The More Parents Pay for College, the Lower Their Child's Grades Are

New study shows inverse relationship

The more money parents provide their children for college, the lower their children’s college grades will be, according to a new study. Laura Hamilton, a sociology professor at the University of California (Merced) found that, across all kinds of four-year institutions, greater parental contributions were linked with lower grades. She said, “It’s a modest effect, not big enough to make the kid flunk out of college, but it was surprising because everybody has always assumed that the more you give, the better your child does.” She suggested that students who get a blank check from their parents may not take their education as seriously as others because parents didn't discuss the students’ responsibility for their education. “A lot of the parents who contributed the most money didn’t get the best returns on their investment. Their students were more likely to stay and graduate, but their G.P.A.’s were mediocre at best," she said. Parents could minimize the negative effects, she said, by setting clear expectations about grades and progress toward graduation. (NY Times)

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