<p>OP, just a note here — you aren’t “letting him down” by thinking about the money. My newly-minted PSU grad is living on his own largely due to having no loans---- so his paltry salary can all go to living expenses, not some bank. we just finished a parent PLUS loan, but he worked, too.</p>
<p>How do other families do it? Ours gets a tuition discount (staff benefit to offset no raises and low pay), and our kids live at home for at least part of the degree. A branch campus is a great alternative for the first two years. a cheaper school ----Ship’ or Kutztown or Cal ---- or one with generous aid ( susquehanna has a great music program and is fairly assertive with aid)</p>
<p>PSU is ghastly expensive. the financial burden on a new student can be crippling, so don’t be swayed by “wants” if they are unaffordable. You are not the first parent to wish there was a magic money tree or that the math added up differently. We’ve all been there. ( and some of us still are ! We have 2 years to go!)</p>