College is expensive. There is no way around it, and no argument about it. Tuition and fees are high, the cost of textbooks has skyrocketed, and there are more unexpected expenses than you anticipated. Sometimes parents pay all costs, sometimes students pay costs, and often parents and students together share the burden. Some costs are fixed and some are flexible. Although most parents and students have no control over the price of tuition and fees, there are some living expenses over which your student may have some control.
Hopefully, you’ve discussed costs and expenses with your college student and helped them create a budget. Whether you will be sending your student spending money or they will be responsible for their own finances, there are some things that your student can do to keep expenses in check. Depending on your student’s situation, they may want to include a few of these suggestions or as many as possible. Whenever you have your financial chat with your student, you may want to help them think through some ways in which they can shave a few expenses. Ask your student to consider implementing a few of the following suggestions.