Should I support a child almost flunking college?

First of all, this depends on the situation.

If he/she is flunking bc he/she is partying too much, not taking classes seriously, and fooling around then i would make the student pay for the next semester. Maybe if he/she is dishing out a few thousand of his/her own money then maybe they'll take their education more seriously. If grades improve then offer to help out more the following semester, but don't pay in total until he/she gets above a decent GPA.

If your student is failing bc he/she is having trouble adjusting to college life (ie- stressed, sick, lonely) then i would suggest having him/her come home for a semester and take classes locally. Then maybe they can transfer to a school they are more comfortable w or complete their education at home.

I would have a nice, long discussion with my child if that were the situation... and find out what the problem was. Obviously, you know your child and know what he/she is capable of and if there was a chance for improvement.

My top options would be to:

a. Assist my child in making a plan of action (tutoring, set study times, moving back home - if a reasonable drive to school, etc)

b. Give them one more semester for a chance to pull their grades up and get out of Academic Probation (which they'll be on with those grades)

c. Insist that he/she transfer to a community college close to home. If I were helping with college costs, then I would help with community college costs as well, but would insist the child live at home unless he/she wanted to work and pay for living expenses and an apartment themselves.

Sometimes the first semester is really overwhelming to students... even students who made excellent grades in high school. Plus, some students don't know what to do with all the freedom they now have (if they're living away from home) and don't manage their time very well and attend all of their classes. You need to find out what your child thinks is the problem (without getting upset). If your child immediately blames the teachers or all the work, then perhaps he/she isn't ready for college. If your child admits to missing a few classes, getting behind in work, going out too much, etc. then there's a chance to work with them about study habits and time management - and in this case, I would give them one more semester. That is, if the child were still serious about the education... we all make mistakes, and some will realize the consequences of those mistakes, and some will continue making them. You have to decide which type your child is so that you know whether you should continue supporting them financially.

I'd give them a probationary period to make up for it before cutting them off. Have them take the least amount of classes. Make them agree to go to the teacher's office hours, the review sessions, and classes. Make sure they know where all of the resources are. Hopefully they'll realize that they need to change their study habits. The general rule of thumb is to study 3 hours for every 1 hour of class time. Most freshmen do not realize this. You should also talk to them about what went wrong and make a plan to change it. Consider if the major is right and the living situation. If they have a job during the semester they should reduce hours or quit.

Then I'd make them work all summer. Knowing what it takes to earn that money may help them to get serious. And you can always make them pay you back for any classes they failed.

But don't just cut them off after 1 semester. It takes work to make it work in college.