We're about to send a kid to college who will start out with a free ride. We want to make sure he keeps eligibility. He's saving us tons of money, so we're inclined to share some of that savings with him.
Has anyone tried incentive methods, such as paying a flat fee per semester if the grade point is within eligibility range with bonuses for As and deductions for Bs, etc.?
I don't know what your parenting style has been up to this point, but most of the research points to external motivations being ineffective (or even actively harmful) to building resilient, capable adults. Basically, you want your kid to succeed because they
want to learn and do well in college, not because you're paying them. I would have a serious conversation about what would happen in case they lost their scholarship, whether that means transferring to a cheaper school closer to home, debt, etc. Not that these are things
you would be doing to them, but rather inevitable and natural consequences for not working hard enough.
I would frame any allowance/stipend you provide as "living expenses" similar to the money you've spent while they were younger.
I would also work really hard to set your student up for a successful first year (even if it means an extra time in school). Because of my major, I was overloaded on courses every semester and it nearly broke me. Looking back, I would've been much better off with fewer courses and more time to spend on them. A little bit of failure is a good thing, but not when the failure means losing a big scholarship because someone pressured you into taking on too much. The first year of college is a huge change, even for someone with maturity.
Lots of schools have reciprocity for the GenEd requirements (the classes everyone takes, regardless of your major). Hopefully you have a community college nearby, see which of those classes you can knock out over the summers. It's not free, but it's cheap and takes a huge stress load off. I took one to three classes during all three of my undergrad summers, and it was an excellent decision.