He Offered to Pay for Her College Degree—Until She Picked a Major He Refused to Fund
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If a parent is gonna foot the bill for their child’s college education, should they get a say in what their kid plans on studying?
Well, it depends on the mom or dad that you talk to.
And you and I both know that is the kind of topic that will get all kinds of people talking!
Check out what this dad had to say about why he’s having a debate with his daughter about her future.
AITA for putting conditions on how much I’ll pay for my daughter’s college depending on what she majors in?
“My wife and I are fortunate enough to be in a position where we can pay for our daughter’s college education.
The issue is what she wants to major in.
She’s interested in things like theater, art, and other creative fields. I told her I’m concerned about spending a significant amount of money on a degree that may not give her many stable career options after graduation.
We actually sat down together and looked at potential careers, salaries, and job opportunities associated with some of the majors she’s considering. From what we found, I wasn’t convinced the cost of the degree made financial sense.
So I gave her a choice.
Here’s the deal…
If she chooses a major with a reasonably clear path toward stable, gainful employment, my wife and I will pay 100% of her tuition.
If she decides she wants to pursue one of the creative majors she’s interested in, I’ll still contribute—but only up to the equivalent of in-state public university tuition. She wants to attend a private school, so she would be responsible for the difference through scholarships, working, or student loans.
My reasoning is pretty simple: I’m willing to invest heavily in her education, but I don’t think being able to afford something automatically means I should pay for it regardless of the potential return.
That didn’t go over well…
She absolutely despised this.
She told me that making her take out loans when we have the ability to pay is unfair and would put her at a disadvantage starting her adult life.
I told her that graduating with an expensive degree that doesn’t provide enough income to support herself could also put her at a disadvantage.
That did not help my case.
My wife thinks I’m being too rigid, and most of my family thinks I’m a jerk. Their argument is that college should be about finding something you’re passionate about, not just maximizing your future salary.
I understand that argument. I also think there’s a difference between supporting your kid’s dreams and writing a blank check for them.
For context, I’m a 39-year-old high school biology teacher, and my wife works in healthcare. We’re not wealthy—we’ve just been fortunate and planned ahead enough that paying for college is something we can realistically do.
AITA for putting conditions on how much I’m willing to pay based on what my daughter chooses to major in?
I had a 3 million dollar inheritance. We paid off our home and live very frugally. Our kids don’t know about the inheritance.”
Reddit users shared their thoughts.
This person was shocked.
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Another reader said he’s to blame.
This individual agreed.
Another Reddit user shared their thoughts.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a daughter who moved her mom in after her dad passed, but doesn’t want to fill the role of a spouse.
And this person weighed in.
Folks seem to be pretty split on this story!
And that makes sense…
This is a divisive topic!
The debate between this dad and his daughter is just getting started!
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