The financial strain of the pandemic has led many parents to tap into student loan savings that were once considered hands off, according to a survey by LendingTree.
The survey of 1,000 people with children under 18 found that more than one-third of parents have dug into money set aside for their child’s college education.
“In normal times, tapping a child’s college fund would be something that should be avoided as much as possible,” Matt Schulz, chief industry analyst at LendingTree Schulz, said in a statement. “These clearly aren’t normal times, however. If your financial world has been flipped upside down by the pandemic and that college fund can help you with some of the cost involved in distance learning, it’s worth considering.”
The survey, which was conducted April 28 through May 1, also found that 56% of parents have fallen into debt. Four in 10 took on more credit card debt, 15% turned to a personal loan and 10% said they leaned on friends and family for money, the survey said.
Parents said being lockdown with their children and having to balance work and home schooling have caused them the most stress. Thirty-one percent said it is the their top stressor, while 19% cited social learning and 18% cited financial stress at the top of their stressor lists.
The survey also found that more than 60% of parents said they have had to dish out money for learning supplies such as laptops and tablets (48%), headphones (25%), software (22%), traditional school supplies (20%) and office furniture (15%) to homeschool their children.
On top of that, three in four parents said they also are spending to keep their children entertained. The survey pointed out that gaming systems like the $300 Nintendo Switch have been flying off shelves since the pandemic began.
Additionally, it said single parents are struggling more to pay bills during the pandemic. Nearly one in five who are single, divorced or separated skipped paying their credit card bill last month versus 9% of married parents. And 15% percent could not pay their rent or mortgage in full, the survey said.
And as for IRS stimulus checks, the survey said 82% of respondents received it. Of that, 37% said they plan to spend it on groceries, and just over a quarter said they would use the stimulus check to pay for household bills.