Well my son just graduated, and we received our final student loan bills. WOW. All I do now is worry, cry, and constantly think of what am I going to do. The school talked me into co-signing for his tuition--said that after the pell grants and the help they'd give in finding scholarships- we'd probably end up owing in the end--$25,000-30,000. Well there wasn't hardly any help out there, and at the end, it ended up $89,000. I am a single mom--that makes $1,500 a month. They want a monthly payment of $924 a month. So I either pay that, or pay my monthly living expenses. Can't do both. Anyone have any advise. I can't even sleep thinking about it.

Trust me, the kids do not take care of their parents in their old. The kids grow up and have financial responsibilities themselves. Parents just do not fit in.

Unfortunately Zachariah, compulsory military would make all this a dead issue---too many dead already. Can you imagine what will happen when all those lovely children are dead or disabled--they won't be contributing to YOUR social security payments. I'm sorry, NO education is worth my childs life. (BY the way did you actually serve in combat, or were you one of the lucky ones who "served" in peacetime?) I hope everyone will "celebrate" the memory of our fallen this weekend.
Federal Aid is being based on a family's income. So apply and get loans for the rest. Parents certainly can help with the loans if they can. We pay for 2 college educations . I wish they had chosen to go to State schools. Over time, it will get paid and hopefully good jobs will be the result of the investment. (even if the amount does rival our mortgage!) Too many of us have gotten used to too much of the good life and we need to scale back. Mary, yours was a difficult path and there are probably people with similar or worse. I hope your sacrifice is rewarded soon.
I think there is only resentment when parents are selfish, or kids ungrateful. Most people I know try to give a healthy mix of responsibilty and generosity and respect to their kids education. The money is HUGELY important, but the attitude in which it is given (or withheld) makes all the difference. I wish you all could have the loan payment I had so many,many years ago--$45.00 per month for about 7 years.....even though there were days even that was hard to meet!

Everyone has the right to go to college, but that doesn't mean everyone has the right to a free ride to college. Yes, you should fill out the FAFSA, and I think most parents are more that willing to help their children pursue their degree if that is what they really want to do. That doesn't always mean that the parent is able to pay the full expense of a college tuition. Sometimes parents help simply by providing "free" room and board during the off months and holidays. They often send care packages of necessities or gift cards to help with items like deoderant, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. There is nothing wrong with expecting a young adult to start taking responsibility for the majority of their expenses.

Also, a college education doesn't need to be that expensive. Most state colleges are fairly reasonable in their pricing, and many states have special programs in which students can receive ful or partial tuition coverage simply by having a 2.0 GPA and taking certain core classes. A two year degree from a community college guarantees admission into a state university to complete a degree. This saves the cost of room and board for 2 years, and there is no increase in expense to the parent. The student can then work part time while going to school to save for the final 2 years when they will have to live on campus.

Another way to decrease the cost of a degree is to earn college credit while you are still in high school. With AP classes and dual enrollment it is possible to take a year or more off the time required to get a degree. This is especially useful for students intending to pursue degrees that take longer than 4 years that are eligle to receive 4 years worth of tuition from state programs.

There are also many scholarships available that each year go unpaid because no one applies for them. Every student that is in need of financial assistance should be checking in their high school guidance office often from their junior year on in addition to sites like fastweb. There are usually school and area specific awards that won't be listed online. If a student isn't willing to make the effort of writing a few, or a few dozen essays, why should their parents go into debt for them to go to college.

So, with a little effort on the part of the student a college education should be within reach without having to sponge off their parents for another 4 years.

We shouldn't give our kids the world, just the skills and the opportunities to go out and get it for themselves.

I have been a membe rof this site since my daughter was a freshman ( 4 years ago), to get ideas to help her with the expense of college. I am not in the financial situation to pay the full cost of her college education and her sisiter's that is 1 year behind her. I was not in a situation that allowed me to save for their education when they were young, as I thought they wouldn't need it if we all starved to death. I resent the fact that I am to be cosidered a unloving or uncaring parent because I can not pay for thgeir college education, because at this stage of life (50), I can choose to pay for college or actually one day be able to retire and not starve to death. I choose not to be a burden on my children in latter years, when they have their own responsibilities. I tried to explain the STAR program to them & the benefits of doing 2 years at the local community college and living at home for free. I also have attempted to convince them that certain companies pay for higher education through tuition reimbursement or signing a commitment to work for the company for a period of time after graduation, but they get the idea that parents will foot the bill, apparently people like the writier of this article have not read today's economic headlines and are under the false assumption that parents have a never ending supply of revenue that we are hoarding away to spend before the inheritance. I paid for college myself & used tuition assistance that covered 80% of the expense, so it is possible. My dasughter is interested in becoming a nurse and was not given information as to how to get the hospital to cover the expenses with the aforementioned tuition reimbursement or 2 year commitment. She was however filled with ideas of going off to another state where my wife & I could cover the expenses at the price of our retirement. Thanks for nothing!!

This article irritates me beyond belief!!!

What rock did this author crawl out from? Or should I say that whoever wrote this article must be a shill for the higher education lobby in this country. No one owes anything to their children except love,attention, meeting their health needs as best they can and providing food, clothing and shelter. As usual, if your poor,rich or an immigrant you get you education. If your like the vast majority in America your expected to feel guilty and impoverish yourself to help your children have a better life than you. Not hard when the colleges have put you in the poor house paying for an overrated education. I do what I want for my children, not because some pinhead tells me I should. Time to grow some America and tell the Education lobby to stop preying on the working class.