Cartoon by Michelle Phillips
Children are a horrible investment.
A college education should not be seen as a gift from parent to child, but as an investment opportunity. Parents, acting as personal financial sponsors, want to see that their money is not being wasted on years of schooling. Some parents are becoming so concerned that they are trying to dictate what students are learning in the classroom. Their actions have been called over-parenting or “helicoptering.”
In 2015, SWC distributed more financial aid than any other college in San Diego County, according to Southwestern College’s Annual Report. With more than 70 percent of SWC students qualifying as low income, the dream of a higher education can seem unobtainable without assistance of some sort. When students are unable to fork up the cash on their own, many turn to their parents for help.
This is not always a good thing.
Children in many cultures are taught from a young age that “mother knows best” and to attentively listen to the range of advice given. This includes what to study in school. Although the umbilical cord was physically cut years ago, some parents are using their guiding hand to their child towards the career path they want. Students desires are being held in little regard.
Excessively active parenting can prove detrimental to the child’s mental development, according to Jill C. Bradley-Geist and Julie B. Olson-Buchanan, researchers who co-wrote a study on helicopter parenting. Their research shows this behavior can stunt self-efficacy as well as remove them from a sense of responsibility. Bradley-Geist and Olson-Buchanan wrote that helicoptering makes the student expect everyone else to resolve problems for them.
Parents attempting to protect their children only make things worse. Parents will never obtain the successful future they see for their children if they do not permit them to learn for themselves.
Research by University of Mary Washington’s Psychology Department has reported links connecting signs of depression and dissatisfaction with life to an over-controlling parent.
Children trying to build a sturdier foundation for their future are being hindered by parents who oversee each of their decisions throughout their college years, a time meant for building independence. By taking control, the parents imply that their child is inadequate to make their own choices.
If a parent does feel their child does not have the capability of making their own decisions, they should not be financially supporting their education.
A student looking to support themselves and still have a safety net may consider cosigning a loan with their parents. This can go horribly wrong.
Students are not the only people liable in the result of a financial hang up. Co-signers are equally liable for any unpaid debts. This can severely damage both parties credit scores.
There is no backdoor to escape if the loan applicant does not pay up. Almost 90 percent of co-signers who applied to be released were denied, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Parents are persuaded by the idea that the children will pay the bill and that co-signing is only a formality to increase the likelihood of getting accepted.
It does.
It also forces the parents to rely on the child paying their debts. Many family members are putting their own financial futures on the line by co-signing private loans, said Richard Corday, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Financial strain is a given for the many college attendees, especially students at SWC. People only have absolute freedom when their own money is involved. What a student is willing to sign away for an education is up to them, whether that be money or freedom should be their choice.
