Do you feel obligated to pay your child's college costs?

I keep seeing all these commercials these days explaining the increasing college tuition costs and how they will effect mom and dad. Do you feel as parent that you are obligated to pay your child's college costs? My wife and her brothers all paid for their college costs in the form of student loans. My wife worked as an RA to pay her housing costs and walked onto the college basketball team and got her books paid for with a partial scholarship her last two years. The rest of her college costs she had to take out student loans to pay for over a ten year period. Basically she worked hard to pay her tuition costs her self. Why do parents believe they owe their children college tuition costs?

Now I am not saying that those of you that can afford to pay for your child's college costs should not pay for it or that if you pay for it you are spoiling your kids, I am just saying that I don't believe parents should feel obligated to pay their kids college costs. Parents "owing" their kids in this regard is becomming the norm and I am not sure that is a good thing. It is almost like colleges are marketing/creating this phenomenon in order to create a predictable cycle of money via guilt.

 

My kids are not going to college. They will be home schooled where I can keep an eye on them 24/7. You know what goes on at these colleges? Just the thought sends my mind racing! No way is any kid ready for that. Kids are dumb.



Sorry, Brett, but do you know how boring a show the Bachelor is? I guess I could tie flies to cure my boredom....naaaahhhh.


Oh, and no, I don't feel obligated...no matter what the TV tells me. Its not the boss of me.

 

Punk.

I am so paranoid about my kids that I am forcing my 2 year old daughter to sleep next to me right now. SHE will NOT leave my sight the next 16 straight years.

 

You have to be proactive these days.

 

Matt, what did the moderators say about using tidbits from other threads to subtly talk trash on a new thread? lol

 

According to the mods, the disclaimer in my sig makes my behavior acceptable. Hey, did you get my text?

 

No I don't feel obligated. I help though, but I don't foot the bill. I want him to work for it too. Hopefully it'll keep him from dropping out if he has to pay for it also.

 

My parents did (feel obligated). But I got a full ride to cover it.

Graduate school is on me, and I'm looking at 100K in debts to start off my life, YAY. lol

 

X2

We help but Tyler will pay for most of it. We did the same for our daughter. She has had all her loans payed off for a while now and is doing quite well.

Tim

 

They said it was only good for the goose....and proved that.

No....we don't feel "obligated". Will we do what we can do? Yeah. Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to have to worry about it too much. Our son can't wait to get out of HS, though......and away from oppressive search and seizure.

 

My parents helped out some with my rent and groceries when needed while I was going to college for a 2 year degree. I had a part time job as a auto mechanic while going to school. Tuition was all payed by me via student loans. The Interest rate for student loans wasn't bad at all. I payed them off 5 years later after I graduated.

Will I do the same for my daughter as my parents did for me? Absolutely.

 

That's pharmacy school for ya. Welcome to the club


My parents put away money for all three of us for college. When it came down to it, we were given the choice to attend a state university and have everything paid for, or have the equivalent state tuition rate paid to us and we cover the rest if we chose a private college.

We all chose state universities. I'm very grateful, because I'm where I am partially because I came out of school debt free (remember LAEqualizer's thread about taking credit for things?). My wife, on the other hand (like Trevor) wen to a private school for a 6 year degree, and while she had a variety of grants and scholarships, she still amassed a good chunk of debt. I wouldn't wish that start on my kids by any means, especially since they will already most likely be helping pay back our nation's atrocious debt even more than we will be. I will certainly plan to set money aside for my childrens schooling. If it means one less bow here or there, I can live with it.

 

I am very fortunate to have a benefit package that includes free tuition for immidiate family and legal dependants. So my 3 girls are taken care of. If they dont want to go to school here the university is a member of The Tuition Exchange program. Here is a list of all the schools my kids can go to. If tuition at any of these schools costs more the The University of Dallas, I'll have to pay the difference. I'm OK with that. Sheree is a junior in HS so it won't take long for me to cash in. One thing though, the girls still have to qualify and be accepted so its not automatic.

http://www.tuitionexchange.org/schools.cfm

 

I have been thinking of this recently as my wife and I just found out we have a second child on the way.

My parents paid a small portion of my college and my wife's parents paid for hers completely. We haven't had a real discussion on the topic, but I have a feeling that we might not have the same opinion.

It seems like such a long way off, but if we are going to pay for their college we need to start saving right now.

 

The beauty of the gov't programs (529?) is.....they allow you to save $ pre-tax.

IF you can swing it....it's a no-brainer.

 

GMMAT- Interesting...I guess I will have to do some research...

 

No, I do not feel obligated but, if I do pay then I will retain the right to search their dorm room without their knowledge. You know, just to make sure they turn out OK :D .

 

Bruce:

I'd as soon have them alive and well......and not LIKE me.....as in jail or dead.

That's the stakes.