Couple Refused to Pay $100K of Niece’s Student Loans After She Ignored Their Scholarship Conditions—Internet Sides With Them

A couple refused to pay $100K of their niece’s student loans after she ignored their scholarship conditions, resulting in family dispute. They wondered on a Reddit forum whether their actions were justified. Comments were in their favor.

The couple claimed to be from a multigenerational poverty background and claimed to be the first in their family to attend college. However, after much hard work, they entered a financially stable period in their lives. 

They were also able to generate enough cash flow to not just fund themselves but also hand out scholarships to their eight nieces and nephews.

However, three strict conditions had to be met before earning the money: Only in-state universities or public schools (nothing private or out of state), a 3.0 GPA, and finally, their course must have a 9-semester limit. 

About five years ago, one of their nieces wanted them to pay for her “dream school” which was in Florida. Since it went against one of the three conditions, the couple decided to counter the offer.

Instead of Florida, they encouraged their niece to pick an in-state college, which they were more than willing to pay for. However, it didn’t go down very well with the parents and ended in a family dispute.

The user on Reddit noted, “A huge fight ensued. Her parents haven’t spoken to us since and actively badmouthed us to everyone.” 

The Couple Refused to Pay for Niece’s Dream School That Stirred the Pot of Family Dispute

The niece attended her dream school, and five years later, she graduated with a 2.0 GPA. According to the Redditor, it took her five years to finish her BA in Communications. And has about $300K in student loans. 

The couple almost skipped the graduation party due to the dispute. However, the Redditor's mother-in-law convinced them to attend. It appears that there was still bad blood between them because “things got ugly” the moment the couple had walked in. 

Yet again, another fight broke out with an unlikely demand from their niece’s parents. The user said, “The parents angrily demanded we pay $100K of the niece’s loans.” Apparently, the parents recalled the other four family members who had been sponsored by the Redditor and their wife.

The parents argued it was unfair. They said the others got "free rides" while their daughter was left with a large loan to pay off. After 10 minutes, the couple walked out of the party with a huge decision to make. Not about the loan but about a cash gift. 

The user mentioned that when their niece or nephew graduates, they gift them a cash gift of $5,000. Unfortunately, amid the family dispute, the couple was unable to give their niece the money. 

This is the user's dilemma. Should he mail the gift after the ugly argument, or not? The user claimed that their wife was “adamant” over not budging because of how things had recently ended. Here’s how Reddit responded. 

Reddit Offered Solutions with Justification

Many Redditors shared their solutions for a way forward. And even justified the user’s actions, encouraging them to listen to their wife in this situation. 

 One such netizen said, “DO. NOT. GIVE. HER. A. PENNY. Not the $100K, not the $5K. Literally not a coin. Another added, “You didn’t create the family drama; your niece’s parents did the moment they turned a graduation party into a financial shakedown.” 

The next one stated, “Your generosity has parameters that the niece chose not to follow. Please do not feel guilty about the family drama. They created it with greed.” 

One more claimed, “They are acting horribly, entitled to YOUR money—especially after you reiterated you would cover her schooling only in state.” A final one mentioned, “Your terms were clear. They also continued to badmouth you for 5 years…No one is entitled to your money.”