@sbgal2011 - I am so sorry, my heart goes out to you. But I agree with the others - do not beat yourself up. He graduated from high school, that’s huge. He’s now taking a break to grow up - that’s good. Freshman year was a loss, let it go and know that your son will eventually get tired of working in a grocery store - likely by the time all his friends graduate and leave his college town for better-paid positions. Give yourself a break but also prepare yourself for the time when he comes back and wants to restart his education - it’s very likely it will happen. Maybe I don’t need to say this but - make sure you don’t get guilt-tripped into paying his expenses while he’s working or paying off any debt he incurs. He chose to place himself in the adult world - place him there in your mind and keep him there. Invest his college funds as if they are your retirement. Have expectations for him that you would have for an adult child, that he will take care of himself financially. When he gets to the point where he can handle the college work and world independantly then you can re-evaluate how much assistance you can give him. It won’t be the dream college experience you wanted for him but it will be “his path”.