Meh. He's probably a rich dude, with good income prospects, and decided that he'd pay for their education. That's pretty common for parents to do. I don't think it has any bearing on his ability to govern. The president also doesn't manage the finances of the US--Congress decides how much to spend and on what. I don't plan to vote for him, but not for this reason.
He didn't "pay" for it, he borrowed (vice saved).
that sets the tone for how he views money (this forum being kinda about money) and the President certainly does set the tone (when he submits his budget to congress).
Had the article been about how he and his wife had saved for their children's education instead of relying on loans he would have shown himself to actually be fiscally smart.
He paid for it. With money that he borrowed but will have to pay back and can't be discharged in bankruptcy unless he's totally indigent (which he never will be).
The Congress takes the President's budget, admires how pretty it looks, and immediately throws it in the trash. And then they pass their own budget many months later, hammered out in their own committees.
Yes, it would have been great if he'd saved up the money instead of borrowing it. My point is that his behavior is typical. Although, I would not be surprised if he had mid 6-figures to low millions saved up in retirement accounts and other investments and just decided it was better to not tap them for tuition when he could get a tax-deductible relatively low fixed interest loan in the meantime.
Like I said, he's not my choice for POTUS. But he's probably rich and paying for kids college is typical.
