A Look At College’s Unexpected Costs

When parents contemplate a child’s move to college for the first time, the majority of them will concentrate hard on the big expenses like books and tuition. But how many actually consider the other factors involved in sending a child off to a new life, especially when that new college student is no longer living at home.

As with many things in life, there are expenses that may not be evident at first thought. However, these fees can certainly add up to a small fortune, especially when you are trying to be so vigilant about the costs of college.

Here are some tips to help you seek out  and deal with the seemingly hidden costs of higher education:

Orientation Expenses
Many colleges host initial orientations for students and even their parents to show them around campus and orient them to their new living situations. However, many colleges don’t always foot the bills so the family is responsible for travel expenses, hotel accommodations, food, gas, or airline tickets.

Promotional Items
Families will likely be very excited at the new environment and can tend to overspend on college merchandise, like clothing, decals, magnets, and other overpriced, school-related merchandise without concerning themselves much with budget limits. The bigger the family, the more the expense.

Dorm Room Accessories
Parents will likely feel some obligation to ensure their long-distance kid will feel at home while they are away and can go overboard with accessories for the dorm room. From microwaves to television sets,  there a lot of things that get put on a shopping list. Many kids will want what’s fashionable with bed linens, towels, and wardrobes.

Campus Costs
If your new college student plans to have a car on-site, expect to pay several hundred dollars in parking pass fees. There are also fees associated with campus activities, including Student Union events, football and other sporting events, as well as off-campus interests (movies, clubs, restaurants, etc.)

Transportation Concerns
If your child is driving a car to school, it may change the rate of your insurance premium. If the location of the car is changing, your premium could very well change with it and since your child is still at a young age, the premium will also likely be affected by their move from the home.  Also, if your child does not have a car to get them around, factor in the cost of a bus or subway pass when leaving campus and the cost of airline tickets or gas for visits home.

Not Your College Supply Closet
The times have changed and pencils and notebooks are no longer the norm. Now, the majority of colleges require students to have a laptop computer, expensive software, and technological accessories such as printers, scanners, and internet capabilities. In addition to the technology,  textbooks and other college lab-related supplies are required and not very cheap. Kids may also need to spend money on copying services or other project related expenses course work may require.

Utilities
Kids living on campus and off will also incur utility bills that are not inexpensive and come on a monthly basis. Television cable, internet cable, and cell phone bills are all common expenses that are usually relegated to the parents.

Food
Most colleges offer meal plans for dorm residence. While they may be cheaper and healthier than eating at fast food joints each night, they certainly are not free. Additionally the costs for supplying your kids with dorm food each month can also be high as snack foods and microwave-friendly meals are not cheap.