AITA for not paying 1/3 of my salary for my kids’ college?
A father stands at a crossroads, caught between the weight of financial strain and the hopes of his children.
His teaching job offers a rare blessing—a tuition-free path to a prestigious college—but his kids reject it, chasing their own dreams beyond the safety net he worked hard to provide.
The cost of their choices threatens to consume more than a third of his annual salary, dragging him into a battle not just over money, but over fairness, sacrifice, and the meaning of support.
Meanwhile, his ex-wife’s expectations hang heavy in the air, a silent decree that he must bear half the burden despite earning more and having already made sacrifices.
The father grapples with the injustice of it all, torn between standing firm and being labeled the villain, as the future of his children—and his own peace of mind—hangs in the balance.
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The original poster is in a difficult financial and familial conflict. He feels obligated to support his children's choice of schooling, despite having provided a significant, cost-free alternative through his employment benefit.
His ex-wife has set a high financial expectation ($30,000 per child), which represents a substantial portion of his salary, leading him to feel taken advantage of, even while fearing being perceived as a "stingy j**k" if he refuses.
Is the poster obligated to financially contribute significantly to his children's chosen, expensive college education when free options were available through his employment?
Or is setting a firm boundary based on the value of the benefit he secured, even if it means disappointing his children and ex-wife, the more appropriate action?
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