Are freshman even allowed to have cars on campus? Most colleges and universities do not allow them for freshmen.
Even if they're allowed, are they needed? Most college campuses have everything a student needs in the form of food, entertainment, and health and hygiene supplies (and, frankly, if the campus *doesn't* have all of that, it's a commuter school which she shouldn't be traveling across country to attend).
I would forget letting her bring the car this year. It can be an incentive for good grades to bring it next year.
The only issue is her getting to the airport to go home at Thanksgiving and winter breaks, but I'm sure there is Uber and ride share and possibly even a campus shuttle or public transportation, depending on where the university is. Whatever it is will be cheaper than parking the car at the airport for a week or three.
So drive her out, use your car to buy and bring in bedding, fans, lamps etc. from BBB or Walmart, and leave her there. Come pick her up in May and drive back with her stuff (or you can put stuff in storage until the fall term).
And next year (if the grades are good), drive her out with your spouse as drip says, and drive one back.
Does she really need a car? Most students get along without one. It's expensive to maintain a car. If she's living on campus, and there are the usual places within walking distance, she'll end up using the car once every two weeks- or being besieged by everyone else to take them places. If you told us what school she's going to, we could be more help.
The first time I moved out of state for school and I knew how to drive and I had a car was for graduate school. We drove 2 cars, usually me following my father. It was over 650 miles and took us over 2 days. We and I do not do not do hotels. We stayed at motels. In 1981 reservations usually weren't required. I was NOT moving into a dormitory.I HAD driven out of state before. My entire life has been in 2 states for decades, Louisiana and Oklahoma, especially the Oklahoma panhandle even though I've lived in central Oklahoma for 2/ 3 of my life.
I went to school out of state before that and I did not know how to drive or have a car. Louisiana to Arizona. I did live in a dorm. My Dad drove me and my stuff from greater New Orleans to Tucson Arizona. It took us 5 DAYS. Texas is HUGE on I-10. I was NOT a freshman. I already had a bachelors degree.
For most parents I have seen mom, dad and student drives two cars down and drive one back. She can drive part of the way. If you need to spend the at hotel on the way down book a half way spot.
If you can’t get anyone to go with you, then have her follow you. Drive for 3 hours and stop to eat. The. Drive 3 more hours then stop for the night. Then do the same thing the next day.
Personally I wouldn’t feel comfortable pulling her car behind me.
First, I'd make sure she can have it there. I assume she's a freshman? Many universities don't allow freshmen to have cars on campus. If she's living on campus, then she very likely doesn't need one, no matter what year she's in.
The cheapest way to get it there is to drive it. It's very expensive to ship it. See if you can get another adult to drive it down with you (if you're not comfortable with her making that drive), and then they can ride home with you in your car. If you think she'd be okay following you on the drive, then let her drive herself down.
One question first: is she allowed to have a car on campus? Assuming she's going to be a freshman, most US colleges do not allow freshmen to have a car.
IF your daughter is a freshman (or in many cases sophomore as well), most universities ban cars on campus for freshmen, except for those local students who live with parents & commute to school. If she's living on campus, she has no need of a car, and keeping one will be expensive.
Most parents drive their child to school, along with their clothing & essential dorm supplies (bed & bath linens, their laptop & printer & accessories, desk lamp, clothing & personal supplies, etc.). They make sure the child is settled into their dorm, then drive home.
Shipping is very expensive. Hiring someone to drive the car could be cheaper, if the driver is going there, but you have to pay their transportation back otherwise. It can be very risky as well. Towing a vehicle behind a rental SUV gets expensive, too, and driving with a tow is complicated if you have no experience! All are probably bad ideas. If you drove it, you'd have to rent a car or use other transportation to get back home, and that can get costly, too. All in all, your daughter probably should NOT have a car on campus at this time. Drive her & her stuff, drop her off, and drive home.
Both my daughters had a car at university. We shipped it back and forth by open transporter. There are internet boards where you place your car and destination request. Then car transporters bid on the job so that they transport a full load. With a car of that age, I would not do it any other way. Also cheaper than driving if you eat and do an overnight stay on the journey.
But wait on the car till the second year.
