3 Ways to Save Money on College Expenses


There is no doubt that college is a large expense. It requires an investment of time and money. However, your college studies don’t have to break the bank. Here are three simple ways to save money on college expenses.

Shorten Time in College

Decreasing the number of semesters that you are in college is one of the best ways to save money on college expenses. Take more classes each semester or quarter. If you can take just one extra class, that could save you hundreds of dollars over the course of your college career.

If you are not able to take more classes, then choose to take classes during the summers or during mini­sessions. For example, my college offered courses during May­Mester. That is the two weeks between spring classes and fall classes. My brother’s college was set up a bit differently and he was able to take classes back-to-back in quarters.

Borrow Computer Time

These days, much of your coursework will be completed with some sort of online component. I remember a class where we met twice during the semester for a midterm and a final. The remaining class work had to be submitted via an online classroom. With that in mind, you should think about saving money on a desktop.

The most inexpensive way to complete online coursework is through your local public library. However, when the library closes, your access to the computer also ends. Look into inexpensive deals for laptops or desktops. An investment of 300 dollars is certainly worth it when you think about how it helps you to graduation!

Rent College Textbooks

On the first day of classes, the professor typically mentions the required course book. After I researched the price of the textbook, I almost popped a vein. Textbooks can be very expensive! However, I was able to cut costs by renting textbooks. There are many services that will allow you to rent a textbook for a fee. Then, when the semester is over, you simply return the book. You can also look into borrowing the textbook from a friend who has taken the course previously.

Learning to hack your expenses is an informal college class. It won’t be a grade listed on your transcripts, but you will certainly be tested on it in the real world. Figure out where you can trim expenses and make the most of your education dollar.

What about you? How did you hack your college expenses? Is there a suggestion that I missed?

Disclosure: This post was written as part of the University Of Phoenix Versus Program. I’m a compensated contributor, but the thoughts and ideas are my own.

3 Ways to Save Money on College Expenses is a post from: Young Finances


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