<p>...is there anything I need to be concerned about her being on her own as a minor? </p>
<p>Besides signing her housing contract, is there anything else I should be aware of, on or off campus?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Both my kids were 17 when they left for college and it was not an issue.</p>
<p>Depends on the state.</p>
<p>The only problems we had were opening a credit union account - I had to be added as a joint account holder as she was underage - and signing athletic department treatment and insurance release paperwork.</p>
<p>I know this harkens back to the caveman age, but I was 17 when I left for one of the biggest universities in the country, and there wasn’t a single issue or problem that came up because of my age.</p>
<p>I was 17 also, back in the day. I was able to open a checking account. No problems.</p>
<p>This was discussed in the summer for the class of 2015 students. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1177575-what-issues-exist-if-your-child-college-minor-under-18-a.html?highlight=under+18[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1177575-what-issues-exist-if-your-child-college-minor-under-18-a.html?highlight=under+18</a></p>
<p>Have a look, some good advice</p>
<p>My D didn’t turn 18 till after her 1st semester was over - I remember having to sign a medical release to health services for them to treat her in case of an emergency before she went to college. You should call the school she decides to go to and check with them.</p>
<p>Had to get written permission from a parent before he could get a flu shot. I think he was embarrassed.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input and link to other thread.</p>
<p>I just remembered that I was told by someone that you need to 18 to rent textbooks (they need to sign a contract) or have a parent sign for them…</p>
<p>If your child gets sick they might need someone over 18 to get certain medications (ie real sudafed or nyquil). My friend was 17 and she had her roomate buy it for her when she got sick.</p>
<p>I know that she also had trouble in a psych class first semester because she couldn’t participate in the study’s and therefore had to do makeup assignments instead (they had a requirement of a certain number of studies participated in or that same number of one page papers). She might also have trouble getting admitted to a hospital and then receiving care without a parent or guardian.</p>
<p>D was 17 when she started college. She was not able to get a credit card in her name only as she was a minor. I signed up for a new, separate card and added her as an authorized user. I didn’t want to just add her to some of my existing cards as I didn’t want to have her to have access to such a high credit limit (and her tendancy to loose things, which thankfully has not been an issue). Credit cards are much safer than debit cards.</p>
<p>She had to sign a housing contract to get her dorm room. I pointed out to the student that was handing out the contract to sign that she was under 18 and just got a blank stare. I volunteered to sign it but was told it was the student’s responsibility to sign, so she alone signed. Good luck enforcing that “contract”. Fortunately for the school, there were no issues at the end of the year when she moved out of the dorms.</p>
<p>I tought it was going to be more of an issue, but it wasn’t really.</p>
<p>You may have to sign a release for her to use the gym.</p>
<p>My daughter will finish her freshman year in college and still be 17. It has not really been a problem for her. At the beginning of the year we went to the college health dept. and signed papers so that she could be treated and get medicine without us being contacted. We also had to sign on her housing contract.</p>
<p>The only problem for her has been on the social scene. She is a majorette with the marching band and on trips it is a big social party. Her only concern was being stuck out in the street when her friends were in a bar. She solved that by just taking her college id and getting a band for no drinking. She doesn’t drink and just wanted to hang out with her friends.</p>
<p>I was really worried at first, but we are really happy with her first year so far.</p>
<p>I am going to call the Student Health Center and Gym to see if they need my signature. Thanks</p>
<p>I started college at 17 and didn’t find it to be a big deal. </p>
<p>Only major issue was how I felt puzzled a few weeks in when I saw many older 18 and 19 year old freshmen crying publicly because of homesickness as I’d thought being older would have granted them more inner resources to maintain composure in public. Granted, I now understand that being 18-19 or older doesn’t necessarily confer automatic greater maturity, wisdom, or composure as shown by my undergrad and post-college experiences. </p>
<p>It also didn’t seem to be a big deal with a few college classmates who started at much younger ages. One of those classmates GRADUATED from my LAC at 17 with high honors. However, you wouldn’t have known it being around him.</p>
<p>Yep, just called–she does need a signed parental consent to use the fitness center and and to be seen at the health center. Good thing to know—</p>
<p>On the flip side, her being a minor gives you access to see all of her academic and school financial records. Most schools made it known that we were only allowed to do so with the student’s permission.</p>
<p>S1’s roommate was 17 when he started college. The only thing I remember was that his mom had to sign his ROTC papers with him. Also when a group of them got caught w/ beer that year, his parents were the only ones called because he was under 18.</p>