>The deal my dad and I had was we would split college costs 50-50.

I've had this discussion before and it seems to be a religious difference. I know almost no one Jewish whose parents expected them to pay for college or who expects their kids to pay unless the family really can't afford it. That is, the Jewish parents in my experience don't view paying for college as a character-building experience, but instead as part of their ongoing responsibility to their children.

But arrangements like yours or kids expected to pay the whole thing seem to be fairly common among gentiles.

FWIW, when I started college, my brother was also in college and my father was in the midst of a career change. As a result, money was very tight. Fortunately, Penn was need-based and I went through with a good mix of grants and loans.

Tamar