I'm with mehndi mama. My kids will be unschooled and I don't plan on pushing college. If they need college to follow their desired path, I will aid them in attending, but it will be up to them to pursue. I do have a college degree (which I worked fulltime while going to college to pay for) but I don't even use it! Both dh and I are self employed in jobs that we love - neither of which required a college degree, just a lot of self taught knowledge. I don't believe a higher degree or wage is necessary for a full life.
That said, we do have a savings plan for both kids that we encourage relatives to contribute to instead of buying them gifts for holidays but they will be welcome to use it for college, to start a business, travel, or buy a house once they are grown.
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Allison
mama to Ara, Simone, and Zarin
We have three and another on the way and we're not saving for college. The local university and community college cost approx $1500 a semester plus books to attend (we checked with my SIL who is a student now) So we're not planning on saving for it as that's really not very expensive - we're in Canada though - so it may be govt subsidized or something. I believe the post-secondary education here is cheaper but harder to get into.
I'm sure by then I'll be working again and we'll be able to help the kids out with that. Plus $3000 a year (though it probably will go up over the next 15 years!) is low enough they can probably get summer and/or part times jobs and pay for it.
Right now it's more important to get ourselves in a postition to have no debt, some savings for emergencies and eventually be able to buy instead of renting.
Actually I only have a 2 year diploma (in Business Administration - which isn't very useful) so we may send me back to school before we worry about sending our kids. It depends how our lives go - but I'm not that worried about it.
Now if the kids want to go somewhere really expensive and far away - they'll need to get scholorships or something.
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~ Cheryl ~ single mama to
Melissa (9), Michael (8), Madeleine (7)
twins Megan & Maribeth (4)
Last edited by Mama2miracles : 08-25-2003 at 12:58 AM.
Only one child here, but we have a 529 plan account for Sam. Some of his relatives send cash instead of boxed presents for holidays and birthdays, and usually we put that money into the 529.
We're also unschoolers, and I wouldn't presume that college is automatically in his future. I also hope that if he did decide to attend college, that he would get some scholarship money. He's the self-directed type.
Let me tell you what my college degree has done for me.
I've gotten to work two jobs that I LOVE. First as a wildlife biologist, and now as a teacher. I have many friends who also love what they do with their degree.
Even if I never needed the degree to get the jobs I still love what I learned. The experience alone helped me grow in so many ways and gave me the tools to continue to grow.
Before going to college I worked in factories, cleaned hotel rooms, etc. etc. etc with MANY other smart, great uneducated women. It took me many years to finish my degree.
When my baby was 6 months old my 'loving, devoted' husband and companion of 10 years decided he couldn't hack the new resposibilities and left. This incredibly unexpected change of events left me to make it happen for myself and my son. Thank GOD I was just finishing my degree.
This degree SAVED me. I know where I would be without it because I have worked with these single moms who struggle with 2+jobs, no benefits, no job security, no respect. I get all of those things at my one job plus 4 months a year off paid.
And if I decide I hate my job I have many other career paths I can take.
Men can do better without a degree because they get hired for construction or to drive a forklift for $15+ an hour (though time takes its toll). Women get hired to work the line at $6 an hour.
This is in no way to make anyone without a degree feel badly about it. This is my reality. Take from it what you may. College is just four years out of a lifetime that can make a tremendous difference for your daughters as they did for me. It's about giving your children all the options and keeping all the doors open for them. Education is never wasted time, even if you can get the job without it.
Well, we have college fund accounts for the boys, but haven't started one for Marlie yet....I have to get on that. Their accounts may not have millions in them by the time they are college bound, but they'll have something for sure.
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we have 3 daughters. haven't decided yet if we're done.
aliyah's college has been paid for for a while now. she has the fl prepaid plan. she's also got a year of dorm living & all her fees.
for nina we have a different plan & i can't think of the name of it! it's stock-based, mutual funds, etc. & if aliyah gets scholarships, which we'll push for, her prepaid plan can transfer to any of her siblings.
we've already started talia's prepaid plan, too.
we believe strongly that a college education is a basic stepping stone.
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[font=papyrus]shalom,
jessica
eema (mama, in hebrew) to aliyah (8/98), peninah (12/00) & talia (12/02)
http://www.beadyeyedgirls.com email me
I think we will just barely miss being poor enough for our children to get grants. We have six children......four of the six will go to some kind of post-highschool eduation. (two are mentally handicapped)
Our plan has always been to use all of my paycheck to pay for college and our children are also expected to work summers and save to help pay for their college expenses.
(I'll be teaching full-time by the time our oldest starts college and all my salary will go towards college)
Sure, we hope for scholarships......but can't totally on that hope. Even though I think my children are brilliant and will get scholarships.
We have also been saving as far as savings bonds since they were born. That is not a lot, but will help for books.
I'd like to start another savings for college...one of the state programs for investment. (forgetting the name of these types of investment plans)
Originally posted by Patsy
We are hoping our 13 yr old son will hit the military, at least for a few years to help pay for schooling, if not a career.
Our 13 year old son said (about a year ago) that he wants to do ROTC in college to help defray expenses. He rather shocked us with how he is thinking ahead!!!
My dh got a college degree in exchange for playing football for them.
dh works at a community college so all the kids go there for cheap, like $2-3 a credit hr or something like that.
anywhere they want to go beyond that is up to them.
mindi
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