Going Without
Moderator: S2k Moderators
Going Without
For you people who are putting your kids through college, how are you dealing with it? Do you find you are putting other stuff on hold till they graduate or did you plan ahead for this. I have no children so I do not know the burdon on the wallet it would be. I suppose it would be like making a car payment on a Jaguar for four years.....
0 likes
No Janice, it's worse than that. A car payment on a Jaguar would have been much, much cheaper. I was a single parent and had two in college at the same time. We all pitched in and worked harder than we have ever worked. I was lucky that my kids were kinda smart and got some scholarships and we also got some grants. We look back on it now with a sigh of relief.
0 likes
I told all five of mine that if they made a great effort in high school, I'd pay for college. Only my daughter made any considerable effort. She went to a collegiate high school here. She took college classes on the college campus for both HS and college credit. When she graduated from HS, she had a transferrable associates degree. and it was free.
the boys just did what they could to get by. i told them that if they want to go to college, they'll have to pay for it. i might help the youngest pay for cooking school, but that decision's yet to be made. he's taking a year off to work and save money.
the boys just did what they could to get by. i told them that if they want to go to college, they'll have to pay for it. i might help the youngest pay for cooking school, but that decision's yet to be made. he's taking a year off to work and save money.
0 likes
I have four: 15, 14, 12, 11. Even if my wife goes back to work, I don't think that we can afford to "put" them through.
For me, my parents payed 1/3, I got a student loan for 1/3, and I had to earn the other 1/3 during the summers. I also worked in the cafeteria at school for spending money.
We have two good schools in this town and my kids might be able to start out there and commute from home. Or they could even start out part time to see if college is for them.
Unfortunately our 15 year old may not be "college material." Unless he gets his life turned around, and fast, he'll be lucky if he doesn't go to jail instead of college.
Obviously there is no LEGAL obligation for parents to send their kids to school. I don't know if there is even a MORAL obligation. However, if we want the best for our kids, we know that it's something that would be great for them. The hard part is drawing the line on how much to give, and how much to expect from them. I firmly believe that something that they work for will be much more precious to them that something that is given to them. I don't want to pay their way, only to have them party it all away.
My sister had 5 boys. They all took careers in the military. They are all on their way to sucessful careers.
So I guess that the answer will be different for everyone you ask.
As to the original question about how much we will do without? I don't know. I do without alot right now. And they are ungrateful about it. It really makes me dis-inclined to knock myself out after they are of legal age.
For me, my parents payed 1/3, I got a student loan for 1/3, and I had to earn the other 1/3 during the summers. I also worked in the cafeteria at school for spending money.
We have two good schools in this town and my kids might be able to start out there and commute from home. Or they could even start out part time to see if college is for them.
Unfortunately our 15 year old may not be "college material." Unless he gets his life turned around, and fast, he'll be lucky if he doesn't go to jail instead of college.
Obviously there is no LEGAL obligation for parents to send their kids to school. I don't know if there is even a MORAL obligation. However, if we want the best for our kids, we know that it's something that would be great for them. The hard part is drawing the line on how much to give, and how much to expect from them. I firmly believe that something that they work for will be much more precious to them that something that is given to them. I don't want to pay their way, only to have them party it all away.
My sister had 5 boys. They all took careers in the military. They are all on their way to sucessful careers.
So I guess that the answer will be different for everyone you ask.
As to the original question about how much we will do without? I don't know. I do without alot right now. And they are ungrateful about it. It really makes me dis-inclined to knock myself out after they are of legal age.
0 likes
This space for rent.
-
Miss Mary
We instilled in our daughters how important college is. And beyond. Nina's already planning on her Master's Degree (someday). Good for her.
They've had two perspectives - mine. Worked after HS and didn't enroll in college until age 30 (full-time, days). Had a few detours, college credits from two colleges and still no degree. When I first went at age 30, it hit smack dab in the face - why didn't I do this at 18, right out of HS?
My husbands - four year Electrical Engineering degree, lived in a dorm at a state university 2 hours from home. He absolutely loved the college experience and has talked about it for years.
Our girls have been absorbed into this world - having a mom who wished she had gone and a dad who was very glad he went. We've also taken them to his college campus since they were babies.
So they're going - that's a given.
That said, we ideally want our girls to graduate w/o student loans. I hope it works. Nina's tuition/room/board/text books is only $12,000 a year. She looked at schools in the $28,000 to 30,000 range. She knew we couldn't go over $15,000 (and there might have been a student loan thrown in there for $2500 a year).
As it is, if they do have loans, I want them to have no more than $2500 a year, that's $10,000 for their college debt.
Will this all work out? I hope so!
I am working and that's helps. We rarely carry out and I prepare 95% of our meals at home. We didn't take our usual 1 week vacation last summer and won't again this year. We'll stay with a relative in Florida instead. That will save on hotel or condo rental expense.
It can be done. Little by little. Then again, I'm the type that actually thrives on a budget and I find it a challenge - what else can we cut out?
We already didn't renew our summer pool club membership - we hardly used it last year. That saved a bundle.
Before I close, one thing I did learn at age 30, a student can opt to work full time and go to college part time. It's not the same experience at age 18, living in a dorm and going full time, graduatiing in 4 or 5 years with their peers, but it CAN be done that way. I knew several students going to college that way and it was going to take 8 years. But they were determined to go and didn't have financial help.
Good topic!
Mary
PS - maybe you should ask me this question in 3 years, we'll have 2 in college. They'll overlap for one year. Then again, that's why I am working. I won't be able to enjoy my paychecks for 8 or 9 years. But that's my ~gift~ to my girls. College is very important to me.
They've had two perspectives - mine. Worked after HS and didn't enroll in college until age 30 (full-time, days). Had a few detours, college credits from two colleges and still no degree. When I first went at age 30, it hit smack dab in the face - why didn't I do this at 18, right out of HS?
My husbands - four year Electrical Engineering degree, lived in a dorm at a state university 2 hours from home. He absolutely loved the college experience and has talked about it for years.
Our girls have been absorbed into this world - having a mom who wished she had gone and a dad who was very glad he went. We've also taken them to his college campus since they were babies.
So they're going - that's a given.
That said, we ideally want our girls to graduate w/o student loans. I hope it works. Nina's tuition/room/board/text books is only $12,000 a year. She looked at schools in the $28,000 to 30,000 range. She knew we couldn't go over $15,000 (and there might have been a student loan thrown in there for $2500 a year).
As it is, if they do have loans, I want them to have no more than $2500 a year, that's $10,000 for their college debt.
Will this all work out? I hope so!
I am working and that's helps. We rarely carry out and I prepare 95% of our meals at home. We didn't take our usual 1 week vacation last summer and won't again this year. We'll stay with a relative in Florida instead. That will save on hotel or condo rental expense.
It can be done. Little by little. Then again, I'm the type that actually thrives on a budget and I find it a challenge - what else can we cut out?
We already didn't renew our summer pool club membership - we hardly used it last year. That saved a bundle.
Before I close, one thing I did learn at age 30, a student can opt to work full time and go to college part time. It's not the same experience at age 18, living in a dorm and going full time, graduatiing in 4 or 5 years with their peers, but it CAN be done that way. I knew several students going to college that way and it was going to take 8 years. But they were determined to go and didn't have financial help.
Good topic!
Mary
PS - maybe you should ask me this question in 3 years, we'll have 2 in college. They'll overlap for one year. Then again, that's why I am working. I won't be able to enjoy my paychecks for 8 or 9 years. But that's my ~gift~ to my girls. College is very important to me.
0 likes
My husband did his on his own too. He graduated four years college and then taught high school chemistry. He saved his money and after five years of teaching, dropped out and went on to grad school and got his phd and did his post doc with Herb C. Brown, a nobel prize winner in boron chemistry. John slept in labs on sofas, ate peanut butter sandwiches and shared rent in dumps. He did not have to ask a penny from his folks. He worked part time as a bartender and taught chemistry as a tutor. Times were tough, but he finally did it. He said his total years of college and grad school was 12 years. It is usually longer for chemistry. Many do post docs after they get their phd. Thank god they receive a salary when they are in grad school and doing a post doc. Chemists get paid for working in labs while doing their work and writing their thesis. My husband now has about 17 grad students working for him in his lab and they receive a little over $20,000 a year from him. It is better than nothing.
0 likes
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests