<p>Just curious, my D is graduating from college this May, no job prospects yet, but will be staying around campus to continue her campus job while job hunting. She has to go to grad school to finish out what she wants to do with her life, but in the meantime wants to take sometime off, find some paid or unpaid internships, etc. we are not giving her a party but would like to give her some money. What is appropriate at this stage of the game or what have you done?</p>
<p>We gave ours a frame for their diplomas, huge hugs, and no loans.</p>
<p>We did pay summer living expenses as our new grad was job hunting because coming home would have been counter-productive (graduate from LAC with no name recognization in our area).<br>
She paid for a two week bike trip with money saved from her campus job. Then settled into the job hunt and found something she loves.</p>
<p>This SO varies.
I know families who believe that paying for their children’s college is enough of a gift.
I know a family who helped out very little while their daughter was in college, but on graduation bought her a car.
I know another family that gave their son a post-grad European vacation.<br>
As for me, I gave my D a little silver necklace from Tiffany and booked a nice hotel in Telluride for her and her friends on their road trip throughout the west.</p>
<p>I had bought a new car during senior year and my parents surprised me with a $500 check towards the downpayment as my ‘early graduation present’. They also gave me a graduation party which resulted in many other gifts being received.</p>
<p>I told my daughter I would help her with something(s) for her apartment - possibly kitchen appliances like a mixer, or a sofa. She has our old dining room table already, but not the chairs. (It was my table from my first apartment after college.) She has inexpensive tastes, probably IKEA furnishings. We won’t be having a party.</p>
<p>I offered son a watch or trip, but he did not want anything at the time. Stuff for new apt. Was not seen as a gift (same with clothes, just necessities). He was not feeling good about the job he accepted and was not sharing his feelings. When he turned his life around, he asked and got both. That was one and two years later. </p>
<p>He still wears the watch. The trip was probably our last mom and son vacation, and gave wonderful memories.</p>
<p>I have been toying with the idea of giving her a late model used car. Nothing extravagant but reliable. She will be saving us a lot of $ by graduating early. I think this would be useful in getting her to and from any job/internship she might have upon graduation. Without a car she is currently limited. It gives her more options. Insurance would of course, be on her. We might have a small family party to celebrate. She is the first grandchild, so family has been on this journey with her and it would be nice to bring everyone together to celebrate.</p>
<p>We went to a really good dinner with son and hugged him as much as he would tolerate.</p>
<p>I am passing on my five year old Toyota as a gift to D. AS lia points out, without a car, the student is limited with finding work. </p>
<p>Although not a music major, D auditioned for a summer festival (Brevard) and was given a scholarship that covers a big part of it. We will cover the rest. This is the last summer she would have to do a festival again (she did several in HS and right after HS graduation) before heading into work/graduate school. </p>
<p>Looking forward to graduation and bringing four years of stuff home from the midwest!</p>
<p>We are not there yet, but it will be the gift of no student loans (like dragonmom). We would also help with summer living expenses or a welcome to return home during a job hunt and maybe even a security deposit for the first apartment. Nothing else after 4 years of a private full pay education, except sincere congratulations and lots of hugs.</p>
<p>Wow, husband and I are paying for her private education, minus the stafford loans she took out. We are also covering her apartment as she stays in the city for the summer. And I want to give her money as a gift. maybe I am going overboard.</p>
<p>I’ve posted this before…we are paying the Stafford loan payments…which are a drop in the bucket compared to the tuition costs.</p>
<p>We gave our son a really nice messenger bag briefcase for his new job. Not leather–heavy duty nylon–and had it monogrammed.</p>
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<p>I bought my Music Ed major DD two tickets to see Trans Siberian Orchestra’s Beethoven’s Last Night about 30 minutes away from her college town. It has been her dream to see them live so she was thrilled. We will probably replace her car as well as it is on its last legs and DD is off to grad school so she will need something reliable.</p>
<p>Paying full costs without loans at a private, and plan to give 5k ±, plus the offer to live at home for as long as it takes to A) find a job and B) save enough not to ask for any more $$$ from us. ;)</p>
<p>We’ve bought S2 a nice watch and will have his diploma framed for him. Attended instate public. Will grad. with no debt and will have some $ left in his college acct. to help when he starts out on his own. We did the same for S1 three years ago.</p>
<p>We gave D a wardrobe for work. Her college wardrobe consisted mostly of sweatpants and tshirts.</p>
<p>D has slowly been acquiring a more professional wardrobe, from when she did an internship with PBS and we wanted her to dress appropriately. Maybe we’ll give her cash or promise to help her with rent & living expenses for as long as needed before she lands a job that can pay these things–hopefully within the next year.</p>
<p>We gave both boys $5K. They needed it to buy furniture, put security deposit down on apartment, etc.</p>