The United Schnuthie College Fund

One of my co-workers is pregnant with twins — girls, most likely. I overheard her saying that she and her husband had actually started their children’s college fund with last year’s tax return, before they even started trying for a baby (and before they got two for the price of one).

That made me think: should we be thinking about our future child’s education?

I mean, both Aaron and I had to take out loans to pay for our own college, and we’ll probably be paying on them until we retire. Literally. How would it be different if I didn’t have that expense now, and if I had known back then that I wouldn’t have that expense in the future? Would that have changed my young-adult relationship with my mother? Would I have worked harder, by virtue of someone else paying my way? Or would I just not have this $45 grand to pay off now?

Now that I think about it, we *would* like to enroll our child or children in private school at some point, and St. John’s costs just about as much as a community college. Should we be saving for that, too, or just hoping that our kid will test high enough to get a scholarship, or that we’ll be considered poor enough for him to get financial aid?

It’s weird stuff to think about. Especially when we haven’t even started trying to make this hypothetical future college student yet. I’d imagine that, once that other human being is actually in the picture, staring at me, I’ll probably feel different about providing for it. Right now, though, it just feels like, “I had to pay for my own college, kiddo, and so will you. Deal.”

3 thoughts on The United Schnuthie College Fund

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  1. hm, here’s my philosophy:

    i think the whole point of raising kids is to make a better life for them than the one you had, even if you had a pretty good life! that being said, i dont think they should have everything handed to them on a silver platter either.

    i think it’s important to put money away for your child’s college fund. maybe not 100% of it. even 50% would be better than what i had. i still wouldnt let them have spending money for clothes, etc… they’d have to work for that.

    and, if they work their ass of and get a scholarship, i can invest it for them so when (and if and only if) they graduate from college they can do what they like with it. 😛

  2. before my blacklist app so rudely interrupted kris fries, he was trying to say:

    “I don’t know, but the last time I checked SJ costs a lot more than Owens a year. Almost as much as UT a year I think. It’s nice to want to help out your future children…but that’s about any of us can hope for, is to help out. College costs a ridiculous amount NOW, who only knows what it’ll be in 18 years.”