re: The wife and I made a difficult decision this weekend

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They're 18-22, they should be adults.

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I agree. For those so adamant about the parents paying for their kid's college, what is your take on investing so much of your money into their education only to have them drop out before getting their diploma? Most of us aren't rich enough to say "oh well, that's just little Johnny being Johnny by not finishing what he starts."

I remember at my freshman, 1970, orientation a speaker saying "70% of the students in this room today will not graduate from college". I'd imagine those numbers are still true today. I was one of the 70%, however, I paid my three years to college while staying with my parents.

I commend the folks who can afford to pay for their kid's education if it doesn't put them in the poorhouse but you shouldn't have malice towards those who can't afford it.

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I remember at my freshman, 1970, orientation a speaker saying "70% of the students in this room today will not graduate from college". I'd imagine those numbers are still true today. I was one of the 70%, however, I paid my three years to college while staying with my parents.

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Your 3 years probably cost less than 3 months today. shite probably closer to 3 weeks at a lot of schools.


I'm not saying people are bad parents for not paying for college 100%, but the notion that "I paid my way through school in the 70s/80s so why can't kids do it today" has basically 0 relevance.

I think we crunched the numbers a year or two back in one of these threads (back when college was less costly than now) and a kid would have to work at least 30 hours a week just to afford SOME costs of living. Not tuition, not fees, and not books.

Paying your way through school like you could 30 or 40 years ago is not possible today.

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so our kid doesn't get stuck at LSU

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How about you suck this tiger dick, bitch?

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Did y'all's parents pay for your college education? Mine did, and that's why I'm paying for my kids' college.

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My parents didn’t pay for any of our tuitions once we graduated HS. Fortunately we generally did well getting scholarships, but the parents definitely instilled a sense of fiscal responsibility in us that in my opinion was worth more than the cost of tuition.

Let your kids stay at the house if they’re working toward a degree but make it mandatory that they do. Talk them through the whole process of getting a student loan and how they need to invest that money wisely in a degree that will allow them to pay it back. Then help them make a budget and get them started off on the right foot. IMO they will care a lot more about college if they have some skin in the game.

My parents offered to let me stay at home while I was in college. They didnt pay for school. I turned out fine.

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kids need some degree of adversity in their lives

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I sure did. For something to mean anything, I had to scratch and claw for it. Anything given to me was easy-come-easy-go. I pissed away a few chances and then had to make my own way and grew up quick. I’m thankful for all the adversity.

I’m torn on this one. We have a bunch of kids, and could pay for their college, but I’m not sure that’s the right thing to do. I’m also not sure college is necessary. I’d rather help them start a business when they are 18-20 and then if they decide they need or want college, they can pay cash for it. Or maybe they realize that college is for people who want to work for someone else and just skip it.

Congrats on your special kids. The average person isn't able to make that happen at most reputable 4 year universities.

Good for you! Let them get a loan or do 2 years at community college first join military get the gi bill

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Did y'all's parents pay for your college education?

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Nope. Not a dime. One was disabled and one close to death; neither could have afforded it if they had been in good health.

I never expected anyone else to pay for my school. I took care of and am still taking care of it today. I consider it an opportunity cost. Screw teaching my kids the idea of entitlement. Frankly, I don't know if I would even push them to get a 4-year degree at this point now, anyway, unless they wanted to go into medicine or law. Better off learning an actual trade.

Lots of silver spoon douche canoes in here. Don’t listen to them. Lots of these people send their kids to college for worthless degrees.

Your kids can easily work and pay their way to a community college. No need for them to go to a 4 year off the bat. Make sure they get into a program that transfers fully to a 4 year though if that is the track they eventually want to take, lots of 2 year CC programs won’t transfer jackshit over so avoid that. Help them where you can, you don’t have to pay everything.

Same track I took and I graduated Magna Cum Laude in EE. Had a bit more drive about my education than a lot of my peers since I paid a lot of it.

You could also move them to Tennessee, we have free CC now.