My parents and my wifes parents (4x) went to Big 10 schools, all had free rides, all became teachers, all got masters degrees, all retired; and never once offered penny one toward the education of their own children (5 total )?!?!?! I can't explain it. Please don't try. Dave
Our family policy, established when our three children were in junior high, was that we would pay all the costs up to a Bachelor's degree, and then they were on their own. When daughter Mariah decided to go on for her Master's (at NYU), she calculated all the costs: tuition, books, travel, housing, food, whatever, and came up with $47,000 for two years. That's when she displayed the research and management skills that now earn her big bucks at Lonely Planet Publishing. She ended up finding money from something like eleven sources -- foundations and funds that specialized in housing grants, travel grants, obscure fellowships, etc. Came up with the full amount, as grants not loans. The strategy (and particulars) are in the book we've done together, Finding Money for College. Some of the specific resources are now out of date (the book was 4 years ago); the strategies are not. And the book called Foundation Grants for Individuals is still a wonderful and little-used (in higher education) resource. John Bear Publisher's site: www.degree.net
My family rule. I'm willing to pay for college tuition up to a BA/BS from a local school. However, if my son/daughter/neice/nephew wants to live on their own while going to college, then they have to earn that part themselves, either through scholarship or work. My daughter got a big scholarship and actually earned a BS in chem. and a BA in bio.(about 148 undergrad. credits, but she started college with 18 AP credits) She is now in a phd program in chem. My son dropped out after a year and moved to Calif. He is now going to school part-time. I am reimbursing him for his college courses. Tuition at most Calif. colleges is much cheaper than New England! By a lot! All the best!
My first two years of school was at a California community college. It was free back then. The rest has been expensive. And now this graduate stuff is even more expensive (double the cost per credit).
