"Should" is the operative word here. Neither parents, nor children, "should" pay for college. Each family has to decide what's best for them. Do parents have a moral obligation to pay for their child's education past the age of 18? I don't believe so. In this day and age, with a rapidly growing importance for higher education, it is certainly a blessing if one's parents can afford to send their child to college. I am incredibly grateful to my parents for the opportunity they gifted me, for making my college career convenient on my wallet both during school and after graduation. Unlike some people I know, I wasn't paying off loans as soon as I got my first job, and that made a huge difference on my stress level. Finding your first job and the initial adjustment to the real world is hard enough.

On the other hand, if my parents had not been able to afford sending me to college, or hadn't planned accordingly, that would not have stopped me from going. Regardless of the actual monetary cost, my parents instilled in me the real value of a college education. Student loans are at an all-time low, and many allow a certain amount of time to begin repaying your loan after graduation. So for those who plan to go and pay their own way, it's definitely worth it. All of this not even factoring in scholarships, which are abundant in Florida if you work for them.

So, "should" parents pay for their child's education? That's purely opinion based on a case by case basis. Is is a really awesome gift that many graduates don't realize they were given? Absolutely.

Thanks, Mom and Dad!

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