Will probably get in trouble by saying this, but Driveby and others are mostly right. Gomer is right also... but to a lesser degree. My oldest recently graduated UA. At no point did he spend $12k per year, or even close to it. For his degree, he spent around 8-10k. That wasn't because he was super smart, got full-ride scholarships, lived at home, etc. He did it because he was willing to work, willing to live within his means, and shopped around for a deal when it came to education. He also worked one and sometimes two extra jobs apart from his campus job in order to live in town. Today, he's working a job making more than twice what I made when I graduated in 1997 and has no student debt. Funny thing is we mapped everything out after HS graduation and if he'd gone to Shelton State and worked before transferring to UA in year three, he'd have actually ended his college years making about $10k.

What I see in many kids today is an unwillingness to accept a lower standard of living than their parents. Many would rather live with parents and keep that standard of living rather than be independent. When I graduated HS, I wanted to leave home and end up with a higher standard of living than what I'd grown up with... and I've done that. But in the process I've created a situation where my kids are going to have to lower their living standard if they leave home. Without a desire for independence coupled with a strong work ethic, most kids are going to choose the easier route (can't blame them). It's up to me, however, to help cultivate that work ethic and desire for independence in my own kids.