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It may have been silly and counterproductive before the cost of tuition went through the roof, and a 4 year degree became a de-facto requirement for almost all

It may have been silly and counterproductive before the cost of tuition went through the roof, and a 4 year degree became a de-facto requirement for almost all well-paying careers. My dad paid his own way through his PhD working part-time at Friendly's (fast food chain) while my mom was a public school teacher. Good luck doing that these days. It is my responsibility as a parent to ensure my children are as equipped to prosper as possible. They should not have to endure decades or potentially a lifetime of un-forgivable debt for what has become an almost fundamental requirement to be middle class. Expecting 18 year olds to get a job and pay their own way is no longer realistic unless you are fine with your kids being shut out of most economic opportunities. I hope it'll be more realistic in 18 years, but I can't count on that. Call me silly if you want, I'm just adapting to the way things are. I'd rather have two kids with full opportunities than four kids with 20% opportunities. As for the HSA, having seen my mom fight cancer for over a decade I'm well aware of how much healthcare can cost. Even with out-of-pocket max limits, it'll be a while before I feel comfortable not maxing it out.

xyzzyz 4y ago
Again, you can also help your kids pay off the college loans, which will be much easier for you 25 years from now, than it is to save money up front. Second thing is that you need to understand how cost of college works: basically, schools offer a lot of financial aid, but only to those who cannot afford it otherwise. This means that the more you save for your kids college, the higher the bill will be. The schools will ask your kids how much money they have saved, and will adjust the price to extract all of it. The system favors the people who don’t save, and people like you pay the cost. You are literally hamstringing yourself, thinking that it’s for benefit of your kids, but you’re actually benefiting people who don’t plan and live day by day.
rayiner 4y ago
> a 4 year degree became a de-facto requirement for almost all well-paying careers. Which is the real problem. The U.S. sent a man to the moon with a work force that was just 8% college graduates. Do most people really need a college degree today, or is it just useless and very expensive gatekeeping? Why does a receptionist need a college degree? Even many white-collar jobs that involve working with computers could probably be done on an apprenticeship model. Does doing online marketing really require a 4-year degree when being a nurse or an HVAC technician doesn't?
- tptacek 4y ago
  No, it doesn't.
Balgair 4y ago
> My dad paid his own way through his PhD working part-time at Friendly's Woah, in what field? There's no way a PI in STEM will have that happening today, or for the last 40 years really. Also, where was you dad having to pay for a PhD? In the US at least they are free and almost always have been.

xyzzyz 4y ago

Again, you can also help your kids pay off the college loans, which will be much easier for you 25 years from now, than it is to save money up front. Second thing is that you need to understand how cost of college works: basically, schools offer a lot of financial aid, but only to those who cannot afford it otherwise. This means that the more you save for your kids college, the higher the bill will be. The schools will ask your kids how much money they have saved, and will adjust the price to extract all of it. The system favors the people who don’t save, and people like you pay the cost. You are literally hamstringing yourself, thinking that it’s for benefit of your kids, but you’re actually benefiting people who don’t plan and live day by day.

rayiner 4y ago

> a 4 year degree became a de-facto requirement for almost all well-paying careers. Which is the real problem. The U.S. sent a man to the moon with a work force that was just 8% college graduates. Do most people really need a college degree today, or is it just useless and very expensive gatekeeping? Why does a receptionist need a college degree? Even many white-collar jobs that involve working with computers could probably be done on an apprenticeship model. Does doing online marketing really require a 4-year degree when being a nurse or an HVAC technician doesn't?

tptacek 4y ago
No, it doesn't.

Balgair 4y ago

> My dad paid his own way through his PhD working part-time at Friendly's Woah, in what field? There's no way a PI in STEM will have that happening today, or for the last 40 years really. Also, where was you dad having to pay for a PhD? In the US at least they are free and almost always have been.