<p>Cold hard cash,of course. But other creative ideas for dd whom we hope beyond hope will become a taxpayer?</p>
<p>Sent from my DROIDX using CC</p>
<p>We gave my DD a charm bracelet with three charms symbolizing her college years - a diploma, the scales of justice (she was a criminal justice major), and a cross (it is a Jesuit college). We have added charms each year with ones that are meaningful to her and what she is doing at the time.</p>
<p>We cosigned for a car and paid the first year’s payments to DD so she could start building her credit record.</p>
<p>We gave payment of the Stafford loans. Those payments are a drop in the bucket compared to what we were paying for our kids to attend college!</p>
<p>We gave her a dark suit, several blouses, couple pairs of shoes.
and…a pearl necklace once owned by her Grandmother.</p>
<p>I had planned to give her a frame from her university to hold her diploma. She said she would rather not have it. So her diploma sits a drawer at home.</p>
<p>I hope this helps-APOL-a Mum</p>
<p>We did not splurge a lot because she went to grad school, so we are still paying her tuition and living expenses. Plus she has 2 brothers behind her. But we did get a neat frame for her diploma with a campus image kind of like: [url=<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Clemson-University-Spirit-Graduate-Campus/dp/B004BB0NZ6/ref=sr_1_11?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1359744502&sr=1-11]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Clemson-University-Spirit-Graduate-Campus/dp/B004BB0NZ6/ref=sr_1_11?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1359744502&sr=1-11]Amazon.com:</a> Clemson University Spirit Graduate Frame with Campus Image: Sports & Outdoors<a href=“except%20she%20didn’t%20go%20to%20Clemson”>/url</a>. And we threw her a big party.</p>
<p>A nice leather briefcase and watch, both picked out by her of course!</p>
<p>Kids don’t get cars just because they passed their road test in our house! College graduation gift- New cars! (lucky kids). (No college or grad school loans either, so they get a great start.)</p>
<p>We are handing over the money equal to her 529, which was not used because she chose the scholarship route. She is taking half in cash and half in an investment account. It will get her started.</p>
<p>It’s been a LONG time, but reading this thread reminded me of one of the best college grad gifts I received. My aunt said she would pay X dollars of my car payment for the first year. That let me get a little nicer car than I could have afforded straight out of college, but coulD easily afford once I was on my feet. Offering a down payment on a car is also a good idea if the situation warrants. Jewelry? Nice diamond studs or pearls, which are both sort of timeless.</p>
<p>The tradition in our family for girls are a string of pearls, and for the guys a watch. But I am not so sure what we are doing this year as we have two graduates and a wedding! And my son doesn’t wear a watch. Plus, college wasn’t costing my parents anywhere close to $100+K a year either. I would love if I had a strand to give our graduating D, but not yet ready to give her mine! Definitely a conundrum.</p>
<p>Forgot to say my DD’s favorite gift last year was a trip with her grandmother to London for a week.</p>
<p>I was rather shocked when my husband proposed that we buy our son a car when he graduates from college in two years. After scrimping and saving to pay for 4 years of college… You have got to be kidding me. I am driving a 9 year old minivan and will need to drive it for at least 5 more years as we have a junior in HS. I will buy myself a new sedan when college tuition is behind us. Happy graduation to ME!!!</p>
<p>Go Minnymom Go! Sometimes you need to speak up and say you don’t intend to be last on the list forever.</p>
<p>No loans to pay for college or grad school.</p>
<p>cash and we paid the loans off. Last payment was this week!!! Lucky to be able to do it.</p>