Single Mom Gives $2,000/per Semester to Her Spoiled Daughter's College Tuition, Girl Complains ‘[Mom] Should Be Paying More’

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    "I make $80,000 a year and she goes to a college that costs $33k/year."
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    r/AmltheA Rafster3338 • 15 hr. ago : AITA my daughter thinks I'm not contributing enough towards her college tuition My daughter is 18 and a freshman college. I'm a single mom and I get child support of about $1100/month. I make $80,000 a year before tax. She goes to a
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    college that costs, after scholarships, $33k/year. Before she enrolled, I told her I would pay $2000 per semester and she would have to use some of her own savings and take out loans for the rest. The first year is paid for with very little debt ($5500 in federal loans). Her father does not
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    contribute to her tuition at all "because he pays child support."She is upset with me because she thinks I should be paying more than $2000 in tuition per semester, based on the fact that her father gives me child support. I pay for her cell phone, her car insurance, medical expenses, clothes, basically every expense that comes from having a child. Am I the for thinking she's acting entitled?
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    jillian512 14h ago Enthusiast [5] NTA, but you need to break it down for her. Show her the monthly bills that you're covering. If there's a fair amount leftover, it honestly should go to her. She can buy her own clothes and incidentals. This is an opportunity for her to start learning to manage her own money.
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    Artistic Tough5005 18h ago Colo-rectal Surgeon [48] NTA Give her $1100 a month and let her pay for all of her own stuff. She will see that it doesn't go nearly as far as she would think.
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    FurryFreeloader . 17h ago We had the discussion of college expense with our kids. One kid received a full ride to college along with money for room and board. We still cover health insurance, car insurance and repairs, car payment, cell phone and gas money. These expenses are easily over $1000 a month. We are middle class and receive very little financial aid. I think my son qualified for $500 for one academic year.
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    We told our kids we would pay 2 years of college tuition and help with room and board. They would be required to cover the other half of tuition and room and board. Because my son received his education paid in full he donated his portion to his sibling so both can graduate debt free. Younger
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    sibling chose in-state university not far from home and commutes. This allows sibling to have college paid in full without the experience of living on campus but will graduate without debt. OP may have more than 1 child so child support may cover an additional child. You can receive a decent college education for less than $33K a year. This is choice the student made without much thought of cost.
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    HeddyL2627. 16h ago Partassipant [1] NTA, but it sounds like she doesn't have any idea of what you are financing, beyond that $2000 per semester. Have you shown her the actual numbers? I'd show her a spreadsheet with the monthly bills - car insurance, medical insurance, medical bills, cell phone, etc - including the $1100 month child support. She's not too young to learn budgeting.
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    goldenfingernails. 17h ago Enthusiast [6] I paid for college all on my own. My mom couldn't afford to help me and my dad was not in the picture at all. NTA. If she's so stressed about money, maybe she should choose a community college for her freshman/sophomore years. A lot less expenisve that way.
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    Waste-Edge446. 17h ago It's easy to jump on a post and call a child 'entitled' for adking for more, but there isn't enough info here. Like...is she living at home? That would influence my judgement. For all we know the 1100k in child support covers her phone, car insurance, medical expenses, clothes. Which would mean her father pays 13200k per year whilst, assuming 3 semesters per year, you're paying 6k.
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    Forsaken_Avocado737 14h ago YTA. . It's your job to raise a fully functioning adult. Sit her down and show her where that money goes. $1100 absolutely feels like an enormous amount of money to an 18 year old. The reality is very different, and you need to show her.
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    Sure, you list off all the things it pays for, and most of us agree there's probably not a whole lot leftover. But I think most teens underestimate how expensive car and health insurance can be, etc. So she might benefit from a spreadsheet breaking down everything.
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    YTA because this is a good opportunity for her to learn about the difficulties of being an adult, and you'd just rather call her entitled than answer her questions. That money is intended to be used for raising a child and help cover the expenses associated with kids, so she is absolutely entitled to know how it's being spent
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    If you don't give her a full breakdown because you don't feel as though she deserves an explanation, do not be surprised if she starts talking to dad about how she thinks mom is spending the child support on herself
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    teresajs 18h ago Sultan of Sphincter [820] NAH If there is any money left over after you cover the expenses you pay (cell phone, car insurance, medical, etc...), then that should be paid toward your daughter's college expenses. If she lives with you full time, then keeping excess money for her food and housing is reasonable. But if she's living at a residential college, excess child support should be paid toward her living expenses at school. It isn't clear in your post if that's being done.
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    Calm_Initial • 15h ago Certified Proctologist [20] This is why it's important to have the how you are going to pay for college talk early. I will point out though that she can't really get huge loans. Federal student loans are capped at 5500 for freshman year, 6500 for sophomore and 7500 for junior and senior. Unless she somehow found a bank that would lend an 18 year old a ton - she won't get loans without a co-signer.
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    Catbunny 18h ago Partassipant [1] NTA - I think you need to sit down with her and show her how much you are paying towards everything.

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