#CollegeEducation #YoungAdultsMoveBackHome #StudentLoans #ParentsHelpingKids
Since the Great Recession, many adult children have leaned on their parents.
Sometimes, they wanted help with expenses. Cellphones and Internet service might have been unnecessary – or not invented — when parents were their children’s ages, but are so necessary now.
Some have even moved back home entirely. (That begs the question: do you really want to live your adult life under your parents’ roof?)
But a survey by Discover Student Loans may reveal a new trend. It says 38 percent of parents expect their child to pay for most of higher education, a 7 percent increase from 2018.
Luke McGrath broke down the numbers in the survey for Bloomberg News. His piece was also published July 30, 2019, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Conversely, the numbers show 28 percent of parents were willing and able to pick up the whole college tab for their kid(s). That’s a 6 percent drop from last year, McGrath’s article says. Moreover, of the 70 percent of parents surveyed who said they will not limit their child’s college choice based on price, more than half said they’re planning to rely on scholarship and grants to help cover the costs, McGrath’s article says.
As of September 2018, 11 percent of student debt was more than 90 days delinquent or in default, McGrath quotes the survey. In the last quarter of 2017, more than 44.5 million Americans had some form of outstanding student loans and almost 8 million had a balance of $50,000 or more, McGrath quotes the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Let’s break down the numbers in practical terms. College is expensive, and getting more so by the year. In theory, it is unaffordable for many students who could qualify to go. A college education COULD pay off in future income for students, yet many students are coming out of college not only with big debt, but slim job prospects.
Some may not earn enough money to live independently, and pay down their debt in a reasonable time.
Such a situation could chase a student back home to live with mom and dad and, therefore, put a wrench into mom and dad’s retirement plans.
What to do? First, as a student goes through high school, learn whether he or she is college material. If he or she is not, don’t force it on him or her.
Secondly, if they are college material, determine what their interests are and what they are thinking about doing for work with a degree. Get an idea what those jobs pay now. Hint: if the jobs don’t pay much now, they probably won’t pay much later. And, to add to the thought process, some jobs that pay well now may become obsolete later.
So, if your son or daughter is not college material, or wants to major in something less lucrative, add up the costs, and how you (or they) would pay for college. Remember, going to college is a decision easily postponed. There are almost always opportunities to go back to school, either on campus or online, part time or full time.
Now, think about how your son or daughter will earn money during this – we’ll call it transition – time between high school graduation and when they decide what to do with their lives. There are certainly traditional jobs that don’t require a college degree, albeit fewer opportunities than parents may remember. But there are also many ways to earn money – perhaps a lot more than a “regular” job would pay – by investing a few part-time, off-work hours a week at tasks that anyone, regardless of background or education, can do. To learn about one of the best such programs, message me.
In short, college is not for everyone. If you are unsure whether it’s for you, try courses at your local community college first. They are fairly inexpensive, particularly for basic, required early courses. You can always transfer to a four-year school after that, when, perhaps, more money would be available.
Or, if you are open enough, check out one of these non-W-2 potential income producers. You could create some great flexibility for yourself later in life, to do, or study, whatever you want.
Peter