<p>I know that the range goes from nothing to unlimited, and that the best answer is "However much you can afford and are comfortable with."</p>
<p>BUT, I'm hoping to get a sense of what the norm is...enough that DD can have some fun, not enough that she doesn't ever have to make choices.</p>
<p>Thank you for asking this question. I am in the same boat. I guess the amount given would depend on where my D would be attending school. </p>
<p>My thoughts:
Boston/NYC/LA-$400
Pittsburgh/Houston/Baltimore- $300
Rural schools- $200</p>
<p>Keeping in mind that D will either be on a meal plan or option so no real need for “actual dinning”…what do you think?
…My concern is that she won’t be able to enjoy activities like the other students.</p>
<p>Whooow</p>
<p>This is the BOARDING SCHOOL high school thread. Your C will have lots of free food and free activities. Laundry may be included on a plan. There is simply not that much to spend money on if you are a mainstream student, and having a lot of cash around is more a worry than a blessing, because most kids leave their dorm rooms unlocked.</p>
<p>An occasional movie trip off campus, occasional ice cream, ordering a pizza or Chinese delivery with friends is about it. 35 dollars a month covered my D fine. Trips organized by the school are usually payed on the student billing account. </p>
<p>We did set up an Amazon prime account for her to use for printer ink, socks, and the like, but it did not amount to much.</p>
<p>Clothes, boots and sporting equipment can get pricey, but we shopped for those things together on visits or vacation periods.</p>
<p>K1 can withdraw up to $25.00 a week and K2 can withdraw $20.00. When I see their statements, I’ve noticed some weeks they hardly withdraw anything. ( I suspect a kind grandparent is behind the scenes sending funds ( a little pocket money), but I can’t prove it). </p>
<p>If they need more money ( beyond the $20-$25 ) for something special, I call the business office and release more funds. They’re not big spenders, so these amounts have worked really well for us. I like having caps so I’m in control and don’t have to replenish the accounts all the time. You’ll get statements, too so after the first month or two you’ll have a better feel for it.</p>
<p>There’s a thread about the hidden/ additional costs or something… It will give you a feel for the above and beyond. Parent Forum maybe? It’s a good one.</p>
<p>At D’s school, I am required to pre-fund and periodically refresh a bookstore/activities account that also serves as allowance fund. Students are allowed to withdraw a max of $15 a week but they are allowed to carry over, i.e., if they skip a week, they could wd $30 the next week. That is to encourage them to leave their money in the account rather than accumulating cash in their rooms.</p>
<p>My D’s contribution to the cost of school is to cover her own allowance out of her small bank account and summer earnings. She has been very motivated to minimize her spending and probably hasn’t wd $100 this whole year. I know for a fact that a nearby uncle and aunt who often do the airport shuttle, slip her a twenty and sometimes two each time.</p>
<p>I can authorize more money if she needs it. She was able to buy a very expensive textbook secondhand from another student and I authorized the cash wd. Really, there’s nothing to spend her money on. We keep her supplied with snacks and personal items, but every once in a while she takes the bus into town and does a little shopping.</p>
<p>I just asked my kids about this and they are right in line with what @alooknac and 2prepMom said. They said it’s nice to know the funds are there if they need it, but they don’t spend close to what they’re allowed. They also said any supplemental income from a grandparent is very random and usually enclosed with a note. Very sweet and nice to know.</p>
<p>Both said they don’t withdraw cash unless they plan to spend it within 24 hours. They said most of their friends are allowed $10-$20 per week.</p>
<p>MomThree, it depends in part on the school’s food service. If the food is good, and the dining hall is open at convenient times, your child won’t need to supplement. If your child’s on a sports team which travels frequently, she/he may want to be able to order takeout, or contribute to a group pizza order.</p>
<p>Each school has different policies. It’s a good idea to send kids to school with some sort of a credit or debit card, especially if they might need to pay for emergency travel.</p>
<p>Ditto - debit card. We funded her school account for books and misc. the first year. She was allowed to withdraw cash when needed but with school fees it was too hard for us to keep up with when to reload. Then she went abroad and we saw the benefits of a debit card. The bank tied her personal account to ours since she was a minor and we could see when she needed more cash. </p>
<p>The benefits?</p>
<ol>
<li>you can see how the money is being spent (fast food, mall, cash advances, that “cute” must have dress)</li>
<li>when traveling home or back to school you don’t have to worry about whether they have emergency money on them. :)</li>
</ol>
<p>@Exie: I agree with the use of the debit card. Not only is it a convenient way to send money when needed, but it also gave me the ability to track his movements when he was off-campus. This was expecially important during the first year when I hung on every bit information to get a better glimpse into his BS life :-)</p>
<p>My experience has been that students will spend most of their allowance on weekend activities. Aside from the occasional pizza/take out for late night weekday studying, their busy schedules don’t allow much time for spending, unless they’re doing online purchasing in their dorm. </p>
<p>I’ve increased DS allowance each year but only because I put more budget responsibilities in his hand. The goal was to try to teach him the importance of allocating for those things that do not provide instant gratification, but are necessary nevertheless.</p>
<p>Oh - one warning. My child has a normal Visa debit card tied her account. We got a lot of solicitations from American Express and others about a “student” visa card but those come with fees - fees to reload, fees to check the balance, fees to get cash at an ATM, etc. </p>
<p>When she goes to college next year I’ll probably just give her an Amex card tied to my account for bigger emergencies. But I avoid the “how many ways can we get your money” pitches that go to young students but look good in the glossy brochures (you know - avoid fraud because we’ll put their picture on it, etc…) Those “prepaid” debit cards are a last resort to be avoided.</p>
<p>We just got DS a regular AMEX card in his name that is tied to our account, no extra fees.</p>
<p>As for “allowance”, he seems to spend about $40/month, sometimes more, sometimes less.</p>
<p>With the thread about FA kids at Andover (“The Price of an Andover Education”), I want to add the full-aid kids get $20 a week there. Wow.</p>
<p>I give my dd $40.00 a month. Not much money at all. I pay her taxi bill as this would exceed her allowance. The 40.00 covers restaurants, snacks, trips to the mall etc. </p>
<p>A lot of schools have a campus charge acct for students to use at the snack-hangout & school store. </p>
<p>How much CASH a kid needs per month will depend on a large part on his/her friends. Some circles of friends go out to the town more often.</p>