Concerning finances, we are in a position where we are able to give our kids two options, which I suppose I should have articulated. The first option is that my husband and I will pay for their first year and a study abroad experience, should they choose to attend one. The second option is that we finance a year and a half. Our daughter is aware of this, and that’s been something we’ve been straightforward about for a while. If she feels a school won’t be worth the cost she could be potentially paying, she doesn’t look into anymore. That’s her choice.
I should mention that we are a larger family-my husband and I have six children. We’re obviously not going to pay for one child’s tuition and not the others, so the year/study abroad or year and a half agreement is something that we both felt was feasible.
As far as not allowing her to apply to a school she hasn’t toured, both my husband and I feel that a tour is an important factor is choosing a college, and I honestly don’t feel that it’s a very restrictive criteria compared to some others I’ve seen.