Being a broke college student is honestly a rite of passage for many teenagers and young adults. For most graduates, a weekly allowance from parents wasn’t really an option, and extra money meant finding a part-time job either on campus or elsewhere. For the most part, these kids don’t need much money anyway. Their room and board are included in tuition, and so are most meals.
However, a mom named Shena said a recent discussion in a parenting Facebook group left her wondering if she should be giving her daughter a little something extra each week. Unsure of how much, she took to TikTok to ask other college parents how much money, if any, she should be sending her daughter now that she’s away at college.
“College parents, y’all tell me what kind of weekly allowance do y’all give y’all students?” Shena questioned in her TikTok video. “This question was posed in our group mom-chat on Facebook this morning, and the answer was all over the place.”
She explained that some college parents pointed out that their kids have a meal plan and don’t need a weekly allowance at all when all of their needs are already taken care of through tuition. However, other parents insisted that they usually try and send their child upwards of $400 or $500 a month so that their kids don’t have to worry about needing money to buy miscellaneous items.
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Shena said she plans on giving her daughter some money on a weekly basis because she wants her to learn how to budget. She hopes that by the time she graduates, she’ll be more financially savvy. The problem is she just doesn’t know how much is enough and how much is too much. One thing she does know, however, is that giving her daughter a lump sum would never work.
“Tell me what a fair weekly allowance is, and for everybody that’s gonna say do what you can, absolutely,” Shena continued. “I’m gonna do what I can, and I encourage everybody to do what your budget allows.”
In the comments section, many parents agreed that anywhere between $50 and $150 is plenty. Others encouraged Shena to get her daughter a credit card that she is only to use for emergencies and to get groceries for when she may not want to eat the food on campus.
According to a survey from parenting site Grown and Flown, the majority said $25 a week or $100 monthly. The outlet did note, however, that students with their own cars would likely need more money for gas.
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While college students should have most of their needs met if they are living on campus, there are times when they might need extra money for an emergency. It could be an issue with a laptop or phone, or they need medicine from the pharmacy for a cold.
In that case, the number of college students who have access to extra is rather slim. According to findings from the Trellis Student Financial Wellness Survey, many students are indeed broke. Many were likely to struggle to find $500 to cover an emergency expense.
Although campus jobs and part-time work are available to students during their school years, many still prefer to focus on their studies over working. In that case, parents who are able to spare $50 to $100 a week to ensure their kids are able to keep their heads above water should help out.
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Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
