The Hidden Costs of College

Q. Other than tuition, room and board expenses, what else I need to budget for my child's college expenses?

A. There are many hidden costs of college!  Other than tuition, room and board, here are some other expenses to budget for:

• Books: This will be a sticker shock for most parents.  Ask your child to rent from Chegg and Amazon, you can save up to 90%.
• Travel: If your child lives in another city, make sure to plan ahead for the travel, use a credit card with good travel rewards.
• Food: Unlimited mean plan won't be enough, most students will need money for occasional dine out, late night pizza, etc.
• Parking: Campus parking could be very expensive, for those bring a car.
• Social club fees: Especially for students in fraternity or sorority, think about initiation fee and membership dues.
• Study abroad fee: This will be a big number, make sure you calculate the cost before applying for it.