Reasonable Expenses For Single-Parent Blind Student?

Parents Forum
1

<p>My son is 32, and blind. He has lived independently for more than ten years now, and has insisted on putting himself through school part-time while working part-time on loading docks where he doesn’t need to see to move boxes.</p>

<p>Suddenly and unexpectedly, the mother of my 10-year-old grandson has relinquished custody to my son permanently, and he is asking for my help. The boy is allergic to many proteins and needs a special diet. I am glad to help so that my son can go to school full-time, so here’s the question:</p>

<p>For a single parent living off-campus, assuming that rent and utilities and tuition and books are already taken care of, what’s a reasonable monthly amount for me to contribute for food, clothing, cleaning supplies, shoes, toys & books for the young-un, bus passes, and so on? </p>

<p>I’ve been all over the web, and none of the numbers I can find include single-parent students, or numbers broken out. There are just totals. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Has he checked out any of these schools? Just an idea. </p>

<p>[Higher</a> Education Alliance: Institutions](<a href=“http://www.singleparentcollegeprograms.org/institutions.htm]Higher”>http://www.singleparentcollegeprograms.org/institutions.htm)</p>

3

<p>I’d be looking for schools that have married student housing. Not many schools that do anymore, but the “rent” for those that do is very cheap.</p>

4

<p>It is really going to depend on where he lives and how much the special diet will cost him. If he is gluten free, for example, you can pretty much double or triple the cost of normal things like bread, flour, etc. It might be best to give it 3 or so months and then work up a budget off of that. The first month is always the most expensive because you have to stock up on everything, ketchup, spices, etc. and then after that food budgets tend to even out.</p>