Final College Payment Today! Total: $90,045

[yakers]

Good to hear this has worked for you. We are 1 1/2 yrs into probably a 5 yr degree but at a state school it has been manageable. So far no loans. I was able to jump into retirement in early 08 because he is in a state school & I had been saving up for college. The bad news is....he's a music major; particularly percussion. I told him that degree is good for 'do you want fries with that' job wise but he is serious, practicing hours every day and getting very good grades.

[free4now]

TromboneAl, you often have interesting attachments to your posts, and that graph was very enlightening. My takeaway: My parents did it best by essentially becoming broke on paper so I would qualify for lots of financial aid. Then again they weren't making kids take out as many loans as they do today.

[Alan]

Congrats Al. We put both our kids through college and didn't regret it one minute - it felt really good when they graduated and even better when they started their first job.

DD graduated 2003 and had a job lined up a few months before she graduated. DS graduated 2007 and got a job in 6 weeks.

[jazz4cash]

Congratulations on a job well done, Al. You are an inspiration to those of us still on the tuition treadmill......thanks for posting and enjoy the toasting!

[NotReady4Purple]

Congratulations Al, to you and your daughter.

Biomedical engineering should be a good field - even these days.

[MovingtotheCove]

Congratulations to you and your daughter. Well done! A wonderful beginning and a better future thanks to all the combined work. I today just wrote a tuition check and calculated we are about 40% done and 60% to go yet. Study abroad coming up in China and then London...will be a bit more expensive but hopefully worth in in the long run...otherwise DD is very frugal day to day and that helps alot!

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MovingtotheCove ..will be a bit more expensive but hopefully worth in in the long run...

When we were putting our kids through college we told them that this was an extension of our diversification plan in getting ready for retirement.

i.e. If our investments etc went belly up, then we'd be relying on them to support us in our old age so getting them a good education and good job helps us all

[NW-Bound]

I have told my two children who are still in college that their college education is the best gift I could give them. They will be heading into the work force with no debts, same as I did, and that is a head start. To set their expectation, I have also told them that there is no guarantee of any asset left to them when we die. Of course I hope that will not be the case, but following the thread on wedding gift, I just want to be sure they understand.