LA Times – Greater Risk Motivating Helicopter Parents?

There is a great deal of discussion regarding the involvement of parents in college students lives these days.   Most of the attribution as to why is that it is a habit of over-involved parents that is advanced by the availability of technology to “over parent”.

Yet this is among the LA Times story by Larry Gordon –  also identifies the risk facing parents and the investment they are making as part of the reason for their involvement.   The entire article by Larry Gordon is worth reading and is linked below.   One of the quotes that helps illustrate the point from the article follows.

“A lot of parents are paying big tabs, and they want to have a more active involvement in where their money is going,” he said.  The colleges also have a long-term financial interest in keeping them happy, Mack said. “If the student had a great experience and is gainfully employed after graduation…”

Helping families and universities to manage these risks are a part of GradGuard’s mission.   The financial risk surrounding a college education is considerable and growing, as a result GradGuard’s tuition insurance is a vital consideration for more families.    The personal property that students have today is valuable and often not-covered by the high-deductible home-owners insurance policies, as a result GradGuards renters insurance.     The health of students is frequently, but not always an equal concern for families and when school policies fall short of coverage for the price GradGuard’s health insurance is still another option.     Instead of being concerned about over-involved parents, GradGuard supports helping parents to address the anxiety and risk that comes from this unique life-stage.   GradGuard is increasingly partnering with colleges and universities so colleges fulfill the promise of not just an education but one that is also “College Life Protected” by GradGuard.

By Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times – August 29, 2010

Keeping parents’ ‘helicopters’ grounded during college

“Facing a generation of text-messaging parents who are often intensely involved in their offspring’s lives and academic careers, many schools are launching or expanding orientation events to inform parents about all sorts of details of university life. There are parents-only workshops on health insurance, dorm life, financial aid, academics, alcohol abuse and policing.

More important, campus officials say, is explicit advice aimed at easing the pain of separation for the older generation and discouraging intrusive habits that have earned some the title of “helicopter parents” for their habit of hovering.

Last year, 97% of U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities surveyed had held orientations for parents of incoming students, according to the University of Minnesota’s National Survey of College and University Parent Programs, a study of 500 schools. That’s up from 61% in 2003, the study showed.

Because of frequent text messages and e-mails home, parents today know significantly more about their college-age children’s lives and problems than parents knew a generation ago….That increased communication between students and parents — and parents and colleges — “is not either good or bad. It’s just the way life is,” said Marjorie Savage, parent program director at the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus.  Savage, the author of a guidebook called “You’re on Your Own (But I’m Here if You Need Me): Mentoring Your Child During the College Years,” said few parents become a serious problem for schools. Parental intrusions tend to decline after freshman year, she said.

Craig Mack, president of the National Orientation Directors Assn., said another reason for colleges to pay attention to parental anxiety is the growing price of college tuition. “A lot of parents are paying big tabs, and they want to have a more active involvement in where their money is going,” he said.  The colleges also have a long-term financial interest in keeping them happy, Mack said. “If the student had a great experience and is gainfully employed after graduation, the parents are more likely to contribute to the school even if they are not alumni,” he said.”