College… to CAREER counseling

Quick research: what percentage of parents are funding their young adult children?

Dozens of articles will come up.  Here’s one:

Parents are financing their not-yet-financially-independent adult children

If you think paying for college is expensive, consider having to continue funding your young adult children well into their adulthood.

I have a client from Old Lyme, CT.  He has two older children from a prior marriage.  One is turning 30 and the other is 27.   Both are underemployed.  He pays the rent for both of their apartments, their health insurance, their car insurance, their phones, and unexpected expenses.  He came to me with his 16-year-old, noting that he didn’t want to make the same mistake of “letting them figure it out.”

My Old Lyme client was being too hard on himself.

A decade ago, it did not seem unusual for college counseling clients to focus entirely on “fit” for the college.  “They will figure it out” was not an uncommon phrase used by parents who sent their children to college with no discussion about career paths.

Parents along Connecticut’s shoreline are thoughtful planners. They save for college, invest in tutoring, and make deliberate decisions about schools, testing, and admissions strategy.

Yet many are surprised by what comes after college.

The uncomfortable financial truth is this:

College does not end parental financial responsibility. Financial independence does.

The Reality Facing Connecticut Parents

Let us begin with several facts that are especially relevant to families in affluent, high-education regions like the Connecticut shoreline:

• Many college graduates do not earn enough to fully support themselves after graduation

• Students often return home, either temporarily or indefinitely

• Entry-level roles frequently fail to cover rent, insurance, and living expenses

• Parents quietly subsidize adulthood well into a child’s late 20s

This pattern is not driven by laziness. It is driven by a disconnect between college and career.

When that bridge is missing, parents pay the difference.

College-to-Career Gaps Become Parental Financial Liabilities

When a student lacks:

• Career direction

• Practical understanding of the labor market

• Transferable skills tied to real roles

• Accountability for post-college outcomes

the financial burden shifts upward.

Parents become:

• Income buffers

• Safety nets

• Long-term financial backstops

What begins as short-term support becomes a structural dependency.

What College-to-Career Counseling Actually Does

At The Learning Consultants, we approach education with a clear financial reality in mind:

The goal is not just college admission. The goal is adult independence.

Effective college-to-career counseling helps students:

• Connect academic choices to viable career paths

• Understand the economic value of different majors and skills

• Develop competence, not just credentials

• Make realistic plans for earning a living after graduation

Students who understand why they are in college—and what comes next—launch faster and more successfully.

Why This Matters Financially for Parents

From a parental financial perspective, the math is straightforward:

A young adult who becomes financially independent earlier:

• Stops drawing on parental resources

• Reduces long-term financial leakage

• Preserves parents’ retirement flexibility

• Prevents difficult money conversations later

By contrast, extended dependence—even at modest monthly levels—can cost parents hundreds of thousands of dollars over time.

For parents on Connecticut’s shoreline, the smartest financial move is not simply paying for college.

It is ensuring that college leads to financial independence.

That requires:

• Intentional college-to-career planning

• Honest conversations about work and income

• Exposure to real expectations before graduation

• Accountability alongside academic support

Parents who invest in college-to-career clarity spend less over time, experience less stress, and protect their own financial future.

Helping your child transition successfully from college to career is not just educational guidance.

It is one of the most effective financial decisions a parent can make.