The author (left) was worried about her daughter (right) living at home while in college.
Courtesy of Marion Ruybalid
When my 18-year-old daughter's scholarship letter arrived in the mail for college, I was amazed that she'd been awarded so much.Ellie was offered $33,429 toward the $46,000 needed for tuition through scholarships and grants.However, as a residential college, another expectation was living in the dorm. These extra room and board costs added up to around another $10,000.My husband and I both worked, but we would have needed to take out a loan for the additional fees. Even though we wanted her to have the complete college experience, neither of us thought it was wise to go into unnecessary debt. Our home, located in a small town in Washington State, was only 15 minutes away from the school, making it hard to justify the expense.It was a difficult decision for all of usI remembered that most of my college life had happened outside the classroom. I'd loved talking to my roommate after classes. My friendships were formed by bonding over which foods to avoid in the cafeteria and by going snowshoeing with my dorm section right before Christmas break. My husband and I also met during these formative years at a campus church service.Asking Ellie to continue sharing a room with three younger siblings didn't exactly scream college."But then, I'm basically giving up having a real social life," she told us.
