When you first become a parent, you make a vow to yourself that you will never allow your child to experience hardship or struggle at any point in their lives, and that you will give them every possible opportunity to succeed. Yet, as they grow older, you start to realize that parenting isn’t quite as simple as that. After all, life is all about making mistakes! It’s your job to let your children make their own lives for themselves while ensuring that you’re there to reign them in when times get tough. Despite this, many parents still insist on paying for their kid’s college education – and here are 4 reasons why I won’t be doing that.
I’m making sure my family is financially stable
There are some parents who earn enough money to pay for a huge house, expensive luxuries, the latest technology, an awesome pension fund, and their children’s’ education – and that’s great. However, not every parent is like that. If you’re an average joe who earns an average paycheck each month, sometimes it’s not financially viable to also add a huge chunk of that money into a college fund for your children. For me, making sure that my family is financially stable in the present is one of the most important things to me. While I would love to help them out, paying my mortgage, putting food on the table, shelling out for essential bills, saving for my retirement fund and avoiding debt is of primary importance.
I am fully supporting their pre-college education
At the end of the day, college is a choice. Some students choose to move on to study higher education, while others don’t. Yet, pre-college education is an essential part of a child’s life – and in my opinion, is much more important than college in terms of the money spent. I would rather spend money on making sure that my children have all of the resources necessary to leave high school with the best grades, the best experience, and the best opportunities than to put money into something that is optional. After all, without a pre-college education, most children won’t even be accepted to their college of choice.
I’m prepared to help them reduce his college bill
Although I refuse to pay for my kids’ college education, that doesn’t mean I won’t help them in any way I can. Sure, college tuition fees and living costs are expensive, but there are ways to reduce them – and I will always be on hand to ensure that they are getting the best deal. I will look into scholarships, loans, and grants. I will help them apply for part-time jobs, and I will also pay for smaller costs related to college life. This may be the train fare for a college visit or the books they need for their classes. If I pay these smaller bills, my children will eventually have a smaller bill to foot after graduation.
I will teach them the value of money
If I were to give my children the money to complete their college education, they will graduate with no idea how to survive in the real world. They won’t understand the value of money, and they will have a huge culture shock when they do have to pay for their own lives. By not paying for my kids’ education, I am teaching them a valuable lesson that will get them ready for life after college.
Of course, paying for your kids’ college education is a choice. Some parents will do it. Others won’t. In my case, I definitely won’t be shelling out my money to pay the tuition fees…
