54-year-old woman is prompted by her 22-year-old niece to co-sign her student loan: ‘I've never had any type of indepth conversation with her. The longest sentence I've ever gotten from her was a text message asking me to cosign her student loans’

Author image for Olivia Arocena
Olivia Arocena • Writer and Editor
Jul 30, 2026 12:00 PM EDT

Stay away from loans and credit cards (I wish I could)

To me, what this woman has to do is obvious, but it's still crazy how people can try to guilt-trip you into nonsense.  It's almost never a good decision to take on debt unless you are starting a really promising business, but it's definitely never a good decision to take on debt to help someone you never even talked to. I think all this stems from a deeper issue within the family; it seems like the niece's father doesn't know how to help and will try to manipulate anyone into doing that. And the issue with her grandmother? This shouldn't even be a question; she obviously doesn't have to get involved. There is too much trouble around it. I do want to say we should try to help our family members whenever we can; I have been helped and will be thankful for it all my life, but I have worked somehow to get that, I have a good relationship with the people who have helped me, I've shown time and time again that I'm responsible, that I can hold a job, so if someone lends me money, they can trust I will give it back. If you're asking for help and you have a reputation for being irresponsible, you should work on that. However, this is still not this aunt's responsibility, and after seeing all the family issues that arose, she should definitely try to take a step back and at least talk about this with her niece. Why don't we solve our problems through talking anymore? lol…

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  • woman looking at credit card
    via Vitaly Gariev

    The woman considering signing the loan

    Representation

  • AITAH for not being willing to co-sign for my nieces student loans?

    My niece (22) has asked me to co-sign her student loans. I've never had any type of indepth conversation with her. The longest sentence I've ever gotten from her was a text
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • message asking me to cosign her student loans. I've been sending her money every month since she started college 4 years ago, plus extra for birthdays, holidays and
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • finally her graduation (under-grad degree). She was just accepted into USC, but it's going to cost $200k. She's asked another family member to be thd guarantor for her rent. She's NEVER held a
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • job outside of being a RA in the dorms. My husband (M54) and I (F54) decided early on not to have children. I have two other nieces (his sisters children) and this one (my brothers child).
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • My brother called and said I didn't care about anyone because my husband and I have no responsibilities and can afford it, and don't love anyone but ourselves and our pets, and how we can't understand how hard
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • it is, and that I've helped my younger siblings in the past, so why not her. She lost her mother when she was 16, and I can only imagine how hard that is.
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • woman holding jar of savings
    via Towfiqu barbhuiya

    The woman using all her savings for her cousin

    Subject is a model

  • I'm on a fixed income (VA Dis lity pay) and my husband works full time. We've both worked very hard to live how we want and did not plan to put a child (or even help put a child) through a graduate
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • program. We have bills (like everyone else) and I honestly cannot afford to be responsible for potentially $200k in unsecured student loan debt. I know my brother and if I give in on this semesters student loans,
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • that will be the expectation going forward. To complicate matters, my nieces grandmother (her mother's side) has money set aside for her education, but my niece refuses to talk to her. My brother is
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • trying to guilt me into this and my husband is set at a hard no. I want to help her, but honestly just can't afford it. She has no job, no plan on how she's going to pay her rent, let alone anything else, just her word (and my brother's
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • guilt trip) that she'll pay it back. Sorry this was so long, but AITAH here for 'crushing her dream' of going to USC?
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • No_Jaguar67 Who asks an aunt to do this? NTA your brother is tripping. The entitlement and the gall.
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • the_perfect_spatula You're not crushing her dream, you're helping her learn coping skills. Don't co-sign a loan you can't afford to pay all the way back, full stop.
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • Embarrassed-Row-2025 Called a.job... it's how people get money, she should try one
    via Electronic_Break2621
  • woman signing on white paper
    via Gabrielle Henderson

    Deciding not to sign

    illustration

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