College...not worth it....?

[ThisOldCabin]

Our 20 year old son wants to go to college.And he thinks we-I should sign with him for it.I can't seem to be able to fit that in the budget.He's way smart and could be working his way up.I can't afford $60,000 to wait and see "if" .We all know work here.He knows that.Extras cost extra.What do I say to him to help him understand?He don't seem to get the start at the bottom thing.As many ladders as hes help set up....surely he seen the label that said do not stand above this step.

 

[FarmerChick]

scholarships


please look into it for him. He wants further education...find a way! There is way more help out there than you would think...best you can do is go to a college and find out exactly what the cost will be and all the scholarships and extras he can get.

before a definite no, look into every single resource to get him into college.

A boy wanting college...that is wonderful. Best to him!

 

[abifae]

If he wants college, he should go. He just needs to understand how to go about it. I don't know how, so I'm not helpful. But while it doesn't guarantee a job, it does make it easier.

 

[MetalSmitten]

agree, look for scholarships.

in my opinion, at the moment, it is not worth it -to go into debt- for college, but if he can find a way to do it without racking up huge loans, then education is always a good thing. you ARE shunned in the job market if you don't have a degree, and it's not like there's tons of jobs right now anyway, so he might as well go to school if he can there are many many many scholarships/grants available if he's willing to work hard at writing lots of essays and applying for various things. i think fastweb.com has a lot of them listed, if he hasn't already looked there. he'll have to fill out the FAFSA with your info, but he doesn't have to accept any loans.

there are also less expensive options; in-state tuition is always less, and scholarships are more readily available. community college is even less, and those credits usually can transfer later on. maybe if you compromise with him, let him know you're not willing to go into debt or let him go into debt, but that if he can find a way to make it free or cheap, you'd be willing to support his decision? he's got almost an entire year before the next fall semester starts up anyway, plenty of time to start saving and researching.

 

[Britesea]

what sort of career is he looking for? Not all careers need 4 years of college. Sometimes 2 years at the RIGHT college is better than 4 years at any old college. Depending on what he wants to do, sometimes a vocational school is as good if not better too. Without knowing what direction he wants to go, it's hard to give advice.

 

[Farmfresh]

If he is 20 and wants to go to school - tell me again - what is holding him back? He can get his tail out there and EARN the money to pay for HIS education that will be benefiting HIM in the future.

I know FAR too many kids that mommy and daddy paid for everything and they piddled their way through higher education and are now at some dead end job that has nothing to do with their Art History degree (or whatever) that they earned.

I ALSO know FAR too many people (some of the single parents) that worked and scraped and EARNED their way through school even upper level degrees and are now in high paying positions.

I believe in Sufficient Self when ever possible.

 

[Wifezilla]

If he wants to go, he can pay for it himself. He is a grown man. A grown man works and takes classes at night or joins the military to get gi bill benefits. A grown man gets grants, scholarships and loans on his own. A grown man would knock out all his prerequisites at an inexpensive community college before trying to go fulltime with core classes.

 

[OrganicKale]

I would NEVER discourage a child from going to college. You can't "work your way up" anymore. It's too competitive out there. Most fields require at least a 4 year degree even for entry level. Without a degree he may be doomed to a lifetime of low level jobs. I would not want that for anyone. If a child is motivated to better himself, I would expect a parent to do whatever they possibly could to encourage and assist him. I mean, why wouldn't you? There are also studen loans available, and as others mentioned, scholarships,grants, etc.

 

[FarmerJamie]

If he is 20 and wants to go to school - tell me again - what is holding him back? He can get his tail out there and EARN the money to pay for HIS education that will be benefiting HIM in the future.

I know FAR too many kids that mommy and daddy paid for everything and they piddled their way through higher education and are now at some dead end job that has nothing to do with their Art History degree (or whatever) that they earned.

I ALSO know FAR too many people (some of the single parents) that worked and scraped and EARNED their way through school even upper level degrees and are now in high paying positions.

I believe in Sufficient Self when ever possible.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

I would NEVER discourage a child from going to college. You can't "work your way up" anymore. It's too competitive out there. Most fields require at least a 4 year degree even for entry level. Without a degree he may be doomed to a lifetime of low level jobs. I would not want that for anyone. If a child is motivated to better himself, I would expect a parent to do whatever they possibly could to encourage and assist him. I mean, why wouldn't you? There are also studen loans available, and as others mentioned, scholarships,grants, etc.

I agree. He should start at community college where he can work and take classes at the same time. He should knock out his basic classes and then transfer to an in-state school to save on tuition. Definitely look into scholarships and FAFSA. He can get student loans to help pay for school, but he'll have to repay them when he graduates. My parents also got parent loans to help pay for my schooling, but I am paying those back. As a parent, I think it's important to support him any way you can. That doesn't mean financial if you're not in a position to do that, but it means emotionally as well! Does he live at home? If so, I'd consider a rent-free living situation as long as he's working, going to school, and helping around the house. That will really help him save money so he can pay for school. Of course it's up to each parent and "child" to figure out a situation that works for everyone.