12 ways to save money on college costs
-
Upload
the-motley-fool -
Category
Education
-
view
1.560 -
download
10
description
Transcript of 12 ways to save money on college costs
12 Ways To Make College More Affordable
12 Ways To Make College More
Affordable
1. Start out at community collage• Community college
costs an average of $2,713 per year, more than 80% less than public 4-year schools
• By doing your first two years at a community college, you could save more than $25,000
2. Summer classes close to home• If you go to a 4-year
college, consider taking summer classes at your local community college
• Most “core” classes will transfer, and this could save you thousands in the long run
3. Stay close to home• The average
public university in the United States costs 133% more for out-of-state students, according to U.S. News data
Flickr/ 401(k) 2012
4. Check for local scholarships• Scholarships
offered by businesses and individuals on a local basis are often much less competitive than state or national awards
Free cooper union
5. Take a full class load• Many schools charge a
flat rate per semester for a “full-time” course load
• The limits vary by school, but you could take up to 18 credits per term in many cases
• This helps ensure you graduate on time, as only about one-third of college students finish in four years Public domain
6. Rent textbooks• Renting textbooks can
save you hundreds of dollars each semester
• For example, one widely-used Biology text costs $188.49 new, $175.21 used, or as low as $49.99 to rent, according to Amazon.com Flickr/ Patrick
7. Use your entire meal plan• If your meal plan covers a
certain amount of meals, say 10 per week or 150 per semester, make sure you use them all
• Not using meals you paid for is wasting your money
• And, if you don’t use all of your meals, maybe you should drop the plan Flickr/ Kevin Jarrett
8. Investigate living options• In some college towns,
renting an apartment is actually cheaper than living on campus
• For instance, finding three roommates to share a four-bedroom house could save some money
• Make sure you shop around before deciding to stay in the dorms
wikipedia/ Raul654
9. Work as a resident advisor (RA)• Most schools offer
free or discounted housing to upperclassmen who choose to work as RAs
• Also known as a resident assistant www.austincollege.edu
10. Take advantage of campus freebies
• According to The College Board, the average student spends nearly $2,000 per year on personal expenses, like entertainment
• Many colleges have a variety of entertainment options (like movies) free of charge for students Wikipedia/ hashi photo
11. Don’t carry credit card balances• Running up large
credit card bills can make your college experience much more expensive
• The interest on a $5,000 credit card debt can cost $1,500 per year!
12. Only buy what you need• Wait until your classes
start before you buy your supplies
• Don’t buy five notebooks when a single large one will do
• Do you really need a 10-pack of highlighters?
flickr/ Jimmie
The best way to put the money you save to work