3 Hidden College Costs Every Parent And Teen Should Know About
Everyone knows that college is expensive and that the price keeps increasing year after year. The largest single cost is tuition followed closely by room and board if you are living away from home. These two things combined can easily add up to $30,000 a year or more.
That means by the end of four years a college education will have cost $120,000. That’s a lot of money, on its own but whats even worse is that there are other ‘hidden’ costs that aren’t included in this amount. However, you should know what they are so you are not surprised by them later on.
Books
Most teens and parents already know that books are going to be expensive. Yet, many of them don’t know how expensive. The price of books varies widely from major to major. A single medical textbook can cost more than $250, whereas some novels an English major might read cost less than $5.
So, you should look into the cost before you get to school. You don’t want any nasty surprises. Books can easily add an extra $1,000 a year to an already expensive education. You can save money though by shopping online or at used campus book
Eating/Drinking/Entertainment
If you choose to live in a dorm at college you will usually have some sort of meal plan. However, you should find out if the meal plan covers everyday of the week and the weekend or the week only. Many colleges don’t provide food service on Sundays for example. Thus buying extra food on the days not covered will cost you money. Moreover, you aren’t always going to want to eat in the dinning hall at your school so you should factor in that as an extra cost.
Another cot many people overlook are entertainment expenses. Drinking Beer, going to movies and concerts all cost money. So if you plan on doing to do any of those activities you will have to factor that in as another hidden cost.
Clothes
Finally, many people when they first go away to college don’t factor in new clothes expenses. Those clothes you wore in high school will eventually wear out. Plus, you may find you want to change your style while you are away at college. Maybe, you want to be someone different than you were in high school. Buying new clothes though also costs money. Remember to factor in some sort of clothes budget when planning for college.
None of these 3 hidden costs should come as a surprise. Yet, many people simply forget to include them when planning for college. $1,000 for books might not sound like a lot on top of $25,000 tuition, but if I were to offer you a $1,000 you would definitely take it.
So, think about ways you can reduce the costs I mentioned above because any money saved now will result in a quicker repayment of your student loan debt. And, parents if you are the footing your kids college education you don’t really want to end up paying more for things than you have to right?
Ian Wright is a recent college graduate so he know about the costs and expenses of going away to school. He currently has a site about online education and where you can read about getting an Accredited Online College Degree. He has also written many other articles which you can view at: http://www.online-college-degree-review.com.
Tags: college, college costs, going to college, online college