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Obligation to pay for college?

  1. autumnlove

    hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts

    We will pay for some (maybe all) undergrad.

  2. Freckles

    honeydew / 7444 posts

    We don't feel obligated, but we want to. Our parents made sacrifices so that they could pay for our college tuition (granted, it isn't as expensive as it is in the US). We are in a much better situation than they were so it would feel weird if we didn't. I also see it as paying it forward. We may be in trouble if she wants to go to a good US college though.

  3. BabyMats

    nectarine / 2031 posts

    We plan to save to pay as much as we can but don't feel like we have to. Education is very important to us so I don't want the expenses to deter him from it.

  4. lemondrop

    bananas / 9118 posts

    Undergrad at a state university- yes, just like we expect them to go to college. We were both raised with the expectation that college is the next step and will be taken care of, we plan to raise our boys the same way.

  5. lamariniere

    pineapple / 12566 posts

    I don't feel obligated. Even less so now that I'm married to a European, living in Europe where the majority of universities are free. When we first met, my husband could believe that so many people have so much student debt (including me). My husband has a masters and his education was practically free (yes, Europeans pay a lot in taxes, so nothing is truly "free"). I recently saw the tuition price for the class of 2014 at my alma mater and it is not far from $60k per year. When my kids are ready to go to college, that university will be ridiculously expensive, out of touch with reality and definitely not an option for them when they can get a great education for very little out of pocket here.

  6. BSB

    hostess / wonderful apple seed / 16729 posts

    No, we don't feel obligated. We will help out where we can. Graduating high school is one test and if you want to continue your education, you'll have to work for it in college. I think going to college will help kids learn to become independent and be more responsible.

  7. Bookish

    GOLD / cantaloupe / 6581 posts

    No. I hope she goes to college and we are saving for that, but higher education is a privilege, and I do not feel obligated to pay for it.

  8. bushelandapeck

    pomelo / 5720 posts

    We plan to help with college (not all) 9 Arthur stbut we don't feel obligated to. DH had his paid for but mine was not.

  9. wonderstruck

    pomegranate / 3791 posts

    If I have the finances I would feel like it's something I want to do for my kids. However, I don't want them taking advantage of that the way I've seen some of my peers do - if their grades aren't good and the effort isn't there I won't pay for that, and I would want them to have a part-time job to build some savings, or volunteering/internship/something to help them already have some experience when they graduate. I'd like them to be able to get through college without the stress of building an enormous debt, but I'd also like them to build their work ethic!

  10. TheReelDeal

    kiwi / 742 posts

    I want to help with some of my kid's undergraduate education, but I want them to also have to contribute via loans, scholarships etc. I don't think there is anything wrong with teaching the value of money. I believe there is a benefit to planning for your future. A number of my friends and my husband who had 100% tuition help ended up with mounds of credit card debt after college, I did not. Anecdotal at best, but why I feel like some responsibility to pay, from the kid, may work in the long run.

  11. looch

    wonderful pear / 26210 posts

    @lamariniere: exactly what you've written.

    While I would love for my son to have the American College Experience, unless he is prepared to shoulder the burden, the best financial option for him is to attend college in Europe, where you basically only pay for your room and board.

    To me, college isn't a privilge, it's a necessity to compete in a global environment.

  12. lamariniere

    pineapple / 12566 posts

    @looch: yes to that too. I should have added that I do expect my kids to go to college, especially since it is more or less free here. What I'm saying no to is the ludicrous cost of education in the US.

  13. looch

    wonderful pear / 26210 posts

    @lamariniere: exactly. The university I attended cost about $100,000, all in, I graduated in 1997. The cost to attend the same school is now $250,000.

    I don't feel the cost is justified. We're not even talking ivy, we're talking a second tier school. There's no way salaries have caught up to justify that kind of spend.

  14. edelweiss

    grapefruit / 4923 posts

    like some others have said, i don't feel obligated but i would like to.

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