Should parents EXPECT to be responsible for payment of their children's formal education?

Question

I know there are very independent kids out there who like to work through college. But shouldn't it be rather expected that if there is a responsible parent, they should foot bill, unless agreeing upon future payment?

Answer 1

I agree with CHAR L.  Unless your parents are rich then no you can help out to some level.  It is time for you to learn how hard it is to work and where money comes from.  It does not grow on trees.  This doesn't mean that your parents don't care.  I think maybe its time for you to learn responsibilities.  Now is as good a time as any to start learning.

Answer 2

There is no reason to expect it unless they have volunteered it.  When my step daughters  were in their mid teens they had set their sights on top level woman's colleges.  Their grades and such has always been very good.  I took them aside and asked them to look closely at me and their mother.  "Do you believe we will then be able to pay out nearly a hundred grand a year for your colleges of choice?"   They realized the answer was "no".   I told them they would have to pay for it themselves with their history of excellent grades , a reputation for having a good character that people would attest to and actively seeking scholarships and work study programs and such.  And appliny for any appropriate grants.    They knew were they stood and earned their college experiences and both graduated from the individual top woman's colleges they sought admisssion to.   No parents have not paying for college as some sort of birth contract with the offspring.  Petulance in regard to this will be counter-productive.

Answer 3

Most kids assume that it is a right of passage that mommy and daddy are going to buy them their first cars and pay for their college education and pay for their wedding and so on and so forth.

The stark reality now a days with the economy the way it is, parents can not afford to do these things. It has nothing to do with  responsible parenting it has to do with economics and the fact that kids need to take responsibility for their own lives and be allowed to make their own mistakes , even the financial ones. Mommy and Daddy can not be their for you to hold on to their purse strings all your life.

I came from the upper middle class and I paid my own way.

Yes I was given the car but nothing more. So do not make statements in regards to lower class citizens.

Sounds to me that those that want Mommy and Daddy to fork over everything are nothing more than spoiled brats.

I personally will help my daughter as much as I can  when she goes to Cal Berkley but she doesn't expect me to fork over her whole education on a silver platter

Answer 4

Any good parent would naturally pay for all education until the child is ready to enter the workforce. Because working while studying robs them of full concentration and odd, low-paying jobs or shift-jobs are too hard on a young child. I say if the parent can afford it, pay for it. It is doing the best for the child. It is mosly the underprivileged who do not pay for the child. Either that or the child already has good qualifications but has personally chosen to take another path instead, then the child should foot his own bill.

Answer 5

heck no, work for your own you will be less likely to s***w off and leave me to foot the bill.