On Campus Blog

Why it's not over for Grandma & Grandpa

roblisameehan via Flickr

Cough it up

 

A conversation is heating up on Facebook over reporter Tim Post's story on how some students are relying on their grandparents to help pay for college.

Most of the back-and-forth appears to be about whether today's college students are working hard enough to pay for their own education.

Are they feeling entitled, as some say?

How will kids learn the value of education if they don't earn any of it?? My parents didn't pay my way through. I did all of the following. Work-study, loans, grants, and work part time!! Yes, it can be done.

Tell them to do the same and teach them all about work!

Or are they struggling with a college finance system that makes funding from the family the only practical way to get the college education that's right for them?

I graduated from college twelve years ago. I have friends who ended up with student loan debt in the six figures. You can't pay that off when you're 23 and you're just starting out in your field. You can barely make the payments. Kids don't understand how hard that's going to be until it's too late.

Where to do you stand?

Did you work your way through school?

How much should parents and grandparents help out?

Let us know here on On Campus or on Facebook.