<p>Haven't posted on here in a long, long time...thought I'd throw this question out. My D (high school Class of 2010) transferred after her freshman year at a private school to an in-state public college. It was a good move, and until she chose to live in a dorm instead of commute this past year, we have paid her entire tuition bill, although she does receive a few small academic scholarships. (She took a Stafford loan to help pay the difference now that she lives on campus.) Because of the transfer she will not graduate this spring and needs another year + summer courses, which we also paid. This is due to poor advising from the school, her not being assertive about getting the right advising, and the nature of the current state college and major she chose (teaching), which can be hard to graduate from in four years even in the best of circumstances. Her grades are outstanding, she works part-time but doesn't save much although she pays her own books, miscellaneous expenses, etc. I have another child in college as well, two younger children and significant financial challenges. She is expecting to pay for it herself somehow - but I'm curious what other parents with a fifth year senior have done.</p>
<p>This is a family decision and it varies considerably. Usually it is spelled out clearly for the student before they start school. For example. “We will pay for 8 academic semesters. We do not pay for failed classes. If you have to retake a class that’s your dime. If you have an extra semester because you change majors that’s your dime. If you don’t pay attention to major requirements, prerequisites, courses only offered once/year that’s your dime. If you can’t get your classes and have made every effort then we will work with you.”. This is simply an example. You can certainly impose whatever ‘rules’ or criteria you wish. I think it’s hard to retroactively make a policy your student wasn’t aware of when they have been making every effort in good faith to graduate on time. I think I’d look at what was in their control and what wasn’t, as well as what you have communicated to them along the way, and go from there.</p>
<p>I didnt’ face this personally, but a few families on CC have posted about this. It’s a bummer. Some parents pay, sometimes there are loans, sometimes the kid can’t finish. </p>
<p>It was a good move, and until she chose to live in a dorm instead of commute this past year, we have paid her entire tuition bill, although she does receive a few small academic scholarships. (She took a Stafford loan to help pay the difference now that she lives on campus.)</p>
<p>If your child can commute, I’d have her do that for that extra semester. Then her student loan can help pay for her tuition. Have her work over the summer to also help pay.</p>
<p>Since she’s going for teaching, won’t she have more after her BA?</p>
<p>We couldn’t afford to pay for an extra year. My D1 transferred after her freshman year because she was hospitalized over the summer and not medically cleared to return. She worked her butt off, took extra classes every semester and did graduate in four years because we couuldn’t pay. She is a teacher and (thank God and Sybbie) was employed after her undergrad and in a tenure track position as soon as she had finished her master’s (two years later). I respectfully think you should do a little check-up and make sure that your daughter will be able to get a job. Teaching jobs are very hard to come by unless you have a fairy godmother or teach upper level special ed or upper level math/science. It would be unfortunate for her to take on significant debt if there weren’t a job at the end of the road. Good luck to your daughter and to you!</p>
<p>If this were my child and I could afford to help at all, I wouldn’t let anything interfere with her getting her degree. She has worked very hard in school, gotten a job, and taken out a loan, and it would be a shame to let that work go to waste. Can she commute for her last semester? That makes more sense than paying for housing she doesn’t really need.</p>
<p>I know my own parents dealt with this in different ways: I graduated in 4 years, so they paid for the whole thing (with their own money, loans and aid) My oldest brother flaked off, got into some trouble and when it took him 6 years to finish college, the responsibility for paying for it was up to him. He paid for the last two years, as well as his master’s degree. My middle brother lost a 4 year athletic scholarship due to substance abuse and legal trouble, so when he got kicked out, my parents refused to pay another dime for him to go anywhere. He never finished college and still struggles at age 45. My youngest brother took 5 years to finish college due to scheduling issues that were not his fault, so they paid for his entire degree. I guess their attitude was to reward the kids who were doing their best as well as they could, but let the slackers fend for themselves and learn some necessary lessons.</p>
<p>It sounds like this young woman is working hard and doing what she can to get as much as possible from her education. Nonetheless, it sounds like her having a 5th year will be a haradship for the family finances. If you can stretch to help her pay for the 5th year while she commutes from home, it sounds like it will be a good investment and perhaps have her pay it forward to help her younger sibs pay for a year of college when she has a job and they are in school.</p>
<p>For our family, by the time D was having to go to school longer than anticipated, our finances were able to stretch to help her stay in school without undue financial hardship for us. S had graduated and there were not other kids who needed to attend school. We hope they will be able to have any future kids they have get a debt-free education, paying it forward.</p>
<p>It depends. Some programs simply can’t be done in 4 years, and frequently education is one of them. My state requires teachers to have just a bachelors, but it takes an education major + subject major (for secondary) and a slew of “endorsements” for elementary. All candidates who want jobs would be advised to throw in a coaching endorsement as well, almost a full minor in HPER. It’s very difficult to finish what is essentially a double major and almost a minor in 3.5 years, because that last semester is full time student teaching. </p>
<p>If I could plan ahead–kid knew she wanted an ed major and knew that is would require and extra semester or year–I could help. As it stands now, in 4 years, I’m out of money. Savings is gone; current income will be funneled toward the younger sib now in college. I wouldn’t want oldest to be so close and not finish, so I might co-sign loans at that point. That would be all I could do.</p>
<p>As others have said, it depends - on why the kid needs extra time and whether or not it’s affordable for the family.</p>
<p>My step-S added a major fairly late because he took a course that opened up a whole new field of interest to him that he wanted to pursue in graduate school. It would have been easy to say no to the extra year he needed to complete the new major, but, because he was so passionate about it, and because he was a good student who hadn’t wasted his time, AND because we could afford it, we paid. We also paid for his Master’s degree (because we could and because we feel education is the best thing we can ever give our kids). Step-S is now gainfully employed in this new field. </p>
<p>If my step-S had been partying his way through school and needed extra time to get his degree, I think we would have given him a different answer.</p>