<p>I understand everyone’s objection but I do want to say that this could be a smart investment strategy. One of my kids gets very generous aid-- enough to cover university dorm with scholarship $. It kills me that we will use $20K of that money over 4 years for a dorm room when properties near the school cost under $150K and my kid could share costs with a roommate. That said, we don’t have the financial resources to qualify for the mortgage or to cover the unexpected expenses that could come up with a house so it’s out of the question for us. (And, honestly, my kid would be much better off on campus.) But it’s not a bad strategy for the right kid.</p>