Do you have any idea how hard it is to even apply for financial aid or scholarships without that information?

I feel like you people over 35 or 40 don’t freaking comprehend the overwhelming feeling paying for college gives us. Back in the “ol days” you paid what, 3 dollars for a textbook and a 100 bucks a semester. I mean seriously, even considering inflation, we’re paying exponentially more than you ever had to during your college years.

I’ve been working 30-40 hours a week since I was 15 ( I am now 20). I still don’t have a car and I just graduated from a community college, and yet I have maybe 2 semesters worth of money for a so-called STATE university.

The system is set up so that there is only 2 ways to pay for college yourself.

1) Work full time, go to community college for as many units as transferable, then commute to nearest State college while living at home.
College experience: Mission accomplished, but you have no friends or life experiences because all you did for the past years was go to class then work. Yayyy I’m sure we’ll be so successful in life.

2)Take out loans. Congratulations you’ve grdauted college. You owe us $35,000 dollars…so…better get started on dedicating your life to a career. So much for living your 20′s to their fullest!

When you have nowhere to look, you look up, or you resort to dishonest living.

Go figure.

PS: I agree with Lsee721 although he/she is not as eloquent…

Don’t have kids if you cannot fully support them. Enough said.

I can do it, I know I can. However, if I succeed, my thanks will go out to the people who supported me emotionally and stood by my side. It will not go to people who stood by and gave little or no financial and emotional support when it would really not be a huge cost to them.

I guess, technically since I succeed eventually, it will be “good parenting”. But is it really? I don’t think so, I will have very little positive things to think back on when I remember them.

Why have kids in the first place if you can’t give them your all? Your contribution to this world is your offspring or your legacy. If you have no breakthroughs for mankind, the least you can do is spend your assets on your children’s education. Where will the money go otherwise?

Just my opinion.

I grew up a latchkey kid who came home hoping the lights would work. Both my parents have been admitted to pysch wards….multiple times. My father was emotionally abusive. That’s where I came from.

I just graduated from college last month. I had a place to sleep and emotional support from my mother. My parents had divorced messily two years earlier. This was only for about the first two years until I moved out. I also got my brother’s old 200,000 mile car when he bought something newer. I still have it. When I moved in with the love of my life I paid what I could depending on the current job situation. Starting out, I just paid groceries, for my last year I had saved enough to not work and pay half of all household expenses. I paid for all my school expenses myself.

And you know what? When I went job hunting my resume was so fantastic, that I only interviewed at the three places I’d actually consider working at. I had my job lined up 8 months before I graduated. That’s two semesters of classes to complete before graduating and I had a job…making damn good money. I make more than I ever dreamed I could, in an entry level position. So it damn well can be done.

I think the only rule to whether parents should pay for college or not is that the kids should know from day one how it’s going to be. I always knew there wouldn’t ever be any money for college. I planned accordingly and worked hard in school. Sure I’m jealous of the friend with the free ride to MIT and the free downpayment for a house and the paid for wedding, while I’m paying for all of these (except I went state school instead of MIT) on my own. But you know what? That’s her life. This is mine. And I wouldn’t trade her mother for mine for anything in the world.