I don't think I should pay for this...AIBU?

[Wenjie]

DD is at a university in the United States getting a four year degree in Art & Design: Games and Playable Media. She just found out she almost has enough credits to get a two year degree in Business Administration. It would be around 800 USD, which converts to about 590 GBP. She doesn't think that's much, but I don't even know that employers would care about a two year degree. I know this might not be the right place to post something about schools in the states, but it's caused friction. Am I being too unaccommodating?

This is instead of not as well as the four year degree?

Is this alongside the 4 year degree?

This is in addition to the four year degree.

I'd say £590 idn a huge amount in relation to the cost overall of higher education. Can you pay it but she has to pay you back out of earnings from a pt job? Her 4 year degree sounds exactly like what my 12 yo would love to do by the way (and most 12 year olds probably!)

In terms of USA, it's very cheap.

It's not going to harm her prospects is it

Well it's not much money is it, but I can't see why she'd expect you to pay it. If she can't cover it at the moment, are you in a position to lend it to her? Is it an MBA or some lower qualification?

I think it depends. My area of work means I can see more and more applicability for qualifications related directly to how businesses can run more optimally. At my place for example, which is global and has 2000+ staff, until maybe 2 years ago it quite literally wasn't a thing anyone thought about. Now we have an entire function dedicated to just this and I've myself started to grow a small team of people who can apply those skills to just my department alone. So I would say if the main degree is totally unrelated to business administration it could be a good add on and one which might mean she stands out in interviews. If the main degree is covering a very related topic then I wouldn't bother.

@spamiam It's an AS in Business Administration, which is much lower than an MBA.

I would fund it

I would absolutely pay for my child to do this. It’s an extra opportunity that will make her stand out when applying for jobs.

And it’s not expensive in terms of degrees.

But it’s up to you, only you know if you can afford it or want to pay.

I think having an Associates degree in Business certainly isn’t going to hurt anything and the price is reasonable for the additional qualification. I would pay for it because it could give her a bit of an edge over another work applicant, you never know.

Most people I know did Majors and Minors - I majored in Finance and Minored in Accounting. I wonder why she wouldn’t just have a Minor in Business and Major in Art & Design. But that could be down to the University.

It sounds very useful to me. She will be in a better position to start her own business or bring a wider range of knowledge if working for someone else.

I have a degree from a US Uni, I did my full 4 years there. I'd definitely pay the £590, it will make a difference to her CV. My double major with a minor is always a talking point for interviews over here.

If I could afford it I would absolutely pay for it. What harm would it do?

I would probably pay it if it were useful and I could afford to. If I couldn’t and didn’t think it useful I wouldn’t.

I did refuse to continue to support DS after university to do a Masters because I knew he only wanted to do it to avoid work another year and stay with a girl he’d met there. The Masters would not have benefited him at work at all in the line of business he intended to go.

He left uni, went into the job he had decided, that he didn’t need any degree for at all, and is doing well. The Relationship broke up anyway!

Art & Design: Games and Playable Media.

do you mean she wants to work in the games industry? if so she needs programming languages and lots of them, if she wants to be a character designer she needs a big portfollio of art and to be very very good and very fast at drawing.

she also wants to have no social life as she will be working long hours and weekends for shit pay and being an alcoholic helps because if your not one before you start work you soon will be

My double major with a minor is always a talking point for interviews over here.

Yes, same - (although I didn’t double major) but the additional qualification hasn’t gone unnoticed here in the UK and in the USA.

Surely more education is always better?

Fund it.

@BakedTattie Her four year degree is already costing us £55,500 by the time it's done, so it feels like a lot to add £590 for something that might not be valued when she's searching for work.

It sounds extremely useful and cost effective.
However if the only way of finding it is you and you cannot afford it then you need to tell her.
I’d do quite a bit to try to make this happen and as op have said agree she pays you back or pays half or whatever your finances and ‘family money relationships’ best accommodate.
I’d do a bit of behind scenes digging re what exactly this qualif is but it sounds a great idea partic as her major is more creative. Good balance I’d think.

Just seen your update. It’s a small amount given costs already accrued surely.

Given alot of graduates get their foot in the door doing more admistrative type roles in their selected industry, it does make sense. Particularly if she doesn't have experience in an office environment. But I can see your point as in your already forking out bucket-loads for her education as it is. Maybe these funds could be a loan with no interest, so she pays you back slowly once she starts working perhaps?

A one off £590? Definitely worth it, especially given hoe much you're already paying.

@VelvetChairGirl She hopes to become a game producer, which is more of a communication role. She does have a certificate in C++, so hopefully she can talk to programmers competently. But she doesn't have the maths needed to get a computer science game design degree.

I think it would only benefit her and enhance her chances of employment rather than be overlooked.