3 reasons not to save for kid's college
If you plan to foot the bill for your child's higher education, you may be shortchanging your child and yourself.
This post comes from Xin Lu at partner blog Wise Bread.
Since I had my son, I have often heard from family and friends that college is going to be extremely expensive, and it is best to start saving now. After much research I decided that I wouldn't put too much into a college fund.
This may be against the usual advice of saving for the future, but here are some sane reasons why parents should not pump too much money into their children's college funds. (See also: "How to save money for college.")
1. A large college fund can lower financial aid.
This is mostly due to how financial aid offices calculate need. Most public schools use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA, and many private schools use a combination of FAFSA, CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, and their own formula. Regardless of the method used, generally parents and students have to list their assets, and more savings means less need.
So it is actually possible for two families with equal incomes to receive different amounts of financial aid, and the family with less savings would receive more. Retirement accounts are usually excluded from these calculations, so it is to the parents' advantage to sock away more for retirement rather than a child's college fund. The calculations also usually count a student's assets fully, so if you put a college fund under your child's name, that would hurt your financial aid numbers as well. (Post continues below.)
2. Working during college can be beneficial for students.
Research from the U.S. Department of Labor (.pdf file) showed that young adults who had to work and pay for at least part of their college actually did better in school than those who did not have to work. This is not that surprising because the kids who have to work and study at the same time are more invested in their education and are generally more disciplined to be able to manage work and school.
Those who have to work probably value their education more than those who don't. Additionally, students who have work experience usually fare better after they graduate in their job searches because any job experience is better than none in the eyes of employers.
3. College isn't the right choice for everyone.
There are many college graduates with no marketable skills who are not doing better than those who pursued an apprenticeship in a trade. If parents put away a lot of money in a college fund like a 529 plan and later find that their children no longer want to go to college, then they would have to pay a tax penalty to take the money out for other uses. I think it's best to wait and see what a child's pursuits and talents are before deciding that college is the best path.
My son will be college-bound in about 15 years. I don't yet know what he will do, but if he decides to go to college, we will definitely support his decision. For now we are putting $100 per month into a 529 account. In 15 years it will grow to a significant amount, but it probably will not be enough money for four years of college given the rate of increase in higher education costs.
However, we're not that worried about it, because ultimately I think young adults should start taking responsibility and shoulder at least some of the costs of college. I think the whole point of raising and educating children is so they can be independent and survive on their own, and it would be good for my child to learn that as soon as he is able.
What do you think? Are you currently saving a lot for your children's future college costs?
More on Wise Bread and MSN Money:
- The worst investments you can make
- College move-out days: The best time to Dumpster dive?
- How much should I be saving for college?
- When wealthy parents won't pay for college
- Will I be able to pay back my student loans?
why is it moronic to say college isn't for everyone? College simply isn't for everyone. There are plenty of trades that do not need a degree. Cops, Fireman, EMT, Barbers, Carpentry, Tool/Die, machinist, HVAC, Sheetmetal workers, Electricians, Plumbers, Painters, Military, Artist, musician, How about owning a business? Don't need a degree for that.
If you force all of them into college, and rack up 100k in debt. They will be paying that off for the next 25 years.
I agree that education is key...but it doesn't need to be college.
First of all, the Feds should not be "supporting" this "we guarantee" all student loans. We've got alot of kids who have gone to college on this program that have received a "crap" degree and can't make a living doing what they studied. So they are unemployed and can't pay back the loan. Who foots the bill? It damn sure as hell isn't the college. Drop all the federally funded bank loan guarantee crap and you'll see the cost of an education drop like a rock. Once again, the frickin' government gettin far too involved in a system it shouldn't be in. The colleges and universities of this country need to be in a competitive situation for a limited number of students. We can not fund this "utopian world". Once again, the banks got Congress to set themselves up for loans that they knew a very large percentage of these kids would not be able to repay. Fees and penalties all guaranteed by the government...the banks are laughing at how much money they are making.
The authors comment that too large of a fund can lower financial aid is horse hockey. The above argument, if the colleges and universities were fighting for students, the aid would be flowing freely. If they don't have to spend any of the money generated by alumni donations and other programs NOT FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, guess what....they won't. Last reason, college isn't for everyone. That may be true, but if you wanted your kid to have a choice, wouldn't it be better to end up paying taxes on money you actually have saved when they decide not to go to college than to not have saved it and he/she not have a choice.
I was surrounded by entitlement-minded, spoiled, drunken, wasteful, and lazy students. They had no marketable skills upon graduation other than a degree (if they didn't drop out), and most of them didn't even have LIFE skills either - the parents didn't trust them to pay their bills, so the parents managed their finances, too. There were so many who had little concept of the value of a dollar, and then they were thrust into society 4 years later as "adults" who still haven't learned how to be independent. It boggled my mind back then, and it boggles my mind now.
Aid should not be based solely on how much your parent's save or earn. It should be treated more like an investment, and based on the student's liklihood of graduating and course of study that would lead to a job.
I see too much emphasis and money given to students "in need" who either drop out after a year or two, or who are studying something that will not yeild a good paying job - not worth the investment in aid.
We did not save in advance for our son to attend college. We still don't qualify for anything that I would consider to be real "aid". The writer should point out that if a child has the unfortunate liability of a 2-parent, 2-paycheck home then the only "award" that he/she will recieve will be the opportunity to go in to debt with a Parent Plus / Student Loan combination.
My parents could not afford to put away for college for myself and my siblings. I could not afford for my own kids either. However, as far as I am concerned, I paid for a roof over my kids heads, clothing, food, education (supplies) and anything else my kids needed while they were growing up and I see no reason to pay for my childs college. I paid for my own college, just the same as my brother and sister. As a matter of fact - I have three associates degrees and a bachelors degree that I am paying for and I appreciate them and am proud of my achievements.
There are many options for kids. They could spend 4 years in the military and get the GI Bill to pay for college, which my son is currently doing. Theres financial aid and student loans as well. I am glad I put myself through college and didn't get college handed to me on a platter by my parents. The difference between us and a family friend who is paying for their kids college is that we are more independent than the family friends kids. Their kids feel entitled, where as, myself and my siblings do not think it's necessary and we value what we have achieved on our own and my parents constantly tell us how proud they are of us.
It's not irresponsible to not save and plan for your childs college. Theres no law or rule that states it's the responsibility of the parent to pay for education beyond high school. By the time your child graduates from high school, they need to be more independent, which is what they want anyways. Free rides should start to dwindle. Parents can help them by allowing them to remain living at home while they attend college and continue to pay for their food and utilities, but let them pay for college if that is what they want to do. Thats as far as it should go for parents beyond high school years.
About 15 years ago I was given the advice not to save for college for our kids...because they might not go....or it won't cover it all so why save at all. The alternative was to take the money out of our 401K or refinance our house. Now our oldest in in college and we are struggling to pay for his college. We have taken out student loans and parent plus loans. It has put such a huge strain on our house hold. If we refinance our house then we put our house at risk and if we draw from our 401K then we put our retirement at risk. I worry about paying for our son to attend all four years let alone sending our other child. The advice not to save for college was very bad and my decision to follow that advice I will regret for a very long time. When we filled out the FAFSA (financial aid form) we soon realized that we would have to be almost at the poverty level to receive any "free" money or true aid. The only aid we were eligible for were loans...to me that is not aid. Just debt. Our son will be working to pay for some of his college but we can't expect him to pay for $15K - $20K a year. So to eliminate you laying awake most nights worrying how to pay for your child's education...save now. If you save in a 529 plan and your kid doesn't go to college then pass it on to your next child who will most likely go. It is a small gamble but it will save you peace of mind in the future. Save the money now!
In the end, I graduated with a master's degree and a 4.0 and I make a whopping $11/hour. *Awesome*
I'm so well-educated that I have to clean my parents' house for extra income in order to make the ends meet. I'm not rich and I'm certainly not defined by my education, but in the end, I can say that I haven't taken government handouts and I've made it on my own.
I don't resent my parents at all for not paying for my education. I see people all the time who are the ages of my parents and can barely pay for their own living expenses because they're paying on their children's educations while their [pharmacist] children are living the lavish life! It's ridiculous! There is absolutely no reason for that! Kids need to grow up! They don't need to be on their parents' health insurance til they're almost 30 years old and have all their expenses paid for. It's no wonder that people of our generation (late 20s) are still acting like immature morons! (Please excuse the broad generalizations--I know this does not include everyone--including myself).
Plus, when parents pay for their children's educations, it's more difficult to let the kid "follow their own dreams." If I'm forking out 100K per kid, I'm not going to be thrilled when they major in theater. If they're paying for it themselves, they work harder, they manage their time and money better, and they value their educations much more!
Although a college degree carries no guarantee of a job or career success, it has been shown time and again that a college degree is a significant advantage over no degree. And I agree that college isn't for everyone (nor should it be). But to not even try to save and plan for that possibility is irresponsible.
I feel that this author is a bit short-sighted and selfish, even if he doesn’t intend to be. Excuse 1: lower financial aid? He’d rather let the rest of us pick up the tab for his kid’s tuition? What happened to taking financial responsibility for your own offspring? With today’s weak economy, how can you assume that there will be any significant financial aid available by the time your kid is old enough for college? If your plans hinge upon somebody else picking up a significant part of the bill, and then find that aid unavailable, you may have lost your college opportunity. Excuse 2: work your way through? Many of us have to do that, but it is an additional burden during an intense time. Many students leave school because they cannot handle work and studies, or cannot earn enough to finance school. Excuse 3: college may not be the right choice? That is true, but how do you know it won’t be the right choice when you’re making it while your children are so young? If it turns out that your child doesn’t want college, what’s wrong with having college savings that could be applied in starting his or her adult life in another way?
People worried that their kids might treat college savings as an unappreciated gift (party their way through school, etc.) need to nip that in the bud by raising their children to be responsible people. Children can and should participate in saving money for college (or whatever comes later in life) – that way they are emotionally invested too. Some of that babysitting or lawn mowing money needs to go into savings, not all spent at the Mall.
Will college be worth it? Maybe, maybe not, but impossible to tell fifteen or so years in the future. Starting to save now, even if you can only afford a few dollars per month, can yield possibilities that will not be there if you choose not to save. But if you plan on letting others shoulder your responsibility then you may as well gamble your (and your child’s) whole future.
We didn't save at all for our children's college, in part because we had no "expendable income", and partly because they showed no interest in school. Now we have 3 of the 4 in college and they are doing quite well on their own. They learned that life is not handed to them and no one owes them anything. Two of the three that went on to college are studying to be doctors and the third graduated with a BS in nursing. The forth will be going into medicine as well and is currently working part time at a major hospital. By contrast, I did not finish one semester of college when my parents were paying the bill. It wasn't until I got into the real world that I decided that education was a good idea, and returned to get my degree.
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