Anthony
How can i spend less money in college?
Im a junior, and i have to get prepared for college. I wanna know some things that i can do to spend less money in college #career #money #college
3 answers
Shadey Trinidad, M.Ed.
Shadey’s Answer
This is a great question! College is very expensive—tuition, room and board, textbooks, going out with friends etc. can add up quickly.
In regards to tuition and room and board, applying for financial aid and scholarships is the best way to save money. Finding an on campus job is also another way to make additional money while in college.
While in college, I saved a lot of money by renting out my textbooks (instead of buying them), borrowing my books from the library, or splitting the cost with friends and sharing books. If I did have to buy a book, I bought it used from amazon instead of brand new. I would suggest creating a budget and sticking to it. You can save money by choosing to go out with your friends once a month instead of every Saturday. Finally, always look out for student discounts!
Sheryl Gunn
Sheryl’s Answer
Only you will be able to control your spending while in college. There are things you can start doing now to prepare for saving money so that you can spend money in college without quite so many student loans.
First, work!
I worked full time the summer before my senior year. I had enough high school credits, so I worked 1/2 day and went to school 1/2 day my entire senior year of college... then repeated the summer cycle by working every summer until I graduated from college. I was lucky to find a seasonal company that needed summer help every year, so that was my "in". I also worked part-time every year I was in college.
Second, save!
Books, tuition, and room & board will be your unavoidable and major expenses in college. Start saving money now! I know it's hard to save money, but you will appreciate having the funds available to buy those books (or pay for tuition) without going into debt.
Lastly, research!
Research schools, grants, scholarships and other financial aid.
It's not to early to start researching the tuition costs at various schools. If it is an option and cost is a huge factor for you, you may want to consider starting out at a Junior College.
There is a lot of financial assistance out there, including grants and scholarships, and there is a lot of competition for that funding, so start now. I found out years after college that there were grants available from the railroad if you lived within one mile of the railroad tracks (I did, but didn't know about the possibility for getting that type of grant). The point is, look beyond the standard grants and scholarships and ask around for information. If you don't know where to start or how to go about it, walk into your local library and ask for assistance. Librarians have a wealth of knowledge, they are super helpful, and it's free!
Sheryl recommends the following next steps:
Nicole Baillie
Nicole’s Answer
In addition to the great answers already provided, one piece of buried treasure :). Some schools that are local to a state or county offer better financial packages if you are considered and in-state resident. If there is a school within your state that you may be interested in but that you think or heard is expensive, my suggestion is to get your research going and investigate. You may find that the tuition is much lower that what it would be for an out of state school.
Best of luck to you!