My 20 year old son is in college and we pay for his dorm housing and dining hall meals. My daughter is 21, is not attending college, has a job, does not live at home, and pays her own bills.

Paying for a dorm room and cafeteria is a good thing. It allows a focused student concentrate on his studies. But there is a big difference between getting a 8X10 room with a bathroom down the hall while taking 6 hard classes and getting your own apartment while taking 2-3 mickey mouse classes.