Actually, this whole "buying a job" things doesn't seem any different from college itself. A Rutgers education, with all your room/board, etc., comes out to about $60K over 4 years (for in-state students). Your parents paying all that for you to get a meteorology degree, and go out and start working as an overnight forecaster making not much more that a regional FO. So it might be the same ouside of aviation. Granted, Rutgers is one of the most expensive state schools in the nation (my buddy's parents don't pay nearly that much for ASU), but you get the idea. Might be screwed on both sides of the fence.