Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Paying for Childrens College

Options
  • 30-04-2018 10:25am
    #1
    hurler32
    Closed Accounts Posts: 451 ✭✭


    Not going to be this year but ive 3 children junior cert down to 6th class so ive college coming at me big time in 3 years or so with the possibility of 3 in college at the one time.
    We're a single income household of 50K, can just about pay the mortgage, cloth and feed ourselves , how can one be expected to fund college fees , accommodation if necessary , is there loans the children can get to pay back when they start working?...or am I as well off give up my job and let them get grants?


«13456

Comments

  • Options
    #2
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭peasant


    You could always sell one child to pay for the other two

    #leastfavouritechild


  • Options
    #3
    Hector Savage
    Registered Users Posts: 8,810 ✭✭✭Hector Savage


    AH is a bad place for this ...... but yeah, seriously selling the least favourite kid (the ginger one) is a good option . :P


  • Options
    #4
    taserfrank
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 52 ✭✭taserfrank


    You could always start making methenamines and attempt to sell them with the help of a former chemistry student of yours.


  • Options
    #5
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,964 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Save the children's allowance? Get them into part time jobs? I was baby sitting from about 13.


  • Options
    #6
    Boom_Bap
    Moderators, Music Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,730 Mod ✭✭✭✭Boom_Bap


    Put the 3 of them into a no-holes-bared, hell-in-a-cell, fight to the death.

    It reduces you daily bills immediately and college fees will be a third of what they could have been.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,675 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Send the smartest one to college.

    Make the other two work in Supermacs to pay for it.


    Seriously ... no kid has a right to parent funded college. They should be getting after school and summer jobs and start saving for themselves from about 16 onwards. Also, they should consider apprenticeship based options. Or if they're smart, apply for every scholarship going.


  • Options
    #8
    raspberrypi67
    Registered Users Posts: 763 ✭✭✭raspberrypi67


    Well, on a serious note now is the time to start saving...even cut down on unnecessary things...easier said then done though Id expect. Ive one in college at the minute and 2 close behind but I've been saving for this for 10 years!!
    Will they all go to college?

    My son of 17 had a part time job last year. Its good times ( so they say ! ) out there with jobs, you'll have to get them out working as much as possible during the summer, save the money...
    There's always grand parents for loans...!


  • Options
    #9
    Owryan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,024 ✭✭✭Owryan


    https://susi.ie/undergraduate-income-threshold-and-grant-award-rates/ start here. Makes everything clear as mud.


  • Options
    #10
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    hurler32 wrote: »
    Not going to be this year but ive 3 children junior cert down to 6th class so ive college coming at me big time in 3 years or so with the possibility of 3 in college at the one time.
    We're a single income household of 50K, can just about pay the mortgage, cloth and feed ourselves , how can one be expected to fund college fees , accommodation if necessary , is there loans the children can get to pay back when they start working?...or am I as well off give up my job and let them get grants?

    I worked through university myself with two jobs, covering my own expenses (rent, food, drugs) while my parents covered the official fees. Admittedly, I barely scraped a pass... :D Get your kids to pick up a useful employable skill before university starts and you're sorted except for the fees, and on 50k you should be able to cover that. My parents were on less than that when I went through uni. Or just get your other half to start doing freelancing jobs on the internet and save up a warchest.


  • Options
    #11
    Hector Savage
    Registered Users Posts: 8,810 ✭✭✭Hector Savage


    Save Save Save .... we allready have 17k put aside for our two sons (6 and 2) college fund, and we are in regualr paying jobs ...


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    Melendez
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,645 ✭✭✭Melendez


    This post has been deleted.


  • Options
    #13
    silverharp
    Registered Users Posts: 17,840 ✭✭✭✭silverharp


    Send them to a private school , then when they go to college their costs drop, works for us.

    A belief in gender identity involves a level of faith as there is nothing tangible to prove its existence which, as something divorced from the physical body, is similar to the idea of a soul. - Colette Colfer



  • Options
    #14
    LirW
    Registered Users Posts: 4,825 ✭✭✭LirW


    Any farmers out there or so to take on an 8y/o to dig out spuds or turnips for a few quid? Not because of college funds (well, that too) but mainly because he can be a massive pain in the neck when rugby training isn't on.

    On a more serious note, around here I sometimes see tradesmen or farmers asking for young lads to give them a hand with some basic work. Asking on local buy and sell groups can work out too.
    Have an eye on them how their studying for LC is going, some kids can't cope with the workload of an after school / weekend job when they're studying, others do. For them a summer job might be a better option.


  • Options
    #15
    jcorr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 232 ✭✭jcorr


    hurler32 wrote: »
    Not going to be this year but ive 3 children junior cert down to 6th class so ive college coming at me big time in 3 years or so with the possibility of 3 in college at the one time.
    We're a single income household of 50K, can just about pay the mortgage, cloth and feed ourselves , how can one be expected to fund college fees , accommodation if necessary , is there loans the children can get to pay back when they start working?...or am I as well off give up my job and let them get grants?

    Any passive income streams?


  • Options
    #16
    hurler32
    Closed Accounts Posts: 451 ✭✭hurler32


    In the UK it seems the student themselves can borrow their costs of college from the government and pay back when working...not available in this country.
    For those of us on modest income youd nearly be as well off on the dole and getting grants ?


  • Options
    #17
    EdEd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 108 ✭✭EdEd


    hurler32 wrote: »
    In the UK it seems the student themselves can borrow their costs of college from the government and pay back when working...not available in this country.
    For those of us on modest income youd nearly be as well off on the dole and getting grants ?

    There were attempts to bring in such a system but I've heard nothing about it in a few years.

    As for the cost of going to college, apply for fees through SUSI and go to a college that's commutable to the family home. Where possible of course. The cost of student accommodation is scandalous.


  • Options
    #18
    c6ysaphjvqw41k
    Closed Accounts Posts: 466 ✭✭c6ysaphjvqw41k


    This post has been deleted.


  • Options
    #19
    LirW
    Registered Users Posts: 4,825 ✭✭✭LirW


    Its not like college costs a lot here lets be honest. My sister in law has debt of around 100k in the US for college and had to get loans for that and will be paying them off a very long time. In other countries students pay for themselves though loans I dont see why here its expected that your parents pay. Its not a lot and will be paid off very quickly.

    Because for a lot of parents it's a very natural thing to help the kids out. Putting aside the whole "letthekidspaytheirway"-thing it is incredibly demanding working 20 hours and go to university full time. I know many do and many struggle questioning if it's all worth it. Also there are only so many jobs that accommodate studying full-time.
    Working while studying can expand your course, especially if situations change and you suddenly can't fund yourself anymore or don't find another job that accommodated your schedule. Been there, done that, I ended up dropping out because I couldn't handle university, 25 h work and raising a toddler on my own and even without kid it would have been bloody hard.

    I'd try myself and have funds aside for my kids college. Not saying that I don't support them working, but the pressure is already really high and if I can help making it easier for them, I'd like to do that. There is a huge difference between supporting their education and spoiling them rotten by not teaching them financial responsibility and some things about adult life.


  • Options
    #20
    RunRoryRun
    Registered Users Posts: 476 ✭✭RunRoryRun


    You can limit the expense by funding fees only (no rent or entertainment) - they'll need to live at home and choose a college within commuting distance. That's what we did and got part time jobs to pay for lunches, buses and nights out.


  • Options
    #21
    Roadtoad
    Registered Users Posts: 743 ✭✭✭Roadtoad


    Ye will need about €10,000 pa per child, if he/she is going to a 'full' university and living away from home, roughly half that if living within the commute zone. If they are blessed with getting into a high workload course ye cannot expect any part time job, except perhaps during holidays. Their ability to commute bigger distances is likewise curtailed if on a high demand course.

    If 'managing' your income for grants purposes, it used be based on the previous year's P60, so don't get caught with a huge lump of overtime the year BEFORE the kid does the Leaving. (e.g. 2017 P60 for 2018 Leaving cert). (that's pre SUSI info, fresher comment welcome)

    We had two kids overlapping for a couple of years, it has to be planned and put aside! Good luck.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #22
    B0jangles
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,951 ✭✭✭B0jangles


    Boom_Bap wrote: »
    Put the 3 of them into a no-holes-bared, hell-in-a-cell, fight to the death.

    It reduces you daily bills immediately and college fees will be a third of what they could have been.

    Hope to god that's a typo...


  • Options
    #23
    whisky_galore
    Registered Users Posts: 15,747 ✭✭✭✭whisky_galore


    One goes to college and emigrates, one gets the farm and the one that's left joins a religious order.


  • Options
    #24
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,675 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Hector Savage wrote: »
    Save Save Save .... we allready have 17k put aside for our two sons (6 and 2) college fund, and we are in regualr paying jobs ...

    Man are you going to be disappointed when onr runs away to join the circus and the other becomes a plumber!


  • Options
    #25
    LirW
    Registered Users Posts: 4,825 ✭✭✭LirW


    Mrs OBumble wrote: »
    Man are you going to be disappointed when onr runs away to join the circus and the other becomes a plumber!

    Nice luxury holiday and a new car it is then!


  • Options
    #26
    Donald Trump
    Registered Users Posts: 19,057 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump


    B0jangles wrote: »
    Boom_Bap wrote: »
    Put the 3 of them into a no-holes-bared, hell-in-a-cell, fight to the death.

    It reduces you daily bills immediately and college fees will be a third of what they could have been.

    Hope to god that's a typo...

    I see you've never been with an Offaly woman. Nothing is off the table


  • Options
    #27
    Topgear on Dave
    Registered Users Posts: 4,522 ✭✭✭Topgear on Dave


    whisky_galore wrote: »
    One goes to college and emigrates, one gets the farm and the one that's left joins a religious order.

    Tis the traditional way and its always worked well :pac:


  • Options
    #28
    jester77
    Registered Users Posts: 11,262 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    Any of them daughters? They could work as strippers or find a sugar daddy to pay the way.


  • Options
    #29
    LirW
    Registered Users Posts: 4,825 ✭✭✭LirW


    jester77 wrote: »
    Any of them daughters? They could work as strippers or find a sugar daddy to pay the way.

    2 of my German friends do it that way or at least did for a while, you'd be shocked how many girls actually fund their education like that. Main struggle is demanding courses and little work that accommodates their schedule.


  • Options
    #30
    hurler32
    Closed Accounts Posts: 451 ✭✭hurler32


    Roadtoad wrote: »
    Ye will need about €10,000 pa per child, if he/she is going to a 'full' university and living away from home, roughly half that if living within the commute zone. If they are blessed with getting into a high workload course ye cannot expect any part time job, except perhaps during holidays. Their ability to commute bigger distances is likewise curtailed if on a high demand course.

    If 'managing' your income for grants purposes, it used be based on the previous year's P60, so don't get caught with a huge lump of overtime the year BEFORE the kid does the Leaving. (e.g. 2017 P60 for 2018 Leaving cert). (that's pre SUSI info, fresher comment welcome)

    We had two kids overlapping for a couple of years, it has to be planned and put aside! Good luck.


    10K a year is the lower end of what ive been told...even at that its 120K for 3 children for someone netting 38,000 per annum...maybe they could get loans in the final year...whilst some are saying why should the parents pay..it does seem that way for the majority I know but in northern Ireland it seems the normal way is for students to borrow through government loan scheme....


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #31
    LirW
    Registered Users Posts: 4,825 ✭✭✭LirW


    Accommodation costs are the main breaking point. OP, do you live near any college?
    We're living pretty rural and if they wanna go to college in Ireland they'd have to move close by or on-site because commuting isn't doable for them from here, because there's no public transport whatsoever. If that means living in the capital or a major city, it's gonna be horrifyingly expensive. All the new student accommodation blocks have some insane prices starting at a grand a month in Dublin and at the moment shared accommodation is scarce.

    Kid 1 isn't an Irish citizen and kid 2 holds dual citizenship, I'll definitely encourage them to consider going back home to study because accommodation is cheap (rooms in student homes around 300-400 a month, shared flats marginally cheaper) and fees are currently non-existent for citizens.
    If they're somewhat good in another language might studying abroad be an option?


Advertisement