The reason I am asking is because I am very curious. It seems like a lot of parents that I have encountered recently not only pay for their child's entire education (minus any grants/scholarships/etc)...they also buy everything under the sun for them regarding their dorms/living/etc. Maybe I was one of the minority of individuals who had parents who just couldn't afford to send me to college..I don't know.

I mean, I believe in helping your child out the best that you can....but to go and buy every single thing for them...is that showing them any sort of responsibility?

I have a coworker who has a son that is going to be starting college this week...and granted, this kid works...but she is buying EVERYTHING for him...spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars on him. I'm sick of hearing about him everyday that I work with her...and it makes me sick that someone is THAT spoiled, that they cannot even buy their own toiletries, etc. for themselves.  She even went as far as buying him condoms.

I think those type of people are called helicopter parents. Evolved forms of the "soccer mom".  :-\\

College financing, family, government loans, debt, destroyed cred....

I don't even wanna go there!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/12/homework.gif

Nope not one single cent came from them.  I got loans and qualified for like $57 a quarter for grants.  I don't think that even covered one book.  lol

They did let me stay at home though, so that helped anyways.

Since I didn't go to college, the answer would be "no".

All of the tradeschools and military training were paid for by them, not my parents.

My parents couldn't afford to send me to college either. Not that I am resentful in any way, shape or form: I hated high school enough as it was anyway...


I mean, I believe in helping your child out the best that you can....but to go and buy every single thing for them...is that showing them any sort of responsibility?


No, it isn't. OTOH, not getting your child anything that will help his/her future is equally detrimental.



She even went as far as buying him condoms.


That's probably the smartest thing she did.


Ant

My parents paid tuition and room and board for a semester, then I elected to live at home since I was only half an hour away from campus.  I had scholarships and worked at the campus bookstore.  My earnings from my year of working at Big 5 Sporting Goods went towards paying for the first semester's books.  The earnings from the bookstore and the discount I got for working there covered the rest...I believe most of what I didn't spend went towards a Roth IRA that my parents set up for me.  With all the money saved by living at home and by them not actually having to pay for my books, I'd say they probably spent less than it costs to buy a crappy car for my education (I graduated early too).

When I went to grad school the first time, my parents bought me a new computer (still using it after 7 years, not so new anymore) and some necessities like a bed and a desk, and gave me some extra pots and pans they didn't use.  My education was paid for by a full-ride scholarship and I had a living stipend after my parents had to support me through the first summer (since back then graduate programs didn't support early entry).  After the first year, I got into a house with three friends and paid about half the rent I paid on my own.  Despite partying like a crazy fool I managed to get a master's degree and a lot of my stipend was also put into my Roth IRA.

I messed up a bit after that, but now I'm back in graduate school and my parents had to pony up a ton of cash to help my family and I out of debt.  While the education is still free and I do get a stipend, the stipend was designed for a single graduate student with no responsibilities, not a student with a wife and kid.  So both of our parents do help out whenever they can.  It's not like we're buying crack with their money, anyway.

they paid for college, but i paid my own rent near campus and i had a work-study deal too.
\and a little scholarship.

My dad paid into a scholarship for me, which I used for college.  Of course I slacked off so much in college (switching programs, failing courses, etc lol) that when I finally was on the road to graduation, the free ride was over, so I had to apply for Ontario Student Aid for 2 semesters

Grants and loans paid for about a third.
Parents paid for room and board (about a third, and thank god for their support, they're not rich).
I worked my *ss off delivering pizza, working at a record store (music shop), and midnight crew at a restaurant to make up the rest (yes, only three jobs).

Actually at 39, I'm STILL paying for it, hope to be done this year with all my student loans...

Parents helped me with the down payment on my college car, and one of my apartments while in college.
But, I don't have any idea how kids nowadays can survive, its just too damn expensive, there is not enough time in the day to work to try and scrape up the $$ for anything else.
I consider my self lucky, and I only went to college in the 90's, not that long ago.

My dad paid into a scholarship for me, which I used for college.  Of course I slacked off so much in college (switching programs, failing courses, etc lol) that when I finally was on the road to graduation, the free ride was over, so I had to apply for Ontario Student Aid for 2 semesters
I was in a similar situation....I had a trust fund set up by my paternal grandmother that paid for room/board and also gave me a small amount of $$ to live on per month.  I also had a merit-based scholarship that paid for 1/2 of my freshman year.  If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have gone to college because my parents couldn't afford to pay for it and back then, the "need based" financial aid was a joke (it might still be) and student loans were not as readily available as they are now.  I was also like Pauly Shore in "Son-in-Law" and switched majors almost every semester.....I was declared Economics for 2 semesters, Philosophy for 1, Chemistry for 1, Pre-Med for 1 and now I'm in the English program for Teacher Certification. ;D

Nope. My first semester right out of HS, I went to a community college and lived at home. They didn't pay but they brought me to the bank to take out a student loan.

When I went back to school (after getting out of the A.F.), my "uncle" (Uncle Sam) paid for it-paid EVERYTHING-books, tuition, supplies, and even gave me a little extra every month. I couldn't have done it without that help. I TRIED to get the V.A. to pay for graduate school, too but no dice. So graduate school, I paid for myself (with help from my grandmother).



Cat

I think there are billions of dollars in grants and scholarships that go unclaimed every year.  People need to be more educated about what kinds of "free" financial options there are as well as the FAFSA stuff.

I think there are billions of dollars in grants and scholarships that go unclaimed every year.  People need to be more educated about what kinds of "free" financial options there are as well as the FAFSA stuff.


Yeah most of our (my brothers and I) tuition and whatnot is covered by FAFSA.  We go to a community college and live at home.  My parents made my oldest brother pay for the one year he lived in a dorm at a different college though.

Parents did not pay for college. Had to educate my own sorry butt.

When I was in 9th grade my father told me if I wanted to go to college that I should study cause he wasn't paying for it.  Pretty demoralizing.  I paid my own way, by then he was feeling bad about it,he offered, but I said no, I 'd do it myself.

Yes, my folks paid for my college tuition... :)

Yes, my parents, the two most wonderful people in the world, paid for my entire post-secondary education, which included university as well as a pair of vocational courses.

And I mean that. I really think my parents are the most wonderful people in the world.

Yes, my parents, the two most wonderful people in the world, paid for my entire post-secondary education, which included university as well as a pair of vocational courses.

And I mean that. I really think my parents are the most wonderful people in the world.

Well, they'll get no competition from my parents, that's fer sher!
;D

No way! Nor did I expect them to. Granted it means I now have a rather large loan to pay off. Granted also, they did not bring in tertiary fees until the early-mid '90s here.

When I was in 9th grade my father told me if I wanted to go to college that I should study cause he wasn't paying for it.  Pretty demoralizing.  I paid my own way, by then he was feeling bad about it,he offered, but I said no, I 'd do it myself.
Hubby went through a similar situation and ended up paying himself as well.  His parents couldn't afford it, though, so they told him he'd better keep his grades up ;)

I went to a community college for three years (couldn't decide what I wanted to do....still not sure ::)). The first year I went, I was lucky. I was concurrently enrolled in college and high school, so I wasn't charged for the classes. Since they were just required classes, the books weren't that expensive and my mom and dad paid for them. The next two years, my mom and dad paid for everything.

I just wish I would have completed SOMETHING so I wouldn't have that nagging feeling of wasting their money... :-\\

I went to a community college for three years (couldn't decide what I wanted to do....still not sure ::)). The first year I went, I was lucky. I was concurrently enrolled in college and high school, so I wasn't charged for the classes. Since they were just required classes, the books weren't that expensive and my mom and dad paid for them. The next two years, my mom and dad paid for everything.

I just wish I would have completed SOMETHING so I wouldn't have that nagging feeling of wasting their money... :-\\


My situation is very much like yours. I have only gone to community college so far too...and all in all, I've attended at least 3 years...and accumulated SO many credits (somewhere near 70 or more). I paid for all of it on my own though...a little at a time (per semester). It wasnt' easy, even for only attending a community college...I worked 2 jobs while attending full-time college. I want to finish my education very badly, and now that Vaughn is in kindergarten...I'm gonna try to do that. I have been researching scholoarships for non-traditional/older students...so I'm hoping to find some way to help fund my education...because we don't have the money to pay outright for it.