A Student Budget
College is an exciting time to learn and to make friends
that will last a lifetime. Many students do not like to worry
about money, and would rather not think about it. However,
it doesn't matter whether a student's parents pay for
everything, or whether the student works part-time to help
pay for his or her education. All students can get into
money trouble if they're not careful.
The cost of a college education can be high. In
English-speaking countries, the average cost per
student per year can be well over US$15,000. Students
must also pay for books, paper, pens, etc. These can
cost $500 to $1,000 per year. Students must also
pay thousands more per year for room and board.1
Add money for clothes, travel, and other personal
expenses, and the average cost of one year at
university can be $20,000 to $30,000, or more.
So, students need to spend their money carefully. At most
universities, councillors2 can give students advice on
how to budget their money.
This is what they suggest: At the start of a school
semester, write down your income-for example, money
you will get from your family or from a part-time job.
then, list all of your expenses. Put your expenses into
two groups: those that change (food, phone, books,
travel), and those that will.stay the same (tuition, room
and board). Add together all of your expenses. Are they more than your income? Will you
need to borrow from family or friends, or will you need to get more money by doing part
time work? Often, students find it is easier to plan out their own budget, and save their
own money, rather than trying to borrow from others.
As you can see, there's more to learn at college than just what's taught in the classroom!
1 Room and board is the cost of a place to stay and eat meals.
2 Councillors are people who offer helpful ideas to others.
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