Pay as you go… cell phone plans… Could be a good solution.

 You may need to push your kid out of the nest and into a prepaid plan when their current contract expires. This strategy protects you from youthful excess and teaches your student how to budget, says Joseph Pawlikowski, of Goingcellular.com, which reviews cell phones and service plans.

It is like a debit card. “Once the minutes run out, they’re gone.” Virgin Mobile offers a plan that provides 1,000 voice minutes for $50; for another $20 a month, you get unlimited texting.

Your student may claim to be hopelessly lost without a smart phone. In the student’s defense, phones with web access can actually perform wonders on an as-needed basis. Verizon’s GPS-enabled phones, for instance, lets your student download VZ Navigator for 24 hours, at $3 a pop — letting you rest easier if he or she hits the road for an overnight trip.