College Fund Wasted On Disney Trip Sparks Kid’s Quiet Rebellion, Parents Face It Years Later
In many places, education is not cheap; unless, of course, your hard work and outstanding achievements result in some sort of a scholarship.
The latter is what this redditor got, which meant that his parents didn’t have to spend the money they had been saving up on his education. However, they didn’t give said money to their son, either, saying that they were “not legally obligated” to do so. That’s why the son told them the same thing roughly a decade later. Scroll down to find the full story below.
Education often leaves quite a big hole in one’s pocket
Image credits: Karolina Kaboompics / pexels (not the actual photo)
These parents didn’t need to pay for their son’s education, but they didn’t let him spend the money on other things, either
Image credits: Rick Han / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Salvador Escalante / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: David Hahn / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Old-Conference295
Quite a few parents start to save up for their child’s education way in advance
Nowadays, education is quite costly, especially in the US, so it’s no surprise that it can leave quite a dent in one’s budget. That’s why many parents start saving quite early in case their offspring wants to continue studying after graduating high school.
According to a recent Northwestern Mutual Planning & Progress Study, two-in-three parents in the US try to cover at least part of the costs of their children’s studies; one-in-three aim to cover it all. Not only that, some of them—one-in-five, to be exact—are saving up to help their loved ones pay for higher education while paying back their own college loans.
According to Education Data, parents’ savings and investments only make up roughly 7% (as of 2023) of college student tuition funding. The largest piece of the pie—roughly 58%—are covered by income, grants, scholarships, and other funds that do not need to be repaid, and the second largest (close to 20%) is covered using money that has been borrowed.
Putting themselves through higher education can cost a student tens of thousands of dollars
Image credits: JESHOOTS.COM / unsplash (not the actual photo)
If you’re wondering how much one has to save up to put themselves—or their child or loved one—through higher education, the answer is: a lot. According to Statista’s 2022 data, the average cost for tuition and fees at US higher education institutions was over $14,000 US dollars; and that does not include expenses for the room and board. With the latter, the price can rise to as much as $30,000 USD for a four-year degree in the US.
Though it’s important to mention that the price can differ not only based on the length of the studies or the field of study, but on the specific location in the country, too. Forbes suggests that out of all the states in the US, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming are the most affordable options respectively. As for the global situation, Norway, Taiwan, and Germany are reportedly some of the cheapest countries to study abroad.
In the OP’s case, it wasn’t the price of the studies that was the cause of problems in the family. It was the fact that the parents didn’t want to share the money they saved once their son graduated high school, saying that they weren’t legally obligated to, which became the reason why their son didn’t want to share his savings later in life, either.
Many people believed that the son was not being a jerk for refusing to help his parents
Some, however, took a different stance
Poll Question
Thanks! Check out the results:
Once again with YTA not seeing the point. Instead of saving the education money for retirement, they squandered it. Now they want to retire EARLY and want the son to pay for it. Not the other siblings, just him. Guy has worked hard for his life and money and is not obliged to pay for them to not work anymore out of choice. NTA. But the YTA people are.
Also, the guy said in a comment that he would help out in an emergency. I was already leaning heavily towards NTA, but that sealed it for me.
Load More Replies...This was a good story but not what I expected. I read the title as "parents say they're 'not obligated' to give child MONKEY, get a taste of karma years later ". There was no monkey. And I should have had my glasses on.
Don't worry, that works too. He's not gifting them a monkey either. 🙂
Load More Replies..."Dear parents, I have absorbed the lessons you carefully taught and explained to me. If you have any concerns, please do take your complaints to the policy makers. You'll find them easily accessible as they're conveniently based at your home address."
This isn't directly related to the story, but I was struck by OP saying he had worked with welders for three summers, and was an engineer. I can't stress enough how much benefit hands-on experience is for making someone a better engineer. I've worked with enough of them that don't have any to be confident with that statement.
Yup. My engineering college required everyone to take 2 semesters of shop class our freshman year (woodworking, metalworking). So we would know exactly what the blue collar guys tasked with fabricating our designs would have to go through. That practical knowledge has helped a lot, not just with my job, but also a lot of DYI stuff around the house, car, and boat.
Load More Replies...The thing is, if you're doing well enough in school to get a full scholarship and then well enough to get through an engineering program at university, you don't have time to "goof around," as his parents thought he would be doing if he didn't have a job. It takes a lot of time to be a good student, no matter how "smart" you are. And when you play favorites with your kids, you're creating conflict. This guys parents have a lot of nerve expecting anything from him.
NTA. They want him to fund an early retirement? I guarantee the grudge is not about the money. It is about being treated crappy and not being given any kudos or kindness.
I’m on the fence about the money originally. To me he should have at least received some sort of stipend because he did work harder in school, just not necessarily the entire amount. The request for retirement funds really pisses me off. First because it is just plain entitled to think their kids owe them an early retirement but mostly because they have decided their breeder children are absolved.
Load More Replies...The YTA trolls need to read more carefully. OPs siblings got spending money and a place to live. OP had to work a strenuous job summers, siblings did not. OP chose a lucrative career, siblings did not. Siblings chose to have kids, OP as yet has not. OP owes parents nothing, certainly not the gift of early retirement. Had you been in OPs position, you'd likely be singing a different tune.
Exactly the gift privilege of early retirement!!! The audacity is disgusting and I'm sure there wills are stated the same slighted biased way also
Load More Replies...We started saving for our sons' educations when they were in diapers. They used up their 429s and they also have other funds. It is their money. We are retired. They have that money to buy a house or start a business. They are the future. We are the past. Move the money forward.
You are an inspiration. That is my plan as well for my stepkids education fund. Legally it is mine; morally it is theirs.
Load More Replies...Once again with YTA not seeing the point. Instead of saving the education money for retirement, they squandered it. Now they want to retire EARLY and want the son to pay for it. Not the other siblings, just him. Guy has worked hard for his life and money and is not obliged to pay for them to not work anymore out of choice. NTA. But the YTA people are.
Also, the guy said in a comment that he would help out in an emergency. I was already leaning heavily towards NTA, but that sealed it for me.
Load More Replies...This was a good story but not what I expected. I read the title as "parents say they're 'not obligated' to give child MONKEY, get a taste of karma years later ". There was no monkey. And I should have had my glasses on.
Don't worry, that works too. He's not gifting them a monkey either. 🙂
Load More Replies..."Dear parents, I have absorbed the lessons you carefully taught and explained to me. If you have any concerns, please do take your complaints to the policy makers. You'll find them easily accessible as they're conveniently based at your home address."
This isn't directly related to the story, but I was struck by OP saying he had worked with welders for three summers, and was an engineer. I can't stress enough how much benefit hands-on experience is for making someone a better engineer. I've worked with enough of them that don't have any to be confident with that statement.
Yup. My engineering college required everyone to take 2 semesters of shop class our freshman year (woodworking, metalworking). So we would know exactly what the blue collar guys tasked with fabricating our designs would have to go through. That practical knowledge has helped a lot, not just with my job, but also a lot of DYI stuff around the house, car, and boat.
Load More Replies...The thing is, if you're doing well enough in school to get a full scholarship and then well enough to get through an engineering program at university, you don't have time to "goof around," as his parents thought he would be doing if he didn't have a job. It takes a lot of time to be a good student, no matter how "smart" you are. And when you play favorites with your kids, you're creating conflict. This guys parents have a lot of nerve expecting anything from him.
NTA. They want him to fund an early retirement? I guarantee the grudge is not about the money. It is about being treated crappy and not being given any kudos or kindness.
I’m on the fence about the money originally. To me he should have at least received some sort of stipend because he did work harder in school, just not necessarily the entire amount. The request for retirement funds really pisses me off. First because it is just plain entitled to think their kids owe them an early retirement but mostly because they have decided their breeder children are absolved.
Load More Replies...The YTA trolls need to read more carefully. OPs siblings got spending money and a place to live. OP had to work a strenuous job summers, siblings did not. OP chose a lucrative career, siblings did not. Siblings chose to have kids, OP as yet has not. OP owes parents nothing, certainly not the gift of early retirement. Had you been in OPs position, you'd likely be singing a different tune.
Exactly the gift privilege of early retirement!!! The audacity is disgusting and I'm sure there wills are stated the same slighted biased way also
Load More Replies...We started saving for our sons' educations when they were in diapers. They used up their 429s and they also have other funds. It is their money. We are retired. They have that money to buy a house or start a business. They are the future. We are the past. Move the money forward.
You are an inspiration. That is my plan as well for my stepkids education fund. Legally it is mine; morally it is theirs.
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