Going to college, earning a degree, and improving your resume is one of the best ways to invest in yourself, and improve your chances of better earning opportunities long-term. However, as beneficial as higher education can be, it does come with some significant costs to think about. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a wealthy set of parents who can pay your college costs for you, then you may need to spend some time thinking carefully about how you’re going to afford your journey into the next level of your education.
Also consider how to deal with financial stress as it relates to affording college. You are going to need to dedicate your time and energy to your studies so finding ways to ward off potential stressors in advance will help you thrive once classes commence. Today, we’re going to look at some quick tips you can use to improve your chances of estimating your college costs accurately.
Start by Seeing What Kind of Help You Can Get
The first step in calculating the costs of going to college should usually be figuring out what kind of help you might be eligible for. Grants and scholarships can be an excellent way to reduce the expenses of higher education and make your degree more affordable. However, most of the time, you’ll need to get your applications in as early as possible to be in with a chance of approval. It’s also worth looking at the kind of financial support offered by the school you’re thinking of applying for too.
Make Sure You Cover Obvious (and Less Obvious) Costs
Once you’ve started applying for grants and scholarships, you can start adding up how much money you’re likely to need. Start by finding out the cost of the course you want to take, and any expenses for books and extras you might need to access to complete your studies. You’ll also need to realize there are college costs other than tuition and housing expenses while still factoring those expenses into your estimated total cost. How much is it going to cost to live on campus, or live in a nearby apartment share? How much will you need to spend on getting to and from college if you’re going to be staying at home during your education? Other points to think about when adding up expenses include:
- Living costs: This includes paying for things like food, entertainment, hygiene products, electricity, gas, and general essentials when going to college.
- Tutoring and mentorship: If you need extra help at any point, how much will this cost?
- Lost wages: How much are you likely to lose by cutting your hours at work to go to college? How will you manage the lost cash?
When it comes to applying for things like loans, you might find it’s helpful to overestimate what you might need. Often, it’s better to end up having more cash than you thought you needed than it is to struggle with buying your food one month because you undershot your estimates.
