• Follow us on Twitter
  • Join our Facebook Group

University Survival

  • Student Success Skills
    • Picking a College
    • Financing Your Education
    • Choosing a Major
    • Preparing for College
    • Managing the Personal Side of the Transition to College
    • Developing Discipline to Do Well
    • Managing the Social Side of College
    • Being an Efficient Learner
    • Taking Tests
    • Ensuring You Receive The Grade You Want
    • Managing Group Projects
    • Becoming a Campus Leader
    • Student Athletes
    • Navigating College Practices
    • Succeeding on Internships and Co-ops
    • Making Critical Decisions
    • Overcoming Challenges for Specific Types of Students
    • Setting Goals
    • Being an International Student In The United States
    • Using Resources
    • Communication Skills for College Graduates
    • Building a Professional Network
    • Using LinkedIn to Develop Your Network
    • Preparing for a Career
    • Understanding Job Protocols
    • Developing Essential Career Skills
    • Becoming a Leader
    • Overcoming Career Challenges
    • Planning for your Financial Future
  • Parent Connections
    • Parent Topics
      • Being a Supportive Parent
      • Making Critical Decisions
      • Financing Your Student’s Education
    • Parent Emails
  • Teacher Resources
  • Resources
  • Community
  • About
You are here: Student Success Skills » Financing Your Education » Understanding the Costs of College

Student Success Skills

Understanding the Costs of College

by jack
July 13, 2012

College costs have become a topic of national concern. Student debt in the United States exceeds credit card debt. College costs have also risen higher than the inflation rate.

What contributes to these costs? Here are the major costs of college.

  1. Tuition – This is the cost of your classes. For most campuses you’ll pay a flat rate for being a full-time student (12 hours or more). During summer semesters, tuition is for a per credit hour basis.
  2. Fees – You may have as many as a dozen fees on your bill. These include everything from fees for labs, library, athletic events, recreation center, student health, and other items that are supported directly by students. In most cases, you don’t have a choice in paying these fees. These are also not prorated based upon the hours you are taking.
  3. Housing – These are costs of residence halls or private accommodations. You may be required to stay in campus housing your first year. In general off-campus housing is cheaper.
  4. Food – Costs of food may be bundled with your housing. You may be able to select different meal plans depending on your own meal needs (i.e. do you eat breakfast).
  5. Textbooks – This is a very expensive element of your overall costs of college. See the topic: Buying Textbooks for more information on this topic.
  6. Computer – Most college students will need a computer. Whether you buy a laptop or a desktop, you will probably want to get a new computer before you start classes.
  7. Course Materials – These materials are not that different from those you used in high school but there are a few items you probably didn’t need in high school. See the topic: Identifying What You Need in Your Dorm Room.
  8. Other Costs – It seems like there are always additional costs. These can vary from club dues, health related costs, athletic fees and many other items.

Most colleges will produce a worksheet on their website showing you the cost of attendance. These worksheets generally only provide estimates of the costs to the university itself. They typically do not include the additional costs of college attendance that are not paid to the university..

← Taking Advantage of Federal Financial Aid
Understanding the Syllabus →

Suggest a Topic

Looking for a topic and can't find it? Why not submit one...

Suggest a Topic

Share This

Rate This Topic

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading...

Testimonials

  • This semester I have made some big improvements to not only my school work, but to all aspects of college life.  I have become a lot more time efficient.  I have learned a lot of better ways to study, such as making flash cards and using new note taking strategies.  I have also started going to class 15 minutes before it starts so I have time to get all of my stuff organized and ready for class.  I also plan on using my agenda more effectively.  I have really struggled with my time management skills this semester.  They are slightly better this semester compared to last, but not as good as I would have liked them to be at this point.  I have done a lot better with classes this semester though.  I have gone to allmost all of my classes this semester.  I have also done really well with homework..

Sign Up For Student Emails

Sign up for Student Emails

Enter your email below to get weekly student emails.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Suggest a Topic

Looking for a topic and can't find it? Why not submit one...

Suggest a Topic

Share This

Sign Up For Parent Emails

Sign up for Parent Emails

Enter your email below to get weekly parent emails.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Suggest a Topic

Looking for a topic and can't find it? Why not submit one...

Suggest a Topic
© Copyright - University Survival