Parents being forced to pay kids' college tuition

[HumblePie]

Once I was 18 I was out. Joined the AF and paid for everything myself. I couldn't conceive of forcing my parents to pay for me. Absolute BS.

 

[Genx87]

I dont understand how this is possible given they are adults.

 

[Anubis]

Once I was 18 I was out. Joined the AF and paid for everything myself. I couldn't conceive of forcing my parents to pay for me. Absolute BS.

you do realize some do it voluntarily

 

[HumblePie]

you do realize some do it voluntarily

I know some parents want to help. More power to them. I wouldn't have had a problem if my parents wanted to be supporting and help at the time. We had a bit of a falling out when I hit 18 so I did everything on my own.

Still, volunteering additional help and support when a child reaches 18 is just that. Volunteering! It should not be mandated.

 

[Nemesis 1]

What's to explode... men get the shaft in marriage. Everybody should know this... if you don't, well then you know now

I know my brother did. He even raised another mans daughter. That neverpaid 1 dime / When he divorced that Drunken slut. He had to pay for his child big time . It all turned out as I said it would . His baby is like her mother. The other child who my brother raised is a nice woman today.

 

[Saint Nick]

Obligatory never get married comment here.

 

[destrekor]

On the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), most students are required to list their parents income until they are 24. It doesn't matter if the student actually receives any assistance from their parents or whether they live by themselves. Until you are 24 all of the parents' income is calculated into how much the student is eligible for.

There are a few exceptions, but only for a minority.

So basically as far as federal financial aid goes, all parents are supposed to contribute a certain percentage of their income to their children's education until they are 24.

Which sucks when the parents don't put anything into it, like mine.
Don't get me wrong - I didn't want them to put anything into my schooling. The only thing is, I got seriously screwed since they "could", but even then that was a lie because of debt.

Parents had to co-sign first loan, and their income was calculated into what was offered to me in terms of aid. So, yeah, that's how the government gets away with not exactly supporting low-income young-adults. "Oh, you're parents make how much? They can help you instead, go beg them instead of us."

Yeah, fuck off FAFSA.

I could get a shit ton of aid right now probably, since I'm 24.

All this shit is encouraging the extension of "youth" so that it makes college almost required to even making more than $10/hr and makes it difficult for someone under 25 to support him or herself after college.

 

[Imported]

Which sucks when the parents don't put anything into it, like mine.
Don't get me wrong - I didn't want them to put anything into my schooling. The only thing is, I got seriously screwed since they "could", but even then that was a lie because of debt.

Parents had to co-sign first loan, and their income was calculated into what was offered to me in terms of aid. So, yeah, that's how the government gets away with not exactly supporting low-income young-adults. "Oh, you're parents make how much? They can help you instead, go beg them instead of us."

Yeah, fuck off FAFSA.

I could get a shit ton of aid right now probably, since I'm 24.

All this shit is encouraging the extension of "youth" so that it makes college almost required to even making more than $10/hr and makes it difficult for someone under 25 to support him or herself after college.

Agreed. I hate FAFSA too.. Like you, my parents didn't put anything into my college education and I got screwed out of all financial aid cause of their incomes.

 

[Nemesis 1]

My son didn't want to go . We paid for my daughters. and I bought her a brand new Mustang(1994) so she could get home when she wanted to . We did it out of love not that we felt obligated to do so .

 

[Phoenix86]

If this was all filed under child care it doesn't matter if you were married or not. Also most people planning on living the married life but not married will still fall under common law marriages.

 

[Anubis]

Which sucks when the parents don't put anything into it, like mine.
Don't get me wrong - I didn't want them to put anything into my schooling. The only thing is, I got seriously screwed since they "could", but even then that was a lie because of debt.

Parents had to co-sign first loan, and their income was calculated into what was offered to me in terms of aid. So, yeah, that's how the government gets away with not exactly supporting low-income young-adults. "Oh, you're parents make how much? They can help you instead, go beg them instead of us."

Yeah, fuck off FAFSA.

I could get a shit ton of aid right now probably, since I'm 24.

All this shit is encouraging the extension of "youth" so that it makes college almost required to even making more than $10/hr and makes it difficult for someone under 25 to support him or herself after college.

while i agree with the fuck off FAFSA comments you can file as an independent IIRC where they do not look at your parents

 

[Wreckem]

If this was all filed under child care it doesn't matter if you were married or not. Also most people planning on living the married life but not married will still fall under common law marriages.

Most states no longer recognize common law marriage. The 10 or so that do, several require much more than just cohabitation. In addition to co-habitation, there typically has to be a declaration you are married filed within the county in which you reside, or proof that that there is a mutual agreement that you are married.

 

[Imported]

while i agree with the fuck off FAFSA comments you can file as an independent IIRC where they do not look at your parents

You can't file as an independent unless you meet certain criteria.. like being married, having a kid, being out of the military, or emancipation. Thats what my college financial aid counselor told me anyways.

 

[Nemesis 1]

If this was all filed under child care it doesn't matter if you were married or not. Also most people planning on living the married life but not married will still fall under common law marriages.

True but they cann't commit the sin of adultry. For they took no vows

 

[mvbighead]

You can't file as an independent unless you meet certain criteria.. like being married, having a kid, being out of the military, or emancipation. Thats what my college financial aid counselor told me anyways.

Pretty much this. I dealt with the same type of BS. And my parents weren't exactly living the rich high life either.

I still figure college tuition is a voluntary thing though. How the hell it becomes mandated to pay your kid's college tuition is beyond me. At that point, they are technically an adult and go out on their own. Why the hell should any parent have to pay for tuition?

 

[BoomerD]

Bullshit...that's what this is...bullshit.

Parents should not be "REQUIRED" to pay for college for their kids.

YES, it's a great thing if they can afford to do so...but college is not one of the things that parents should be "expected" to pay for...especially after a divorce.

Basic care; food, shelter, clothing...yes, but the "niceties" in life such as college, cars, toys, video games...FUCK NO.

If life has handed you shit...grow a pair and figure out how to live on your own. It's not impossible to work for a couple of years, save some money, and pay for your own college...and work while going to school to support yourself. Is it difficult? Sure...but no one promised you an easy life...and no one should be on the hook for your expenses once you reach the age of majority.

Again, if the parents CAN pay for college...AND, if they choose to do so...great. If not...too bad, so sad.

 

[Wreckem]

Bullshit...that's what this is...bullshit.

Parents should not be "REQUIRED" to pay for college for their kids.

YES, it's a great thing if they can afford to do so...but college is not one of the things that parents should be "expected" to pay for...especially after a divorce.

Basic care; food, shelter, clothing...yes, but the "niceties" in life such as college, cars, toys, video games...FUCK NO.

If life has handed you shit...grow a pair and figure out how to live on your own. It's not impossible to work for a couple of years, save some money, and pay for your own college...and work while going to school to support yourself. Is it difficult? Sure...but no one promised you an easy life...and no one should be on the hook for your expenses once you reach the age of majority.

Again, if the parents CAN pay for college...AND, if they choose to do so...great. If not...too bad, so sad.

18 states have this.

 

[BoomerD]

18 states have this.

Doesn't make it right.

 

[Krazy4Real]

Bullshit...that's what this is...bullshit.

Parents should not be "REQUIRED" to pay for college for their kids.

YES, it's a great thing if they can afford to do so...but college is not one of the things that parents should be "expected" to pay for...especially after a divorce.

Basic care; food, shelter, clothing...yes, but the "niceties" in life such as college, cars, toys, video games...FUCK NO.

If life has handed you shit...grow a pair and figure out how to live on your own. It's not impossible to work for a couple of years, save some money, and pay for your own college...and work while going to school to support yourself. Is it difficult? Sure...but no one promised you an easy life...and no one should be on the hook for your expenses once you reach the age of majority.

Again, if the parents CAN pay for college...AND, if they choose to do so...great. If not...too bad, so sad.

The grouchy old man is right.

 

[BoomerD]

The grouchy old man is right.

 

[ShawnD1]

and I'm not sure how much he was required to pay, but I know he was. This is in the state of Illinois. Has anyone else ever heard of this happening? Since when are parents obligated by law to pay for their kids college education? It just does not seem right.

Want to know how fucked Alberta (Canada) is? If you apply for student loans, it must be signed by a parent unless you have lived on your own for a minimum of 2 years. What does that mean? It means you can't get a student loan if you live with your parents and they refuse to cosign the loan. It also means you can't file independently until 2 years after you move out. Suppose the parents kick you out at age 18. You can't apply for student loans until you are 20. You'll work at a Starbucks cashier for those 2 years.

 

[BoomerD]

Want to know how fucked Alberta (Canada) is? If you apply for student loans, it must be signed by a parent unless you have lived on your own for a minimum of 2 years. What does that mean? It means you can't get a student loan if you live with your parents and they refuse to cosign the loan. It also means you can't file independently until 2 years after you move out. Suppose the parents kick you out at age 18. You can't apply for student loans until you are 20. You'll work at a Starbucks cashier for those 2 years.

Life sucks. Deal with it.

 

[torpid]

Common sense to me dictates that there are circumstances where one parent absolutely should be forced to contribute. Basically, any scenario where the parents began saving or paying money for the express purpose of college. Once divorced, the child should get such benefits regardless of how the savings account or other financial artifact was split.

I might also argue that if the couple had made plans to pay for college before splitting, perhaps they should still be legally compelled to do so. That is obviously much more dubious, but so many financial decisions as a couple involve future plans. My wife and I began cutting back on certain things in order to ready ourselves for paying off her student loans in the future. If we divorced today, I think it makes sense that I'd have to contribute towards her loans since we made active plans to do so.

 

[bhanson]

Bullshit...that's what this is...bullshit.

Parents should not be "REQUIRED" to pay for college for their kids.

YES, it's a great thing if they can afford to do so...but college is not one of the things that parents should be "expected" to pay for...especially after a divorce.

Basic care; food, shelter, clothing...yes, but the "niceties" in life such as college, cars, toys, video games...FUCK NO.

If life has handed you shit...grow a pair and figure out how to live on your own. It's not impossible to work for a couple of years, save some money, and pay for your own college...and work while going to school to support yourself. Is it difficult? Sure...but no one promised you an easy life...and no one should be on the hook for your expenses once you reach the age of majority.

Again, if the parents CAN pay for college...AND, if they choose to do so...great. If not...too bad, so sad.

While I agree with your premise I think you misinterpreted the situation.

When students fill out the FAFSA it gives you an amount called the expected family contribution (EFC). This amount is based upon how much the student and parents have in savings and both incomes. It's also the amount where the student is not eligible for typical financial aid.

Lets say you have an EFC of $10,000. Anything beyond $10,000 in cost of attendance you are allowed to borrow or will be eligible for need-based scholarships. Other than that you are responsible for coming up with $10,000/year out of pocket. It's not that the students do not want to support themselves through college, it's that in cases where they receive no assistance from their parents they are responsible for a larger percentage than might be possible for their means.

Contrast this with someone with poor parents or who meets one of the criteria (married, parent, emancipated, etc.) and an EFC of 0. They get $5,500 in Pell Grant money for free and likely will get more need-based money as well.

Both cases the young person is trying to support themselves, but the situation is not equal.

 

[bhanson]

Want to know how fucked Alberta (Canada) is? If you apply for student loans, it must be signed by a parent unless you have lived on your own for a minimum of 2 years. What does that mean? It means you can't get a student loan if you live with your parents and they refuse to cosign the loan. It also means you can't file independently until 2 years after you move out. Suppose the parents kick you out at age 18. You can't apply for student loans until you are 20. You'll work at a Starbucks cashier for those 2 years.

In the United States you could be in the same situation for 6 years in the right conditions if your parents' income is sufficiently high.