Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Life isn't black and white so no your parents are not bad parents but I DO know people who spend on luxury items but have saved nothing for their kids' college. I don't consider them bad parents per se but I do consider these people I know to be selfish. An expensive car is not more important than helping your kids with their education IMO.
In most cases no. Not everyone has the means to help their kids with college costs. But, I have known a couple sets of parents who could have done so and instead spent lavishly on homes, cars, clothes, jewelry, eating out, country club memberships, plastic surgery, exotic vacations, and pretty much every form of conspicuous consumption instead of setting aside any funds for their kids to attend college. They could have easily done so, but their priority was not education.
I think this is true. I think MOST parents have the ability to help out a little. Pay for books, apartment- something. Put a few bucks away a week for 17 years isn't that hard.
Parents saving for their kids college is considered to the thing to do, but if parents don't do you think that makes them automatically bad parents? In my case my parents never did. They both had the idea of making it your own way. Not that they were mean or abusive in any way, just how they felt, not that they ever made that much.
Not necessarily bad parents, there are a lot of variables. Suffice it to say that I find it very strange that we as a society simply cannot make up our minds about whether you're an adult at 18 or at 24. It should be either 18 (in which case you are free to claim independent status for the purpose of college aid at 18), OR it should be 24 (in which case parents would be legally expected to pay up to that point, if able). I don't approve of the mix-and-match system we have now, which financially marginalizes those 18-23 whose parents refuse to pay.
The average student loan debt for an undergraduate upon graduation is about $28K, about the price of a new car. I find it ironic that many parents think nothing of buying cars for their kids, but refuse to consider paying for college. At all, according to some on this thread.
Parents saving for their kids college is considered to the thing to do, but if parents don't do you think that makes them automatically bad parents? In my case my parents never did. They both had the idea of making it your own way. Not that they were mean or abusive in any way, just how they felt, not that they ever made that much.
In a perfect world; sure, it's a great thing to do.
If I had not de-evolved to the World's Worst Kid Ever, I would have had it made! Dad even bought a condo 2 blocks from the CU campus when I was 10 years old.
I still went to college; the VERY HARD way. I was "lucky" enough to be poor enough for Pell grants but I also worked the whole time.
Started at 18 with a baby & a 9th grade education...graduated at 22; 9 months pregnant with #4.
Unless you are attending college as a child prodigy & are a minor, it does not matter who payed for it; you can't use the fact that parents didn't pay your way as an excuse.
It's not a case of "I went BECAUSE of..."
It's not a case of "I went in SPITE of..."
You either decide you would rather go to college or not...if the funds are there then thats a bonus.
My understanding is that in the US today, if your parents CAN afford to help pay for college (as determined by the government according to information provided on the FAFSA), then that will be taken into account when determining how much financial aid you qualify for, until you are age 24.
.
Growing up I had financial aid and so did all my siblings because my parents were poor. The financial aid along with many need base scholarship gave me free college ride. I was a good student and so were my siblings. We did need pocket money and summer class help that my parents helped and we worked to save.
I felt bad about other students who were from middle class family & did not qualify for financial aid but did not get help from their parents. Their loan and financial stress was worst than I had it. Now that I am middle class & hope to have child in future. Knowing this, I will save some money for college but probably not the entire college fund. I do think kids need some financial responsibility. I have seen wealthy kids whos parents paid for their degree did not take university seriously & on flip side I have seen students sink in debt before graduating because they had no aid.
currently my little sister is going to university & she has government aid and scholarship. But she still had to take some loan out for summer class. I have the means to help her & I make every intention to help but I did not offer her the help. I want her to take out loan, realize value of money. When she graduates I will pay part of her loan off as gift to make life easier for her
We allow our kids a place to live. They can live in our home for free as long as they are working on getting an education. We don't have the ability to pay for that education. I drive a 13 year old Chevy Astro Van. Do you think I have the cash to pay for there college degree?
In our area we have a very good Junior College system that feeds into the Cal State and University of Cal State system. Locally they can attend CSUCI, UCSB, UCLA, USC, CSUN, Pepperdine, and if they want to drive further a few other schools. In addition BYU offers select programs that you can do from home and in your own local Church meeting house. It would be easy for our kids to live with us while they attend one of these schools if they are able to get into one of them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
