We paid for tuition, room and board, travel, books, medical expenses…everything else is on them. They need to fund their fun out of their summer jobs.
Looking at what the student already has is a good starting point, but I think the assumption is that the student will also be earning…so part of budgeting is to get a sense of how much the student needs to earn, either over the summers or with part time earnings during the school year.
My D is at an urban campus (NYU) and pays for her own fun stuff and incidentals - she gives herself $60 a week out of savings and that is very tight. She has a meal plan but it’s not always possible to eat during the meal times and… it’s NYC, stuff costs a lot. I pay for anything that’s academic in nature.
My D was also in NYC & was able to earn a lot, because there were all sorts of opportunities beyond work study. Along with the greater expense of an urban campus is the greater opportunity, especially in a city with a good transit system. My D was never one for budgeting and I never asked. I think both my kids knew that if they were having a hard time they could come to me, but it just didn’t become a problem.
I’d note that my daughter was also able to finance an unpaid internship abroad one summer, and to spend a second summer traveling abroad (without a job), following a semester of studying abroad. During the school year she might have had 4 or 5 part-time jobs (obviously not all at once) — but she also had excellent grades and an opportunity for a social life.
But the point is that the kids were each able to earn what they wanted and needed. I think the first year is the hardest, because it takes a while for kids to hit their stride in a new environment – so it is helpful to go in with a little bit of a cushion from personal savings or summer earnings.
S has a job during the school yr (part time - 10 hours in a professional setting so decent pay - $10/hr for a kid). Spoke to him about it at Thanksgiving. He may not be thrilled with the work, or even having to go to work, but he loves having money in his account as he and his friends frequently (like nightly) get subs and pizza, etc. He’s been working since 15. He already understands the value of work, special occasion expenses, etc. Pretty cool.