Firebird
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Post by Firebird on May 22, 2014 10:18:27 GMT -5
According to my mom (just talked to her), my cousin is desperate to get out of her hometown. I can TOTALLY sympathize with that. But there's no rule that says she has to attend community college in her hometown. She could live with roommates, work, and still come out way ahead by going to the out of state college in a couple years.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on May 22, 2014 10:28:06 GMT -5
Perhaps she's willing to forgo some things to go to school. You don't know that yet, do you?Nope. I don't know much at all. This cousin and I aren't close - I care about her, of course, but we never talk. That's part of the reason I don't know how "doom and gloom" I should get next weekend. If it were her brother, I'd be all over his ass - but only because I'm much closer with him and he appreciates my advice and it would be appropriate for our relationship. On the other hand, I don't want to see her make bad choices if I can help her avoid them. So I'm kind of torn. "Cousin, I know we're not super close but I'd love to help you figure out college costs. You do know that there are options besides X, right? There's community colleges all over the country where you can get your basics done relatively cheaply so you won't be coming out of college with $100K in student loans, which you'll have to start paying 6 months after graduation? Let's talk tomorrow after your party and before I head for home." And let her know that she can call or email you if the weekend doesn't work out.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on May 22, 2014 10:49:17 GMT -5
Not to bash Interior Design (because hello, I have a bachelor's degree in Interior Design) but it's not a lucrative career move for the bulk of graduates. I make good money but our program was part of a larger Construction Management/Interior Design program at our University. So I use the Construction Management side of my degree currently and don't mention the Interior Design side very often to people in the industry.
I think you are right to be concerned and to want to talk to her about her choices. Many of the girls (not being sexist but in our entire program there was 4 guys) minored in Marketing and ended up in sales type jobs after graduating. Several commented during our senior year that they wished they'd majored in Marketing and been able to minor in Interior Design.
Having real numbers is helpful. You don't want to be pulling out spreadsheets over cake and punch but bring up what the average monthly loan payment will be, what the average starting salary is. etc.
Remind her to use the loans sparingly- like for tuition and books not spring break in Mexico.
FWIW- my BFF (also has a degree in Interior Design since we met in class) and her DH (bachelor's degree in Aviation- pilot for a private rich guy) have combined student loan payments larger than their hosue payment.
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justme
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Post by justme on May 22, 2014 10:55:04 GMT -5
She's looking upwards of $1100/month over a 10 year term for 100k in loans. www.finaid.org/calculators/scripts/loanpayments.cgi More like $750 for a 20 year term. I would want to kill myself with a student loan payment like that, especially for something like Interior Design, which can't support that payment! it would be a 30 year term or income based repayment so your $1100 a month is not realistic With $100k in student loans, the majority of that would have to be private. I know they're a lot less flexible than federal loans in terms of payment.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2014 10:58:41 GMT -5
it would be a 30 year term or income based repayment so your $1100 a month is not realistic With $100k in student loans, the majority of that would have to be private. I know they're a lot less flexible than federal loans in terms of payment. I guess it depends on the loan. DD's private loans will have a lot of flexibility.
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Firebird
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Post by Firebird on May 22, 2014 11:22:16 GMT -5
More later but thanks for the great feedback so far, all!
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kent
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Post by kent on May 22, 2014 11:23:36 GMT -5
One of the most obvious answers is 2 years at a community college, then the bachelor's at the state school. The state degree isn't any different if you went there 2 or 4 years. The other answer being that since she doesn't know what she wants to do exactly (which I agree is common), is that if she changes her mind about her future and her prior credits don't cross over, she's only out the community college tuition and not $50K. It makes changing to something you think you'll love a lot easier and may not feel as "trapped" byneeding to continue in an area where prior credits count due to their expense. Two years at a community college will help "sort out" what she might want to be as she "evolves" pursuant to additional exposure to academic subjects.
$100,000 is a lot of money to pay back and I'll bet there's not a whole lot of demand for this occupation, at least not a wide-spread demand. As such, she may find herself pursuing jobs in a HCOL area where $47K will not go very far at all.
www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/interior-designers.htm
Summary:
Interior designers Interior designers select and specify colors, furniture, and other materials to create useful and stylish interiors for buildings.Quick
Facts: Interior Designers - 2012 Median Pay $47,600 per year $22.89 per hour Entry-Level Education - Bachelor’s degree Work Experience in a Related Occupation - None On-the-job Training - None Number of Jobs, 2012 - 54,900 Job Outlook, 2012-22 - +13% (As fast as average) Employment Change, 2012-22 - 7,000
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2014 11:25:05 GMT -5
she'll be able to contribute to some of her costs through summer jobs and during the school year jobs, wont she? so the entire cost won't be through loans
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on May 22, 2014 11:34:25 GMT -5
I'd also talk about how financial freedom gives you choices. I've also appreciated that our family has had a choice as to whether or not we want two working parents. We have choices about the jobs we take or don't take. It's really nice to be in this position, rather than to be a position where we have no choice.
Excellent point. Any advice on how to approach this? I hate to rain on her parade when she's supposed to be celebrating but her graduation weekend is my only chance to see her for awhile and if I can knock some sense into her, she'll have the whole summer to revise her plans into something a little kinder to her future self. Like I said, she has no role models for this stuff. She could have come and talked to me (or my parents) at any time, but she didn't. I don't even think she understands why that would have been a good idea. She's not stupid, just 18 and naive. I don't want to be overbearing but I do want to help her if I can. Okay this is how far I've gotten. First of all, Interior design is a tough field to make it in. Especailly since the economy isn't free spending like it was before 2008. It's also not a degree that gives you a broad skillset that can be segued into another field easily. My mother was chair of the advertising and graphic design dept at the local college for almost 25 years. Interior design was in her department. The students who had the most sucess were the ones that double majored. Secondly, it sucks that she didn't come to you for advice. I was kind of in a similar situation with Rainbow, my sister-in-law. DH and I had been dating a couple of years when she was getting ready to attend school. She also chose a low-emploability major. I did my best to try and talk to her and see if she had interest in choosing something that might be a little easier to find work in, but she was dead set on criminal physicology. I tried, but she was 18 and kew better, even though I was the only 'adult' she knew who'd gotten a college degree. Then she got pregnant just before the first semester started and dropped out over the winter break. So the point of this narriative is that I know how bad you want to help, but she might not let you. Be prepared for that. ETA: The cc transfer isn't an awful idea. Just make sure she's aware that if she's transferring credits, especailly across states, they may not count for her major. Many CC math classes would not have been accepted as equivalents for my degree.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on May 22, 2014 11:35:22 GMT -5
She could always do what my cousin's husband did - major in interior design, get fired from her first job, become a minister, and send out monthly newsletters to all her friends and family asking for "love gifts" to her family It's a tough situation - you definitely don't want to be Debbie Downer at her graduation party, and although I think the potential budget is a great idea, there probably won't be many opportune times to whip out a spreadsheet while eating cake. Do you communicate with her by email or phone at all? Is this something you could follow up on later? One thing I wish I had done was not so much on the loan end, but on the job prospects end. It would have been useful for me to scour job placement websites to see what was out there and compare the number of advertised jobs to the number of graduates being churned out each year. Not that she can't change her mind about the interior design thing - but for that level of financial commitment, I would want a job where there were dramatically more job offers than graduates, or where the typical job started out in the high five/low six figures. I can always send a redacted copy of my SL statement if you want to do the Scared Straight approach
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tloonya
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Post by tloonya on May 22, 2014 11:40:48 GMT -5
Firebird, how come she didn't get any grants? Was she a poor student with low SAT and GPA? If that is the case - she might not be made for college. And taking out $100K for someone who is not a good learner seems very risky. I wish her the best but I see how hard these kids working (and playing) and I think I wouldn't be able to do this.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on May 22, 2014 11:45:39 GMT -5
I can always send a redacted copy of my SL statement if you want to do the Scared Straight approach
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on May 22, 2014 11:52:44 GMT -5
I'd also talk about how financial freedom gives you choices. I've also appreciated that our family has had a choice as to whether or not we want two working parents. We have choices about the jobs we take or don't take. It's really nice to be in this position, rather than to be a position where we have no choice.
Excellent point. Any advice on how to approach this? I hate to rain on her parade when she's supposed to be celebrating but her graduation weekend is my only chance to see her for awhile and if I can knock some sense into her, she'll have the whole summer to revise her plans into something a little kinder to her future self. Like I said, she has no role models for this stuff. She could have come and talked to me (or my parents) at any time, but she didn't. I don't even think she understands why that would have been a good idea. She's not stupid, just 18 and naive. I don't want to be overbearing but I do want to help her if I can. I'd frame it as what are here life's dreams/goals? That ties in nicely with HS graduation. The world is her oyster. What does she want to do with it? What kind of hobbies does she have? Are the expensive? I think I read that she's dying to get out of town...does she want to see the world? Does she think she wants to be a parent? Is giving to others (either by volunteering her time or giving money) important to her? Does she want to be able to go out to "it" bars wearing "it" clothing? Does she see herself being in business for herself or working for the man? If she wants to own her own business, she can get some basic book keeping skills that might make her more employable... What draws her to interior design? What's appealing about it? Maybe she might be able to parlay those interests into another skill set? I was lucky. I knew what I was meant to do from a younger age. Even when I was in my early teens, I knew exactly how I wanted to spend my adult life. I'm fortunate enough that it worked out for me.
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greeniis10
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Post by greeniis10 on May 22, 2014 12:25:56 GMT -5
Lots of good advice already. I'll just add: research, research, research! As Drama mentioned, there are lots of scholarships and grants out there that seem to be random and obscure, so taking the time to find them and apply can really pay off.
Oldest DS just finished his classes for his doctorate at Univ. of AZ and has ZERO debt. His "full-time job" during all of these years of college has been applying for scholarships. He started at the local CC for 2 years, then went to an in-state univ. for 3yrs. then to U of A for 2 yrs. Also, the state university in our town waives tuition if your household income is less than $60k. It always amazes me how many people that live here are unaware of that.
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garion2003
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Post by garion2003 on May 22, 2014 12:29:28 GMT -5
Lots of good advice here.
In case it hasn't been said: She can't borrow 25K a year in federal student loans,so she'd have to look at the private loan market. That's going to mean a cosigner (most likely) and higher interest rates, possibly variable.
And that is going to really muck up all the repayment scenarios. There's no income based repayment for private student loans, as an example.
The rule of thumb still tends be a good one: the borrowing for your degree shouldn't be more than your expected first year's salary.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on May 22, 2014 12:31:34 GMT -5
Lots of good advice here.
In case it hasn't been said: She can't borrow 25K a year in federal student loans,so she'd have to look at the private loan market. That's going to mean a cosigner (most likely) and higher interest rates, possibly variable.
And that is going to really muck up all the repayment scenarios. There's no income based repayment for private student loans, as an example.
The rule of thumb still tends be a good one: the borrowing for your degree shouldn't be more than your expected first year's salary.
So that knocks people out from becoming a doctor or a lawyer.................
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HoneyBBQ
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Post by HoneyBBQ on May 22, 2014 12:58:45 GMT -5
Lots of good advice here.
In case it hasn't been said: She can't borrow 25K a year in federal student loans,so she'd have to look at the private loan market. That's going to mean a cosigner (most likely) and higher interest rates, possibly variable.
And that is going to really muck up all the repayment scenarios. There's no income based repayment for private student loans, as an example.
The rule of thumb still tends be a good one: the borrowing for your degree shouldn't be more than your expected first year's salary.
So that knocks people out from becoming a doctor or a lawyer................. Even residents make 50k a year.
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garion2003
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Post by garion2003 on May 22, 2014 13:05:46 GMT -5
Lots of good advice here.
In case it hasn't been said: She can't borrow 25K a year in federal student loans,so she'd have to look at the private loan market. That's going to mean a cosigner (most likely) and higher interest rates, possibly variable.
And that is going to really muck up all the repayment scenarios. There's no income based repayment for private student loans, as an example.
The rule of thumb still tends be a good one: the borrowing for your degree shouldn't be more than your expected first year's salary.
So that knocks people out from becoming a doctor or a lawyer................. Those are probably the only people who should be borrowing over 100K for schooling.
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justme
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Post by justme on May 22, 2014 13:08:21 GMT -5
Doctors and lawyers probably shouldn't be taking on $100k in undergrad loans consider the cost of med/law school.
I always thought the rule of thumb was mostly directed to undergrad, though has some relevance in grad school.
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2014 14:07:21 GMT -5
$100,000 is a lot of money to pay back and I'll bet there's not a whole lot of demand for this occupation, at least not a wide-spread demand. As such, she may find herself pursuing jobs in a HCOL area where $47K will not go very far at all. www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/interior-designers.htm
I was going to suggest the Occupational Outlook Handbook- great reference. My guess is that she MIGHT get a job at a furniture store but it will most likely be a minimum-wage retail sales floor job and she'll have plenty of competition, especially since most of the population seems to get its furniture from IKEA or garage sales. (Not knocking either; DH and I haven't made furniture a big financial priority.) If she can't find that, she may end up freelancing, trying to find clients who are willing to pay for her advice on what to buy and where to place it all. Maybe no one has had the "how are you REALLY planning to support yourself in this field" talk with her. You may be able to help her look into other fields that fit her skills/interest where she has a better chance of being able to support herself. My DS and DBIL ended up paying for one daughter to go back and get a nursing degree after (surprise!) she couldn't find a decent job with a Bachelor's in Psychology. Maybe you can help her avoid that course since it would be out of the question with so much debt from the first degree.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on May 22, 2014 14:11:12 GMT -5
I'd ask where she got the idea for interior design. If she's got a plan I would back off. Not everyone dreams of being YM perfect and a CEO of a company. If she can learn and be happy living on what an ID makes then more power to her.
If she's thinking she's going to get her own show on HDTV then checking out on the web what the reality for ID is would be a very good idea.
When I was leaving Simpson they were trying to pressure the Chemistry department to start a forsenics major. The college smelled big bucks because they had a ton of undergraduates coming in wanting to be like the guy they saw on CSI.
Well the reality of forsenics isn't like TV and job prospects for that field aren't very good there are more people trying to get a job than there are slots. This was the parents concern.
So the Dean of the Chem department got the school to agree to Forsenics being a sub-topic for the biochemistry program which offers much more flexibility in terms of jobs and employability.
She should consider what she could major in and then add ID onto. That would give her a lot more flexibility when she graduates in terms of jobs.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on May 22, 2014 14:15:51 GMT -5
I'd ask where she got the idea for interior design. If she's got a plan I would back off. Not everyone dreams of being YM perfect and a CEO of a company. If she can learn and be happy living on what an ID makes then more power to her. If she's thinking she's going to get her own show on HDTV then checking out on the web what the reality for ID is would be a very good idea. When I was leaving Simpson they were trying to pressure the Chemistry department to start a forsenics major. The college smelled big bucks because they had a ton of undergraduates coming in wanting to be like the guy they saw on CSI. Well the reality of forsenics isn't like TV and job prospects for that field aren't very good there are more people trying to get a job than there are slots. This was the parents concern. So the Dean of the Chem department got the school to agree to Forsenics being a sub-topic for the biochemistry program which offers much more flexibility in terms of jobs and employability. She should consider what she could major in and then add ID onto. That would give her a lot more flexibility when she graduates in terms of jobs.This this this this this.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on May 22, 2014 14:22:37 GMT -5
From my experience (based on myself and the graduates I kept up with from our Interior Design Program)
Me: I'm technically the Vice President of a Highway Heavy Road Construction Company. Really I oversee the day to day operations, help with bidding, do all the bookkeeping, taxes, HR, paperwork, etc. I'm alone in the office about 85% of the time. I make $80,000 a year and utilize the Const. Mgmt. side of my degree even though my degree is technically a BS in Interior Design (through the college of Science and Engineering Technology- it was a very unique program)
BFF: same degree as me. She is a freelance office manager for a construction middle man. Their company does project management but no physical work on the jobsites. They hire and manage all the subs. They are based out of Texas but do work all over the country. She telecommutes from MN. I say freelance because her hours are pretty flexible and she helps do the books for a couple of other companies on a part time basis. I'd say she makes around $50-$60,000 a year (based on vague discussions we've had)
AF- same degree as me. Mostly a stay at home mom (her husband is a farmer so they live in the middle of nowhere). Before son was born she worked at a small furniture store in her town as a salesperson.
JS- interior designer with a local Furniture Store in our city. I have no clue what she makes but I'm guessing it's not much over the $40,000 range. Mostly she helps people with furniture selection, layouts, picking paint colors, etc. The furniture she chooses is always something the store she's attached to sells.
S- took extra math and science class and continued on to get her Masters in Architecture at another university
M- uses her marketing minor for her career and not the ID bachelor's at all.
So out of the 6 of us. BFF, M and I barely use our Interior Design degrees. A is on the mommy track and not currently using hers. S became an architect and used the ID degree to add some sparkle to her resume. JS is the only one of us currently working as an Interior Designer.
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2014 15:46:56 GMT -5
I was skimming through the posts but i didn't see costs for utilities, cable (if she wants it), cell phone. I wouldn't even want that kind of a loan for engineering or law. Maybe medical school but like somebody else pointed out residents make 50k or even less. Interior design is not as easily employable and you don't make much. I would think she'd start at 30k at most if she can find a job. Plus if the advantage of her hometown is cheaper prices, she'd probably start with even lower. I am not trying to knock interior designers at all, it is just the supply/demand of that field. I hope she considers your suggestions.
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2014 16:09:45 GMT -5
I'm attending my cousin's high school graduation next week, and after that she plans to attend my out-of-state alma mater. The figure she was quoted, per semester, was roughly $12.5k. Since I last attended the school in 2009 and spent approximately $35k for the calendar year (I took a full semester over the summer), that figure sounds reasonable to me. Unfortunately, she hasn't gotten any scholarships or grants, nor does she have any college savings, so her plan is to pay for this with loans. I'm not bashing loans - I had to take out $15k myself for that final year (in addition to the $20k I had saved), and it was the best option for me. However, I don't know if she fully understands the ramifications of a six-figure loan in her early twenties. Obviously, there's things she can do to defray the cost - take extra credits/online classes in summer, work part time during the year and full time during the summer - but realistically, that *might* shave off maybe 1/4 of the cost. $75k is still a hell of a debt load, IMO, for undergrad education at an average state school. If you were me, what advice would you give my cousin about her education plans? (The usual drill - can't post often during the day, will answer questions when I can.) are her parents not contributing anything at all to college?
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Firebird
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Post by Firebird on May 22, 2014 19:07:40 GMT -5
Specific responses tomorrow but this is some great, great stuff. I'm currently trying to figure out how to download this thread into her brain.
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on May 22, 2014 19:57:23 GMT -5
MPL already mentioned reciprocity. Has she looked into that at all? She may have more options than she thinks she has.
Also, if she goes the CC route it may be cheaper/more affordable if she does that in the state where she plans to get her 4-year degree. While taking classes and a (part-time) job she would be establishing residency and she would not have to pay the OOS surcharge once she transfers?
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2014 20:04:33 GMT -5
MPL already mentioned reciprocity. Has she looked into that at all? She may have more options than she thinks she has.
Also, if she goes the CC route it may be cheaper/more affordable if she does that in the state where she plans to get her 4-year degree. While taking classes and a (part-time) job she would be establishing residency and she would not have to pay the OOS surcharge once she transfers? unless she is declared independent, her home state will be where her parents live.
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Firebird
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Post by Firebird on May 23, 2014 8:47:55 GMT -5
Fire, could it be that she's chosen your alma mater because she knew you went there? From what you said, she doesn't have a lot in the way of guidance on the subject. That's possible for sure. Personally, I went there because it was out of state and they gave me a scholarship so that it was roughly equal to what the state schools would have cost me. And I really liked the campus/atmosphere. I was a little puzzled, though, that she didn't even ask me about the school when she was considering going there. Even though we're not close, I would've been happy to tell her all about the school and its good points. I would have even been willing to take a road trip there with her and tour the school. Just struck me as odd. Do a little homework and see if there are neighboring states that offer reciprocity if the 1 in-state school doesn't do it for her. (I'm with MN, I can't believe that there is only 1) Okay, my bad. There's two. My parents both attended one of them and loved it, so I know it doesn't suck but like I said, I can appreciate her wanting to be more than 30 miles from her hometown. Reciprocity is something I never even researched on my own behalf so I'm sure as hell not going to do it for her when she hasn't even asked me for advice (In all honesty, that was a huge part of the reason I decided to return to my school in 2009 after two years living on the other side of the country and forked over the out of state tuition myself. I wanted to finish at bullet speed and the best way to do that was resume my classes where I started them.) Anyway, on research in general: I can honestly say that if it hadn't been for having two parents who'd gone to university (and had me start visiting campuses at the ripe old age of 14), I wouldn't have had the first clue what to do, who to ask for guidance, or how the whole "next step in life" thing was supposed to work. High schools do a piss-poor job of preparing students for college in any meaningful way (never mind the rest of real life), so without a close family member who's done it, kids are at a major disadvantage if they want to go to college. I'm going to take a wild guess here that she hasn't done a lot of digging into scholarships, tuition reimbursement, student loans, or anything else that's been suggested. Many of the girls (not being sexist but in our entire program there was 4 guys) minored in Marketing and ended up in sales type jobs after graduating. Several commented during our senior year that they wished they'd majored in Marketing and been able to minor in Interior Design. Even though it won't matter for the first year or so, I'll definitely suggest this to her. A marketing degree is much more marketable than ID from the sound of it. Two years at a community college will help "sort out" what she might want to be as she "evolves" pursuant to additional exposure to academic subjects.
Couldn't agree more. And thanks for the link. I think I'm going to write her a letter and try to summarize all of this... I know from experience that discussions around "you need to do/research/find x, y and z" can be super overwhelming. A letter is easier to digest and I don't have to dampen the party mood. Plus, then the ball's in her court. If she wants to follow up with me, she can. she'll be able to contribute to some of her costs through summer jobs and during the school year jobs, wont she? so the entire cost won't be through loansSure, but let's be realistic. I think I made $8/hr at my 15 hr/week part time job while in school my sophomore year and $15/hr during my summer job. So I made, perhaps, $10k/year before taxes. And I worked in high school so I had some experience to build on which got me a pretty decent summer internship. If she makes the same amount I did all four years, then her loan will still be a whopping $60k. As I said, I spent $35k for one calendar year (three full semesters) at that school, January-December 2009. That covered everything - living expenses, tuition, books. And I was living LEAN (tuition alone was ~$9k/semester). I barely had a social life to speak of, basically did nothing but study and work. Not exactly a fantasy college experience. It's now four years later, prices have only gone up. I think $12,500/semester for "everything" is conservative. More in a minute.
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Firebird
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 29, 2010 12:55:06 GMT -5
Posts: 12,452
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Post by Firebird on May 23, 2014 8:57:15 GMT -5
I did my best to try and talk to her and see if she had interest in choosing something that might be a little easier to find work in, but she was dead set on criminal physicology. I tried, but she was 18 and kew better, even though I was the only 'adult' she knew who'd gotten a college degree.Well, we all remember the good old days of being 18 and knowing everything I hope she takes some of my advice to heart but if she doesn't... oh well. Life is about learning from your mistakes. I can always send a redacted copy of my SL statement if you want to do the Scared Straight approach You know, midjd, if you're serious about that I'll actually take you up on it and include it with my letter. I know at 18 I didn't have the first clue about student loans. My parents must have signed me up for the loan I initially used to supplement the costs ($5k for two semesters) because I don't remember doing it and I certainly didn't notice or care about the amount. It wasn't until two years later when I was on my own and paying it off that I realized how lucky I was that it wasn't more. So it's easy for me to imagine how she could sign up for loans not really grasping what they mean for her later. how come she didn't get any grants? Was she a poor student with low SAT and GPA? If that is the case - she might not be made for college.
I don't know the specifics of her academic credentials (and if I did, I wouldn't share them here anyway, out of respect for her privacy). I have no idea if she's "college material" or not. Another reason community college is such a good idea. (Of course if she drops out she won't have as much in loans to repay - but it sucks to repay loans for something if you aren't getting value out of it, which she probably won't if she doesn't finish.) giramomma, I like your questions. I'll put those in the letter I'm about to draft. This conversation is actually starting to make me kind of tense - I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that I've got ten years on her and I still don't know the answers to a lot of them! I'm 100% sure I've asked you this before, but what do you do again? are her parents not contributing anything at all to college?
Not to my knowledge. They might help her with books and things but they don't have a fund set aside or anything. Okay, I'm off to go start a letter to her. Maybe I'll post it when I'm done and you guys can tell me if I'm leaving anything important out.
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