Is it parents’ responsibility to pay for their child’s college tuition?

Is there an extent to which parents can give too much financial support to a child?

In the past 30 years, the average cost of college tuition at a four-year public school has increased 1,120 percent. Today, the average tuition per year (not including room and board) for an out of state public college is $22,203, and $8,893 for in-state tuition. With these high expenses, it’s no surprise about 71 percent of college seniors graduate with an average of $29,400 in debt.

Unlike previous generations, today’s 18-year-olds and their families are struggling to find a balance between who has the responsibility to pay for college tuition. It’s a large burden to bear, but since having a college education is an absolute necessity in the journey to becoming financially independent, students should depend on their parents first.

It is unrealistic to expect a majority of teenagers to get a job that pays well enough to get them through four years of college. Though kids should take some action in paying for their tuition, the primary responsibility rests on the parents. In most cases, parents have larger and steadier incomes than their child, so in order for the child to begin his or her life with a clean start, constantly having huge amounts of student loans racked up would be a disadvantage. Debts accumulated from all college expenses only stunt the young adult’s ability to become financially independent from their parents.

This financial support should also extend after the student successfully graduates from college with an undergraduate degree. The graduate should be granted a “grace period” of living at home for free or little cost in order to adjust to life outside of college and to find a job that pays well enough that he or she can support themselves. This adjustment period generally should last no longer than a year, considering the weekly salary of a college graduate is double that of someone with only a high school diploma. As for graduate school, since it is a choice and not a prerequisite for most to land a good job, students should acquire more responsibility and pay it through student loans. But to lower the interest rates considerable, the parents should co-sign the loan because that student has proven their seriousness to get into graduate school and has willingness to continue his/her education.

Parents’ responsibility to support their children financially does not include an obligation to pay for luxury items like cars, apartments (that are more costly than dorms), semesters abroad, etc. Since the parents have lifted the load of college tuition, the non-essentials should be paid for by the student. Occasional help should be permitted to keep kids on their feet, but if it becomes a habit, it’s only enabling reliance on parents.

If one expects parents to financially contribute to their future in such a great amount, the child should take advantage of their sacrifice and put in as much effort in their education to make their parents’ investment worth it. This effort doesn’t just begin in college either; it should be consistent throughout high school. And to ease the financial strain on parents, the students should actively search for financial aid, like scholarships, and work a part-time job in high school and college. It’s impossible to function in the real world if one never learns how to become independent and self-sufficient.