To everyone saying get over it.... I will be seventeen when I start college. What kind of job can you get to pay for college when you're seventeen with no college education? See here's the thing, to pay you need a good job, and to get a good job you need college... OP: If your parents can't even afford to help pay, then that's a completely different story, but if they're rich and just don't feel like contributing at ALL, then FYL.

I call this a moment of misscommunication. When you offer to help pay for something it means you'll contribute some actual money to things. Like may be buying books. It also said that they OFFERED. She did not ASK them to. So, it's not her fault to expect that they give her money for certain things. I know when my children go to college I'll expect them to get a part time job, but I'd also HELP them pay for certain things. So, FYL for the fact your parents couldn't be clear on what they meant.

So?...I'm getting a student loan. I would never expect my parents to pay for university when I can get an interest free loan

Not that anyone gives a damn about anyone else's opinon but their own, I'll just throw my 2 cents into the pot: The way I see it is, each person is brought into this world without choice, you are born to your parents whether you like it or not. Based on that fact alone, I think parents have some responsibilty to help you prepare for the real world as much as they possibly can, to a reasonable extent that they can handle (financially or otherwise). Now this has obvious exceptions. Should every kid expect a free hand-out for college? No. Like many other things, it should be proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that any money towards higher education will be used wisely, not toward some kid dicking around and not going to class. And if your parents honestly can't afford to help, then they can't afford to help. Other things to consider in all this are choice of school. I think a college education is probably one of the most overrated things on the planet, and let me explain. I have a BS in clinical lab science and I have a great job, blah blah blah. That being said, a well-trained chimp could do about 90% of my job. I could meet anyone off the street and train them to do my job. However, its the degree and certification that make me a better candidate than someone off the street, and obviously, I understand why I do what I do, where a monkey probably won't. A good degree in a good field from a decent school will get you a lot of places. For really competitive fields, you're going to want a school that stands out, but for many positions, state schools or whatever are fine and most of the time much more affordable. Think of it as shopping at Target vs Macy's, or whatever. For the record, my parents did help me to the extent they could, and there's nothing wrong with that. I also don't have a mountain of loans waiting to get paid off either. 100 points to anyone that even bothered to read this.

omfg xD

My parents did the same thing to me! It must be some kind of generational knowledge gap of the meaning of the phrase "help pay for college."

I'm not saying it isn't possible to get a decent job with a community college degree. I'm just saying it depends on the type of industry and job you're looking to go into. If I had to recommend a route to save money, I'd say go community college the first couple of years to get the beginner classes out of the way then transfer to a major 4-year university. I'd also recommend going to a public school if finances are a major concern. I had enough scholarships to pay the same at a private school but if I didn't I wouldve picked a public school instead. Oh and order the international version of textbooks. Same book for a fraction of the price, it's just softcover and black and white. I'm an engineer for a defense contractor. I can't say any more or I'd have to kill you :P

hahaha. Get it? "help" you pay.

Old people these days are really selfish, dead-beat parents. Don't you ignorants realize your kids today need at the very least a college degree to do the job you got with less than a high-school degree? And you are the previous generation. YOU made the world and economy like this for your kids. Don't give me sad excuses, you should had taken a stronger interest in politics and acted much more... Now your kids need those degrees and they can't find the money to pay for them. So yeah, it's your job to do that.

6000 agree and only 1000 don't. Ridiculous. The fact that this kid even posted this here shows me they are spoiled and for some reason expect hand outs. Get a job and fill out the FAFSA and other forms to get student loans instead of whining that mommy and daddy aren't paying for college for you.

Why should your parents pay for your education beyond high school? Wake up to the real world, get a job, and hope for the best.

they wouldn't even do that for me. I had to beg to get their tax info that is required for the FAFSA. literally BEG. fyl!