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?

Could you loan her the money?

@Warmduscher

Unless you're oligarchs £55k is a sizeable amount of money, so I'd not be impressed by your DD waltzing up to ask for more, and I'm guessing not being particularly grateful about the ask.

You’ve made a few unpleasant and unwarranted assumptions about the DD there, unless of course you were actually present during the conversation.

I don't think it was unreasonable to wonder how the request was made. Otherwise the thread title might have been 'Is £590 for an extra qualification worth it?'

It must be a worry for the OP if there is no guarantee that the 4 year course will lead to the sort of job her daughter wants.

So she’ll end up with two degrees instead of one for an extra £560? Why wouldn’t you - that’s fantastic. Why not give it to her as her birthday and Christmas present?

Op, you sound a bit resentful, is there more to this? £590 is an absolute steal, it would be ridiculous NOT to take the opportunity.

I would absolutely pay that OP… as some of the PP have said, getting into the games industry can be hard and she would be expected to work her way up. A business qualification has much broader application and is something she can fall back on if games doesn’t work out.

It seems like there is more to this though because if we’re happy to find her education to the tune of £55k, surely an additional £500 isn’t that much on top? Do you feel she is ungrateful?

It’s only an extra 1%! I’d definitely find it, it can’t do any harm to have an extra qualification, especially one that sounds diverse.

@amusedbush

Is she intending to work in the US after she graduates? I ask because an associate's degree is held in higher esteem over there. I worked in university admissions for years so saw a lot of international qualifications and an AS translates to an HNC here, so SCQF Level 7 or EQF level 5.

As others say, it won't hurt to have it but it might not make the same impact here if she's coming back to start her career. If you can afford it, I'd probably do it.

This is an excellent point. A minor in Business on her Bachelors degree would be more highly regarded but if the DD is getting in State tuition then either she is a US citizen or the family resides in the USA and so the DD might be seeking employment in the USA?

*fund not find

@MinestroneMini

Yes but she can’t be the only one on her course (or other courses) in that position?

I’m really sorry, I’m not sure what you mean. She will have 2 separate degrees, an Associate in Business from a Community College and a Bachelors from a University. Universities don’t offer Associate degrees (or none that I knew of did).

So she is doing 2 separate sets of coursework. However some of her credits from her community college Associate degree work may have applied towards her Bachelors degree (but not many).

I am saying that lots of people will have the same opportunity to combine courses as she has. Can you explain why you see her situation as very unusual, to the extent that it will make her stand out in job applications?

I’m not saying that she should not do it, or that OP should not pay for it. Just wondering if it is a stretch to justify it as something that will “make her stand out” as opposed to something that will teach her useful things about Business.

I would loan it to her, with the expectation that it will be repaid from her wages after graduation. It seems like a reasonable investment.

It's just four classes at community college, and they'd be online classes.

This sounds like a rip-off to me and not something she'd really benefit from.

If she wants to be a producer, a two year degree in Business is amazing and definitely needed tbh

You’re spending £55K on her education and you think £590 is “a lot” for an extra qualification on her CV?

I really don’t understand your logic!

It won’t harm her chances, extra qualifications are always useful - demonstrates a work ethic, if nothing else - and it’s less than £600. She wants to do it. I’d say if you’re so set that it’s not a good use of money, offer to lend it to her as a loan.

Fwiw, my mum always said she’d kept money aside in case we needed extra training courses or qualifications post-graduation. And that was a huge gesture to me, I so appreciated that if I was struggling with direction I could come back to that. It wasn’t a huge amount - not in the scheme of MAs or whatever- but a bit extra to help us on our way starting out. We didn’t get house deposits or otherwise subbed as young adults, but they had our back on education and betterment.

I think it's worth it. Eventually she will want to work for a company, and many of these software companies require business acumen if you want to move up the ranks. Certainly won't hurt and it's not that much money in relation to overall cost.

I would pay it, but possibly ask her to pay half back?

I think the question should be 'why wouldn't I pay for this?' If her education is costing so much anyway why wouldn't you pay less than £600 for her to get another arguably quite transferable qualification. Seems a no brainer to me.

If pay for that. It's probably not worthwhile, but relative to the overall cost of education your daughter it must be a small fee and you never know when being able to put down a business qualification might be handy.

There's a lot of assumptions about how much spare cash the OP has.

Just because she managed to find the $55k needed, doesn't necessarily mean that she has lots of funds at her disposal, or indeed that she has saved even more money on the off chance it's needed.

[quote Wenjie]@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.[/quote]
But it might be valued, and this is a tiny amount compared to what you are already paying. Why don't you offer her the £590 as a loan? I don't think any extra qualification is a waste.

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's a drop in the ocean compared to the overall cost, so I don't know why you're quibbling.

Saying that, I am surprised at the number of people who were telling you "just fund it" as if it's easy for people to come up with £600, and for another adult's education.

@NatashaBedwouldbenice

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's a drop in the ocean compared to the overall cost, so I don't know why you're quibbling.

Saying that, I am surprised at the number of people who were telling you "just fund it" as if it's easy for people to come up with £600, and for another adult's education.

On the contrary- if you embark on a project that costs £55k then you should never do so without having some contingency funds available in case something unexpected comes up, particularly when you are talking about a young person studying in another country. What if an emergency flight needed for example? That’s £500 easy right there. And yes I know that if you use the flight money to pay for a degree then you need to find more emergency flight money, but my point is that the contingency should be at least a couple of grand otherwise dangerous to go ahead.

If you can afford it I would pay for it.
If you can't afford it then you can't pay for it.

I’m imaging it’s the equivalent of an HNC or an HND. Happy birthday dd I would be saying.

OP,

I am a STEM PhD in the U.K who has taught at the U of CA. I think there are 2 things to consider here

1. I agree that a good internship is hugely desirable, but these are very, very competitive. You apply well in advance. It may even be late already for this summer, as it is for the best STEM internships in the U.K. If not, your daughter can apply for internships and if she is lucky enough to have a choice between working and taking classes this summer, she can decide later

Must it come down to this choice? As the classes are online could she not fit them into her life somehow even if she were to get an internship?

1. The CA community college system is highly respected and I agree that an AS degree in Business would enhance her CV. (I also think enhanced coding skills, which she can acquire at CC, would help her, but I obviously view her potential career through a different lens.) None of us can judge your financial situation or know the back story here, so I won’t presume to say whether you personally should fund it. I will note that in America it is quite typical for uni students to work part time jobs

Best wishes to you both