<p>" He will most probably be doing unpaid internships/service projects/foreign study most summers/off terms. We do not expect he will make his own spending money due to this."</p>
<p>If you indulge fruity volunteerism (self actualization/make abetter world), then you have no one to blame but yourself if you end up subsidizing you kid through a 2 year employment drought after graduation. I’ve sadly seen those students who were volunteering, rather then working, get a real slam in the head after graduation. Real world work patterns need to be learned, and full-time employers are less likely to take a chance on a college graduate who has never faced the realities of the work world.</p>
<p>There are paid internships and unpaid one. There are job in SD area of interest as well as unpaid position. Lay down the law; tell them to find a job in thier area. Most applications have to be in for internships in January, not April. Hussle.</p>
<p>I personally despise Gatorade, but the kids like it. This year I have quit buying bottled water for the house and bought a harder plastic, easy to clean water bottle that I fill from the sink. Each night I freeze about half the container filled with water, and then add more water to have it ice cold. Works well that way. My little guy does the same with the powered gatorade mix. I often fill an empty milk gallon milk jug with it premixed. In the summer I have a jug of lemonade and of iced tea in such jugs. I also keep one of water now. I also fill a thermos with tea to bring with me so that I am not as apt to want to buy a cup of tea when I am out. Makes a difference. My cash outflow has been cut down drastically.</p>
<p>S1 does not get an allowance from us at college. S pays $4,000/year from his work (during the year and the summer), takes out a Stafford loan and gets a partial tuition merit scholarship from his school. He landed a job his first day on campus and a summer position by mid-October. He won a laptop senior year, so neither of us had to pay for that. This year, he is applying all his small scholarships to his bill, so he winds up paying a little over half of full freight this year. In future years, it will be ~35-40%. He knows this is the price he pays for taking the dream school vs. the whole enchilada free ride, and is VERY appreciative that we did not put limits on him. We also have a younger son who is currently a HS junior, so he knows $$ is an issue.</p>
<p>He is on our family cell plan, as it is cheaper than a separate account. No bells and whistles. If he wants a snazzier phone, it’s on his dime. He has been happy to take the freebie. We pay for the cheap advance purchase flights home. Winter Break will be spent at home working remotely on his on-campus job and hanging out with friends. Is going to a math conference in early January that is in our area, so he can stay here. Student admission is something like $20. We expect to be housing several of his friends who are also planning to attend. He will need to head up to Boston over Spring Break to arrange for a summer sublet for his research position – he’ll use Amtrak free miles and stay with buddies.</p>
<p>He buys some of his clothes; I bought him a winter coat this year. Decided not to get him a new one last year even though he needed it because he was seriously considering school in SoCal, Boston and Chicago. Slightly different clothing requirements! He buys most of his shirts, I get him jeans (he is not fussy about labels; I am glad when we can find something that fits him).</p>
<p>My biggest complaint about what we pay for college is the meal plan. He eats like a bird. It is a monumental waste of $$!</p>
<p>We didn’t break down costs into particular categories – too much room for debate. We just looked at the total bill, broke down the sources of $$ and allocated accordingly.</p>
<p>He has spent maybe $150 this quarter. He has not withdrawn anything from his checking account yet and has deposited his paychecks. His GF is in Vermont. This may have something to do with it. :)</p>
<p>I did not read the whole thread but did notice a post that said, “Who uses a cell phone? Everyone blitzes.” What is blitzing? I never heard of it. My oldest son has a blackberry that his job pays for. The other three kids – including one in the work force, one in college and one in high school – use cell phones. I use a cell phone.</p>
<p>mimk…I noticed that too and I have no idea what “blitzes” means. I likely am technologically behind the times. We all have regular basic cell phones. No Blackberries or IPhones. My cell doesn’t even work in my house or community, nor can I use text messaging. I can only use my cell when I travel. My kids, who are away at school, use their cell phones a lot.</p>
<p>I also wondered what a blitz is - and I think I am reasonably up to speed on current fads and technologies… and have a son who is right in the middle on most of these things who also has no clue based upon the football response I got last night…</p>
<p>OK, now I’m confused. Don’t they use their cell phones to blitz? Wondering what DS was doing holding that cell phone all week. I’m fairly certain there was a Dartmouth girl somewhere doing same!</p>
<p>D provides her own spending money and books, and any travel expenses off campus (weekends with friends or spring break). I did say I would spring for a plane ticket for spring break if she wants to go somewhere other than home (I would pay for a ticket anyway), but the rest of the expenses would be on her. I have also made it clear that if she wants to do some kind of unpaid summer internship (or overseas summer program that costs money), I am not covering the expenses for the summer or the next year’s spending money (so she has been saving up and has been quite frugal, because she does anticipate a summer with an unpaid internship). I provide her cell phone (upgrades only when the cell company provides them for “free”), but minutes are not unlimited (so far no problems there). She pays the extra for texting capability.</p>
<p>These expectations have been clear to her for several years (she knew she would have to pay for spending money & books), and she has been quite frugal over the years. And found an excellent paying internship/job last summer in our city, so she can live at home. </p>
<p>All that said, it is tough to change expectations part way through the college experience… Kids may view it as unfair if there has been no change in family circumstance, and they have a (partial) point.</p>
<p>blitz is e-mail I guess he can pick up e-mail on his phone or he does a lot of texting.</p>
<p>OP stated:
</p>
<p>to which toadstool responded:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Actually toadstool,
If Op’s son should decide to do an unpaid internship as part of their new financial aid initiative, Dartmouth will provide an additional scholarship of $2,950 to allow financial aid recipients to take advantage of research or internship opportunities in their junior year. </p>
<p>This stems from the fact that students were expected to contribute earnings from their summer employment towards the cost of their education, thereby having less flexibility than non-financial aid students in participating in important components of the Dartmouth experience. With the new initiative in place, students will be able to participate in community service, other forms of volunteer activities, or spend the time on their own research or studying for graduate school entrance exams.</p>
<p>My S was one of those who never earned a cent until his junior year college internship. During HS, his summers were filled with summer baseball leagues and camps. When he reached college, he did unpaid and volunteer work in the first two summers. However,that didn’t prevent companies from hiring him as he had four job offers before Christmas of his senior year.</p>
<p>I would be inclined to fund some of the trip to Asia with friends, since it is being hosted by adults and it would be with a family, the airfare alone is about all he has to spend, no lodging and not much food, so that puts the trip in the genre of ‘experience with friend and family’ vs indulgent trip to FL with the frat boys</p>
<p>I would expect him to fund ALL of his expenses on the trip and would contribute to the travel costs only</p>
<p>I would call Dartmouth and see how they adjust their food plan for a big eater. If your son is expected to spend $30 a day in the dining hall, then that seems like a rip off. Tell them.</p>
<p>My S is a first year student at Dartmouth also. He gets no allowance from us at all, although he is on our family cell phone plan. I strongly doubt that “everyone” your son knows is getting $300 per month allowance! </p>
<p>My S has a work-study job with the dining service that not only pays him, but gives him a discount at the dining facility where he works, which is apparently the most expensive one. I’ve asked him several times how his meal plan $$ are holding out, and he says fine. He’s also told me that he knows some people who blew through most of their money within the first half of the quarter. He said that he doubted one could eat at the more expensive venues regularly and stay within the plan.</p>
<p>My S is just now beginning to realize how expensive some of the things we always paid for are. (A set of strings at almost $70 a pop, for example, now gives him pause. That’s probably a week’s take-home pay.)</p>
<p>I’ve heard about that long walk to the grocery store, too. Perhaps the bus to West Leb or the other areas with stores would be better.</p>
<p>My only suggestion is that your S had better learn how to cook or at least heat up food. Every dorm has a kitchen. On the sports drink front–a case a week? Any chance that he might convert to tap water in a refillable bottle?</p>
I guess he can pick up e-mail on his phone or he does a lot of texting.</p>