College Decisions Today, Freedom Tomorrow

Sometimes the hardest parenting decisions become the ones our kids appreciate most later.

For some families, it’s high school graduation season… and for others, it’s college visit season for rising seniors.

As families tour campuses and talk about the future this summer, I thought I’d share one of the hardest financial conversations we had as parents — and a few things I’ve learned since becoming a financial coach.

My daughter had just toured a school she absolutely loved. Tuition? About $70,000 per year (this was in 2019).

We walked back to the car, and I had to say:👉 “Sorry… we can’t afford this school.”

What made it harder was that she was an excellent student. We assumed her GPA would qualify her for strong academic aid. What we didn’t realize was that at that particular school, her GPA was average among applicants.

She cried and said:“I’ll just take out student loans.”

And I told her something she didn’t fully understand at the time:👉 “You’ll thank me when you’re 30. Student loans are not an option.”

As a financial coach, I now see the other side of these decisions every day.

I see:

• parents sacrificing retirement security

• graduates delaying marriage or homeownership

• young couples starting life together carrying debt that feels like a mortgage… without the house

  
  

The emotional weight of student loans is very real.

The interesting part?

Both of my kids ended up successful through very different college paths.

My daughter attended a smaller local private school where professors personally invested in students and connected them with opportunities. She had a job offer 18 months before graduation.

My son chose a larger state school for electrical engineering specifically because of its strong co-op program. He took full advantage of those opportunities and also had a job lined up before graduation.

What I’ve learned is this:

I don’t think success is only about the school name.

I think it’s more about:

• the degree/major

• internships & co-ops

• work experience

• networking

• initiative

• and what the student actually does with the opportunity

  
  

There is no perfect path.

But I do think families need to ask harder questions about:

• ROI

• future lifestyle impact

• debt burden

• and what financial freedom will look like at 30, not just 18.

  
  

Because sometimes the question isn’t:👉 “Can we make this work?”

Sometimes the better question is:👉 “What will this decision mean for our child’s future life, freedom, and opportunities?”