For many students, the most stressful part of college is paying for it.

Higher education in the United States is famous for coming at a premium, especially if a student decides to go out of state or to a prestigious school. Apart from the lucky few whose parents are in the kind of tax bracket where they can pay for their kids in full, most students have to rely on loans, scholarships, and making money through work to put themselves through college.

As a result, many prospective students spend a lot of time looking for a way to fund their education—unless they believe that it is already paid for, of course. It is the responsibility of parents with children who are potential college students to be upfront about whether they can afford to help them and how much they are able to contribute. They can get a nasty upset otherwise.