Parenting: 1-Year-Olds Community

LOL I was bored and responded over there. Thanks for posting it over here. Here is my response from over there.

Is it a must have or not? I don't know if its a must have but it definitely makes life a lot easier. DH didn't go to college and is doing just fine but he has gotten VERY lucky throughout the years.

Did you go to college? Yes, University of Central Florida

What's your degree in? I have a BS in Finance and a BS in Management Information Systems. I am about halfway through my Masters in Accounting. I definitely want to finish this.

Do you use it today? Yes, I work in Accounting as a Finance Manager.

How much did it cost and how did you pay for it? I have no idea how much it costs. When I graduated I had about $12k in student loans. I had a scholarship that paid for 75% of my tuition and my Dad paid my rent.

How about your SO? He didn't go to college but wishes he would have. His family doesn't believe in college. He does just fine for himself but I think he would be able to advance faster if he had a degree.

Do you want or expect your kids to go to college? Yes, its not when or if they will. Its where will they go once they get out of high school.

How will you handle the financial aspect of it? Hopefully some scholarships, we will help and they will also work part time.

Will your kids pay for it? They will help pay for some stuff but I don't expect them to pay all.

Will you pay for it? Yes, but not all of it. Unless we somehow win the lottery between now and then.

Have you started saving for it? Yes, we set up a college fund for DS when he was born and contribute monthly to it. My family also contributes for his bday and Christmas.

Is it a must have or not?
I would like it to be a MUST GO TO COLLEGE... but lets face it he will be 18 and know it all!

Did you go to college? I went to Technical institutes
What's your degree in? Registered Medical Assistant... I will have my LPN in October 2010
Do you use it today? YUP!
How much did it cost and how did you pay for it? $14k for MA $11k for LPN
How about your SO? No college he is thinking aobut it now but he has a very stable job

Do you want or expect your kids to go to college? Yes I expect them to go to college
How will you handle the financial aspect of it? Well I hope to help them as much as possbile hard to answer right now.
Will your kids pay for it? Possibly
Will you pay for it? Possibly
Have you started saving for it? YUP every penny has gotten has gone into the bank!

Is it a must have or not? I don't think it's a must have but I do think that it helps when you're looking for a job.

Did you go to college? Yes and will be returning to online courses shortly.

What's your degree in? I changed majors part way through so I'm 2 years away from my Elementary Education degree and then I have an Associates of Applied Science in Accounting. I'm currently going back to get my Bachelor's in Business Administration.

Do you use it today? Yes, I'm an office manager and use some of what I learned in my accounting classes. Once I get my degree I will be taking additional accounting courses so that I can take the CPA exam.

How much did it cost and how did you pay for it? A lot! I think I've got about $15,000 in student loan debt. I also got a huge scholarship to the college I went to my freshman year that helped a lot and then got grants and my parents paid my room and board my freshman year.


How about your SO? He went for a semester and hated it.

Do you want or expect your kids to go to college? I want my kids to do what makes them happy. If going to college is what they want to do, I'm all for it. I plan to talk to them about it and encourage some form up higher education, whether it's trade school, college, whatever fits their needs.

How will you handle the financial aspect of it? I worked FT when I was taking classes and I don't want my kids to have to do that. If need be I would expect them to work part time but if not, I'd prefer they concentrate on their studies and get good grades. It's not impossible to do both but it is a whole lot harder. If they want to go to college I expect them to get good grades in high school, apply for scholarships and grants and use as much of the funding available through those avenues as possible. We have a savings account for DD but how much that will amount to, I don't know. The rest I suspect will be paid by student loans. I heard someone say on a talk show that kids can borrow money for college. You can't borrow money for your retirement. That is so true.

Will your kids pay for it? They will eventually have to pay back their student loans so yes.

Will you pay for it? I'm hoping to be able to pay for part of it with their savings.

Have you started saving for it? Yes, we have a savings account for DD that we try to contribute to monthly but don't manage to always do. Any birthday money, Christmas, etc goes in there too. My parents also put $5 in her piggy bank each month and when that gets full it will go into her account as well.

What are your thoughts (on college/going to college)? ...
Is it a must have or not?
I think "must have" is a tad strong, but yes, I do think some form of college or post-high school career training (tech school, culinary school, etc.) is crucial to being able to succeed in the job market and, in the long run, find a fulfilling career and being a more well rounded individual. Not that you can't be well rounded if you don't go to college, but I just think colelge or the like will expose you to more ideas, knowledge and walks of life in a short period of time than you would otherwise.

Did you go to college? Yes, I went to college.

What's your degree in? I have a double major in Psychology and Economics. I also took a couple public health grad classes when I was pregannt, and I want to go back for my masters in... something... next Fall.

Do you use it today? I started out in the financial services field, but I hated it and have since moved on to working as a project coordiinator for a non-for-profit health care quality reporting organization. I really enjoy it. I went to a liberal arts college, so although I don't think my majors directly relate to my job (although that is somewhat debatable), I think the overall education I received at that institution has really helped me in my profession (my boss also went to the same school, so can't say that didn't help with me actually getting this job lol).

How much did it cost and how did you pay for it? Tuition for my school was somewhere in the neighborhood of $40,000/year, but I got alot of scholarships, so it wasn't nearly that bad. My mom really helped me out some and I had a couple loans. In the end, she also ended up paying off the loans as well. I paid for my two grad school classes though, and if/when I go back, that's all on me.

How about your SO? No, DH didn't go to college. He went to community for one semester and dropped out because the academic world wasn't his thing. He is, however, going back to trade school next month, so I think that will really help him get on a better career path. He is a really hard worker, but I think it took DS being in the picture for him to get his future career in better focus.

Do you want or expect your kids to go to college? I don't expect DS to go to college, per se, but I do expect him to attain some sort of additional education/training after leaving high school. I do sort of have my fingers crossed that he will end up being more of a school nerd like me though lol. I really just want him to enjoy school and learning for the sake of learning.

How will you handle the financial aspect of it? Will your kids pay for it? Will you pay for it? Have you started saving for it? Best case scenario, he gets a free ride to my alma mater, but that probably isn't too likely! I will help him with the bill as much as I can, but who knows how much that will be considering what college will probably cost by the time he is ready to attend! We have saved a few hundred dollars specifically earmarked for DS's college fund, but that is really it so far. The rest of our savings is just miscellaneous.

I personally do think that college is a must. I know a lot of people get by and get great jobs without degrees, but moving up in a company or any job is tough when your competitors have degrees. I have my bachelor's in psychology and my master's in business management. Luckily my grandmother left us kids college money when she passed away, so that covered my BS degree. I never planned on getting my degree but I began working for a university and they offered their employees 100% fully paid degrees, I only had to pay half of my books!! It was tough but I decided I would never get an opportunity like this again so I went through with it and got my Master's. Of course, now I am a stay at home mom, so it's not doing much for my career but I am proud to say that I did it. I will encourage my children to go to college for sure! We are trying to start saving for college for our children. I know it will be hard but student loans are available if needed. I hate the idea of loans but many times, it is necessary. I like this post, thanks!

oooh yeah I forgot to say how much it cost! This is crazy but, where I went, if I would have paid full price, it would have cost over $25,000 just for my Master's!! I only ended up having to pay about $600 out of pocket. THANK GOD

I actually started college on Wednesday.

I think it's amust have. DH and I struggle every day with money and I know that when were are both done with school we will be able to finally not struggle.

I will instill in DD to go to college. But I do realize that she will be 18 and think she's all grown ( I DID). My parents instilled college in me and I was even accepted in to med school and than I got preggers with DD. I would NEVER change having my beautiful baby but college is definetly something that is important. I am going for forensic science (CSI) and it's costing me 6,000 a semester. I have FASFA

Yes I started saving for her. And I will be more than happy to pay for it but she needs to keep her grades up. None of this party every night fail and expect mommy and daddy to apy.

1-I am currently enrolled in college. In today's society it is difficult to find a decent paying job with out some sort of degree.

2-Degree is a must have. I work for the state government and sadly most of the jobs I am qualified for require a degree. Since I don't have one I can't apply. There goes the nice raise for my family.

3-I am currently enrolled in college and I am paying with student loans.

4-I expect my daughter to go to college. I fear that she won't have a choice. My hubby and me will handle the expences by taking out loans. DD will have to work to help pay for some of her college but we will get her through college. We have started saving money for her college.....DH and I agreed not to tell her that she has an account until she starts college. We don't want her to blow her "piggy" bank money on nothing. Her education is very important to us.

What are your thoughts (on college/going to college)? I think it is very important to either go to college or go through some kind of vocational training. As someone who works in workforce development, I see on a daily basis what this economy has done to individuals who do not have any kind of degree or certificate. It is hard to get jobs when there is no degree or certificate to back you up. It's even hard to get a job when you DO have a degree or certificate!

Is it a must have or not? I believe that some kind of post-secondary schooling or training is necessary!

Did you go to college? What's your degree in? Do you use it today? How much did it cost and how did you pay for it? How about your SO? Yep, I have a BS in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Family Services. It was between $40,000-$50,000, I can't remember. Paid for it with good ol' student loans! Yep DH has his BS in History and is just finishing up his Masters in Elementary Ed! His student loans are going to be like a second mortgage to us, I am not looking forward to paying those back!

Do you want or expect your kids to go to college? How will you handle the financial aspect of it? Will your kids pay for it? Will you pay for it? Have you started saving for it?I expect my kids to either go to college or go through some type of vocational training! We will help if we are able to, but encourage them to apply for grants/scholarships. They will probably have to take out student loans. We will help as much as we can. The boys have savings accounts that will hopefully take a dent out of tuition!

What are your thoughts (on college/going to college)? I think college is extremely important and I loved my experience at college.
Is it a must have or not? Actually....I do think it is a must have. 10 years ago...maybe not?? It seems as though a Bachelors Degree anymore gets you about as far as what a HS diploma got you 10-15 years ago! I struggle with the phrase "must have"....I know people who do just fine without college degrees, but they are few and far between. (DH being one of them)

Did you go to college? Yes, undergrad and graduate school. What's your degree in? I have a Bachelors in Psychology and I have a Masters Degree in Counseling. Do you use it today? Certainly do How much did it cost and how did you pay for it? Oh gosh......I hate to write this down....but I have about $80,000 in studentl loan debt ;-( How about your SO? DH never went to college but he went through the police academy and has been a police officer for about 6 years now. I know he wishes he had gotten a degree in criminal justice to make him more competitive, but he was lucky to be hired on at a great police department that pays very well with great benefits.

Do you want or expect your kids to go to college? Yes, I want them to. I would say that I would expect them to, seeing as I have a post-graduate degree, but I would not force them to. I would definitely urge them to, but I'd have to let them make their own decision (that sounds really hard to do!) How will you handle the financial aspect of it? DH and I started saving now for our kids college. I don't expect to pay for it all, but I'd like to help as much as possible so they don't have the kind of student loan debt that I do. Because let's face it.....when they are in college I'll probably still be paying on my loans, lol.

Is it a must have or not? I think it's definitely easier to get a job with a degree but many people are able to get pretty good jobs without a degree.

Did you go to college? Yes, Messiah College

What's your degree in? I have a BS in Accounting

Do you use it today? Yes, I work in as a Senior Accountant for a insurance company.

How much did it cost and how did you pay for it? DH and I both went to the same college and between the two of us we had about $100,000 in loans by the end. Our college is private school so you don't get as much state help, so it costs a little more.

How about your SO? Yes, we met at college. He has his degree in Business Admin and works as a Budget Analyst at a different insurance company.

Do you want or expect your kids to go to college? We will let them choose but we are going to encourage them to go.

How will you handle the financial aspect of it? Hopefully they will work hard in HS and be able to get some scholarships. Depending on where we are finally we will help them.

Will your kids pay for it? We don't expect them to pay for it all but the majority of it they will pay for.

Will you pay for it? Not all but we will help.

Have you started saving for it? No but we need to.

What are your thoughts (on college/going to college)? It's not a choice. There are always options for anyone at any point in his/her life to further his/her education. There really aren't many excuses not to get a college degree.

Is it a must have or not? Undergrad is a must--just as important as grade school and high school. Grad school is a "should." Further ed (PhD, JD, MD) is a nice-to-have/do.

Did you go to college? What's your degree in? Do you use it today? How much did it cost and how did you pay for it? How about your SO? Yes. I have an undergraduate degree in Journalism and a MBA (master's of business administration). I use both degrees. I'm the editor-in-chief of a legal publication focused on business. Total cost of college and grad school was about $70K. I paid for college with student loans and support from my parents. I paid for grad school with student loans. I continue to make payments on my loans, but the interest is so low it wouldn't make financial sense to pay them off (the money gains more through investments). I make more money with my degrees than I ever would have had I not gone to college. My MBA increased my salary exponentially.


My husband has an art degree (BA) and is a the head web designer for a large company. He paid for school working as a janitor and delivering pizzas--took out a few loans but paid them off within a year of graduating with is BA in the early '90s.

Do you want or expect your kids to go to college? How will you handle the financial aspect of it? Will your kids pay for it? Will you pay for it? Have you started saving for it? My kids will go to college. My husband and I will pay for undergrad. We will support them through grad school. Any further ed, they're on their own (but should be making plenty by then that it wouldn't be a struggle).

Oops, I think I missed a couple questions...

I went to Purdue University for undergrad and Loyola University Chicago for my MBA.

We have money designated for Joey's college in savings, but we haven't opened out 529 yet. Gotta get on that!

Is it a must have or not? Depends...ideally, I want LO to go to college. However, if she ends up not enjoying it and is only going through the motions (and failing classes), I see no point. She needs to have inner motivation, though I very much hope she will. My hope is that she won't take her lifestyle for granted, and will be self-motivated to create this life for herself as well.

Did you go to college? What's your degree in? Do you use it today?
Yes, BA, Communication major. It is a general degree, but it helped my career.

How much did it cost and how did you pay for it?
I don't remember the cost (it's been a long time!), BUT my parents told me that they would pay for it all if I went to our public, in-state school (which actually has a great reputation). So I did...and am extremely thankful. I got everything I needed, even got to live on campus all 4 years, and walked away with no debt and didn't have to work most of the 4 years.

How about your SO?

DH went out of state (same school as me, but he was from another state). Therefore, the cost was MUCH higher, and he had a lot of loans to pay off. But with his business/finance degree and CPA, he paid it all off a long time ago and is earning 6 figures. Plus, he met me at school! lol.

Do you want or expect your kids to go to college?
see first question

How will you handle the financial aspect of it? Will your kids pay for it? Will you pay for it? Have you started saving for it?
We opened a 529 when she was born. We are aiming to pay for it all (or most of it). Of course, this will depend on where she goes to school (and I guess how many kids we end up having).