Is it normal for law students to get parental $$ support? Forum

[coldshoulder]

My parents promised that they would pay for four years of undergrad, so since I graduated in three years from state school with a full scholarship they decided to put that money towards law school. They'd rather me get money from them for most of it and pay them back in ten years then for me to have to accumulate 6.8% interest on tens of thousands of dollars.

[KevinP]

i think most people, like myself, are going it alone. solidarity and boot straps and all that stuff

+1

Except that going it alone is the opposite of solidarity. OP, why don't you make a poll w/ different gradations?

Outed myself as not knowing what solidarity means.

[rad lulz]

i think most people, like myself, are going it alone. solidarity and boot straps and all that stuff

+1

Except that going it alone is the opposite of solidarity. OP, why don't you make a poll w/ different gradations?

Outed myself as not knowing what solidarity means.

Google Lech Walesa

HTH

[KevinP]

Google Lech Walesa

HTH

Thanks. Learned about workers' strikes in Poland and learned a new word.

[rad lulz]

Google Lech Walesa

HTH

Thanks. Learned about workers' strikes in Poland and learned a new word.

Just doing my part.

[crumpetsandtea]

My parents have helped me with app fees and my deposit, and have offered to cover the interest for my unsubsidized loans while I'm in school. They've also offered to give me extra money for living expenses, but I don't think that will be too necessary, except in cases where I won't have loans to pay for rent (ie, month between school and work, etc)

Like many here, my parents paid for all of UG, and I plan on doing the same for my children as well.

[mattviphky]

When I was 17 my dad "strongly encouraged" me to join the military. I guess he paid for my school in a VERY roundabout way

[SilverE2]

My parents are helping me here and there, things like giving me $1000 for Christmas, etc. But 95% of the total cost of school will be on me.

[bne]

I didn't ask them to and would never have expected it. I think what irks me are the people more than willing to waste their parents money on sticker at a bad school over spending their own time retaking, or the people who act as if monetary help from their parents is a god given right. I'm enormously grateful to my parents for helping out, but if at any point their finances prohibit their help, I wouldn't expect it to continue. At this point in life, it's a gift, not an expectation.

+1

[180asBreath]

i think most people, like myself, are going it alone. solidarity and boot straps and all that stuff

+1

Except that going it alone is the opposite of solidarity. OP, why don't you make a poll w/ different gradations?

Outed myself as not knowing what solidarity means.

No, you're fine; charliep is just conflating things, a bit.

One can have solidarity with another in one regard (e.g. having a shared experience of independently funding their legal education with others), even if they are "going it alone" in a different regard (e.g. bearing the cost of their legal education).

So, it is fine to say that on one's road alone in paying for their legal education, they can have solidarity with others who are also going it alone.

[Yeshia90]

When my grandfather died, he left me $50K. My dad said he'd fill in the cracks and help me out with my cost of living, but tuition is all my own.

[charliep]

i think most people, like myself, are going it alone. solidarity and boot straps and all that stuff

+1

Except that going it alone is the opposite of solidarity. OP, why don't you make a poll w/ different gradations?

true. i meant solidarity with the OP

[presh]

.

[rinkrat19]

My dad would pay if he could afford it, but he's just a middle-class dude who had his retirement in Enron stock. I'm on my own for this one.

[charliep]

dont worry, guys. after all, we're all just soon-to-haves

[Danteshek]

Normal at top schools where nearly everyone is affluent..... Campos had a post on this not too long ago.

[landla]

My dad would pay if he could afford it, but he's just a middle-class dude who had his retirement in Enron stock. I'm on my own for this one.

Nice Enron reference


Anyways, I have been paying it myself since undergrad. I've been paying a good portion of my own bills, in increasing amounts, since before high school, though. My parents buy me a few groceries or a meal every once in a while, but that's it. So consider yourself lucky that they paid for your undergrad and remember that you were one of the people with everything (or most) paid for in undergrad.

[sidhesadie]

I'm paying it all, and I paid for undergrad too.

My parents don't have tuition level money anywhere but in house equity or retirement, and my dad made it very clear at the end of highschool that he had no intention of going into debt at 50 when I could go into debt at 18 and have 30 more years to pay it back. (which I must admit was very logical of him)

That said, at LEAST half the people at my school are on the fully funded mom & dad plan, and a good number still live at home. Mom does their laundry and makes their lunch and whatnot.

The only thing that irritates me is when they (the ones who live at home with the lunch packing mamas) whine about how busy they are and how they don't have any time to study. Just...really? lol

[Map Cat]

I won't say I'm not a little jealous of people who have financial support from their family, and I won't pretend that I'm superior paying for it myself because bootstraps. I do what I have to do to get what I want, and some people can afford to do less to get what they want. It's all good. I'm happy for those people and I hope they realize how lucky they are.

[llachans]

I'm in the position you are: my parents paid for my undergrad but it will be all me for law school. I had a lot of friends in undergrad who had to foot their whole bill though just for undergrad, so I'm not sure what "normal" really is.

[llachans]

I'm paying it all, and I paid for undergrad too.

My parents don't have tuition level money anywhere but in house equity or retirement, and my dad made it very clear at the end of highschool that he had no intention of going into debt at 50 when I could go into debt at 18 and have 30 more years to pay it back. (which I must admit was very logical of him)

That said, at LEAST half the people at my school are on the fully funded mom & dad plan, and a good number still live at home. Mom does their laundry and makes their lunch and whatnot.

The only thing that irritates me is when they (the ones who live at home with the lunch packing mamas) whine about how busy they are and how they don't have any time to study. Just...really? lol

Wow. I can understand accepting money from mom and dad, but I think it's absolutely absurd to not do your own laundry/make your own lunch. You're in graduate school - - it's time to be an adult.

[StrictlyBusiness]

I have a feeling that a lot of people fall into the category of "Funded by parents but expected to return the favor." This is where I am, and as mentioned before, my parents view it as an investment into their future as well as mine. They're fronting all the money for my education and only half is expected to be paid back as a traditional loan. The rest is somewhat of an unwritten expectation that I'll help them or my younger siblings out if it is ever needed.

That said, I am extremely fortunate to be in such a position, and I understand that most people don't have the luxury of these type of investors. I also still owe my parents ~$30k from undergrad since I chose to forego in-state full-rides to attend a big southern football school, and although I'm definitely a bit spoiled, I think most of us are a far cry from the type who live at home and can't do their own laundry.

[annet]

Depends where I go to school. My parents aren't in the position to help me out financially but if I stay in-state, they'll let me move into their basement (fully finished with a bathroom!). I'm also a good cook, so they're happy to pay for groceries if I cook the meals. If I rock the LSAT and end up elsewhere then they'll buy me dinner when they come to visit

Like others, they helped with undergrad and then made it very clear that I was on my own for everything after that, including paying for a hypothetical future wedding. Doesn't bother me at all as, frankly, they don't have the money. In a perfect word I'll eventually make enough that I can pay them back for the ug help, too.

[hookem12]

The deal my parents and I had was that if I attended a non-private undergrad, or a private with $$, they'd pay for grad school. My undergrad (UT, if you couldn't tell from my username) is laughably inexpensive compared to most colleges. I'm sure my parents might be a bit more hesitant or push me toward scholarships for law school if they had already dropped a lot on an out-of-state undergrad, rather than the $50k or so in tuition costs at UT. I'm also going directly to law school and am still young - if I had been working for awhile, my parents might view me as more financially independent.

Also, to paraphrase my dad, he can either pay for things now or I can pay even more inheritance tax later on.

[swtlilsoni]

he had no intention of going into debt at 50 when I could go into debt at 18 and have 30 more years to pay it back. (which I must admit was very logical of him)

wow I never thought about it that way before. now I don't even feel like taking their money anymore lol