, railroad retirement tax, pension, union dues, medical etc so basically i end up taking about the same amount home but it looks lower.
The thing that threw a bit of a monkey wrench into my plan was when obama changed fafsa to prior prior year so i had to use 2015 income which was my highest income ever due to retirement buy outs from my company which doubled my income. I appealed the fafsa figures and sent proof of my income now and they readjisted it all.

 

[mom2rtk]

My daughter and her best friend were actually considering getting married for the reason of financial aid!- i was fine with it and his parents were too (he is gay so it would be in name only anyway) but once we got a lot of financial aid she didnt need to do that.

Wow, that's some serious college planning.

 

[mnrose]

Wow, that's some serious college planning.

It must not be all that unusual because my daughter mentioned the same thing to me...."Mom, B (her gay friend) and I are thinking of getting married so we get better financial aid."

I was NOT on board with that plan. LOL. It's a thing. People do it. It's the logical consequence of making financial aid virtually non-existent when dependent on parent (not even that high) income, and making it a free for all if the student is married. If my kid had heard about it, I guarantee others have too.

 

[mom2rtk]

It must not be all that unusual because my daughter mentioned the same thing to me...."Mom, B (her gay friend) and I are thinking of getting married so we get better financial aid."

I was NOT on board with that plan. LOL. It's a thing. People do it. It's the logical consequence of making financial aid virtually non-existent when dependent on parent (not even that high) income, and making it a free for all if the student is married. If my kid had heard about it, I guarantee others have too.

Wow, we have 2 recent college graduates and neither mentioned hearing that from friends. That said, it's sad that the situation is so bad that it has made a sham marriage one of the potential financing options.

And for the record, I wouldn't have been on board with it either.

 

[mousefanmichelle]

For those talking about CC, I wish my area was more open to it. When I was in high school, everyone made it seem like you were a complete joke if you went to our local CC. No one talked about it as a serious place to go and it wasn't really something that was recommended to anyone except those who they knew wouldn't make it through anything more. Had I known more about it and had someone talk to me seriously about it, I completely would have considered it as an option as a way to get my gen eds out of the way.

In terms of housing on campus, I got one of the cheapest apartments I could find after getting out of the dorms: $500 a person for a 3 bed/1 bath apartment about at 15 minute walk from campus. It was completely beat down. Anything nicer or with less roommates, etc. was at least $700 or more per person.

I don't believe our area has a stigma associated with community college and I think it's because we have a middle college program in our district. Beginning in a students junior year they spend a certain amount of credit hours at the community college and it progresses 1 year past their high school graduation and they obtain their associates degree free of charge. We have so many students that go that route because it's a jump start for them that I don't think CC is frowned on at all.

 

[tvguy]

For those talking about CC, I wish my area was more open to it. When I was in high school, everyone made it seem like you were a complete joke if you went to our local CC. No one talked about it as a serious place to go and it wasn't really something that was recommended to anyone except those who they knew wouldn't make it through anything more. Had I known more about it and had someone talk to me seriously about it, I completely would have considered it as an option as a way to get my gen eds out of the way.

In terms of housing on campus, I got one of the cheapest apartments I could find after getting out of the dorms: $500 a person for a 3 bed/1 bath apartment about at 15 minute walk from campus. It was completely beat down. Anything nicer or with less roommates, etc. was at least $700 or more per person.

DD went to a California State University for a year, transferred to a Community College for a year, transferred to another California State University for two years which included one year at a British Public University as an exchange student.
She graduated in 2014 and we drove past her Community College this weekend and she made the comment that her best College experience was at the Community College. The Professors there taught the classes, no TA or Grad student. They weren't tied up publishing, and seemed far more interested in their students than any other of the 4 Coilleges she attended.

 

[aprilgail]

For those talking about CC, I wish my area was more open to it. When I was in high school, everyone made it seem like you were a complete joke if you went to our local CC. No one talked about it as a serious place to go and it wasn't really something that was recommended to anyone except those who they knew wouldn't make it through anything more. Had I known more about it and had someone talk to me seriously about it, I completely would have considered it as an option as a way to get my gen eds out of the way.

.

That is how community college is by me- ypu dont even need to take an SAT to get in- basically if you can hold a pencil you can get in.

 

[mjkacmom]

That is how community college is by me- ypu dont even need to take an SAT to get in- basically if you can hold a pencil you can get in.

Same here, and even state schools are competitive enough that transferring from CC to a four year isn't easy.

 

[penn19]

We are paying what we can and the rest my kids will have to shoulder their student loans.
I didn't go to college (unfortunately) but my husband did. He got a full ride so didn't need his parents help. Thankfully because they couldn't/wouldn't have paid it. But my husband has worked hard for what we have and there were more lean years than flush years. So I'll be darned if we are going to eat ramen and forgo vacations to dump all that money into our kids college. That's why my husband went to college. To make a good income and enjoy it. My kids have cars to have at college and they can live at home and commute to lessen the financial load for all of us.

 

[Patience]

I don't believe our area has a stigma associated with community college and I think it's because we have a middle college program in our district. Beginning in a students junior year they spend a certain amount of credit hours at the community college and it progresses 1 year past their high school graduation and they obtain their associates degree free of charge. We have so many students that go that route because it's a jump start for them that I don't think CC is frowned on at all.

In my area, students have to apply for the middle college program. Half of the criteria looked at is whether the student would be the first in the family to attend college and financial need. The other half is academic achievement. Basically, if a student has college educated parents and is not low income, he will not be accepted into the program.

 

[Hikergirl]

That is how community college is by me- ypu dont even need to take an SAT to get in- basically if you can hold a pencil you can get in.

I know complete idiots that graduated from State U's and private colleges who can barely function as adults. I also know extremely intelligent and successful individuals that didn't take their SATs but could hold a pencil and got started at their local CC.

We are paying what we can for our kids. We have savings for all of them and they know that is what we can give. If they need more then it is on them.
Right now I have one in CC. She decided to start there as a purely financial decision. She could have started at the State U she plans on transferring too but she didn't want any debt when she graduated with her MS. Smart girl, can even hold a pencil.