DD is still waiting to hear back from several schools and find out about FA packages. However, it seems likely that she will attend UGA (hopefully in the honors program). Since her tuition is covered by the Zell Miller scholarship, here are the remaining costs estimated by UGA:
Student fees: 2270
Room: 6650
Board: 3956
Books and Supplies: 1006
Living Expenses (Transportation, loan fees, misc): 4016
So, over $17,000. Does this seem like an estimate of average costs in these areas or are these the high estimates (for the more expensive dorms, meal plans etc.)?
Do these costs seem realistic? Any suggestions for cutting costs? Of course D will be working over the summer and may have a part-time job during the school year. She will also continue applying for some outside scholarships and still may be eligible for additional scholarship money through UGA. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Your “living expenses” of $4016, and your books of $1006 are things you can control. Choose less expensive expenses…don’t go out as much, limit discretionary spending, etc. She can buy books online used which can save money.
Is this dorm cost for the cheapest dorm option? Check and see…and if not, consider a less costly dorm option. Same with the meal plan. You want her to have the meals she needs…but this might be a higher level plan than she actually needs or will use. Check.
the room rate listed above is higher than the avg, so you’ll probably be able to save some there.
food rate above is one of the less expensive option.
you can also save on the books and misc (as others stated)
Thanks for the suggestions and the link @lz57c4. My D is pretty good about being frugal so it definitely seems like we can cut those costs somewhat and choose some of the cheaper options where there is a choice.
@elena13 If your D elects to be in a tower (freshman) dorm, the room cost is $5,400. Therefore, room/board and fees are $11,630. The rest of the costs will depend on what your D spends for books, sorority if she joins, and spending money. The tower dorms are a great option form meeting people freshman year if your D does not mind the traditional dorm.
Also, the food option for Freshman year is all you can eat and there are several options. Therefore, if your D wants to be frugal, she can limit the money spent on food.
@atlkaw6 -Thanks for your input. I’m sure the tower dorm will be fine as she can’t afford to be picky. I’m hoping she will have time to do a work study job if she can find one and I think she can be frugal about expenses.
If saving on room and board is a primary concern and she’s pretty sure that she’ll be attending,
you’ll want to send in your deposits to secure the room/cost-level of your choice, as they tend to be first come/first served.
It’s going to cost at least that much. Have you seen all of the other fees that UGA charges (like PE locker fee, towel fees at the rec center, laundry costs, printing fees, PO Box, football tickets, parking pass, etc)? And have you looked at housing? Because the amount they post online is for the cheapest and most outdated community style dorms. The nicer ones carry a $1500-2800 more per year premium over the amount in UGA’s COA.
$18884 is the COA on my spreadsheet for UGA (my daughter also has Zell). If your child is looking to rush a sorority or fraternity, that number is going to be more in the range of $22444.
@mommdc - Yes there is an honors dorm. She doesn’t find out if she is in the honors program for a couple more weeks, but if so, I would like her to be in the honors dorm. I will check to see the cost of that option.
Are these not the fees included in the $4000 Living expenses? What else could they be? My kids didn’t spend anywhere near the amount the schools estimated for ‘misc expenses’ because they had full meal plans and we made an effort to keep all other expenses to a minimum, and they were used to living on a budget (little shopping, cheap entertainment, making their own fun). Their student IDs got them into all sports, many concerts, movies, student theater productions (or a small fee), the rec center. It also got them discounts around their towns. Laundry? Ha ha, like my kids would spend a lot on that (one took hers to her friend’s home for the weekend and did it for free). No cars, so no parking costs.
Are these not the fees included in the $4000 Living expenses? What else could they be?
No. Their number includes travel expenses, personal care (toiletries, clothes), and other costs. My D has several friends at UGA that told us to plan for a minimum of $1300 more per semester than UGA’s COA estimate (in addition to the amount that you will want to increase for upgraded housing). Even our tour guide at UGA talked in depth about the excessive fees, laughing as he said “I wouldn’t be shocked if they added a ‘breathing oxygen’ fee next year”. He told us he ended up taking a job to cover the excessive fees because they weren’t feasible in his family’s budget.
I did list student fees above at over $2200, which seems like a lot but I guess that is what it will be. Still, the total then is around 17,000 if she is in a less expensive dorm and is frugal with meals. I’m not planning on a sorority for freshman year and expect her to get involved in other clubs/activities. D is still waiting to hear back from other colleges, but I’m preparing for UGA to be the most affordable option. She does have the Presidential scholarship at Alabama (covers tuition) so we’re considering that as well.
I will second @hop on submitting housing deposit-- it’s only $35, and you can change your house choices later on without losing priority. (But the earlier you register, the higher your chances of getting your first pick). I am a senior considering UGA, and am also interested in hearing more about fees, COA, etc. My friends seem to be only spending between 13-15000 a year (besides tuition), so I am confused as to why everything costs so much. Are costs very different for out-of-state students?
Good to know @GAcollegemom6. Thanks. It’s crazy to look at all these costs. However, their category of “miscellaneous living expenses” comes to around $3000/semester and it seems like some of the extra fees you mentioned could fall under that umbrella. Otherwise, I don’t see how she could spend that much beyond the food plan per semester, although I’m sure there’s a way if she’s not frugal.
Thanks for the push, @PeregrineFlute. I decided to register D for housing to at least hold a spot.
It seems crazy for sure. Especially the total nearing $20k with free tuition. What in the world?!?
It will all work out though, surely. And maybe they will learn a little frugality along the way
I’m no expert but in my experience, the transportation part of the miscellaneous fees are large if you are out of state/require plane tickets to get back home on breaks. If you are instate and close by/don’t require flights, that price can be reduced.
Case in point - my D’s school is 600 miles from home so a transportation estimate would probably be on the higher end. Fortunately, we live near an airport that flies into her college town and I can ALWAYS get r/t tickets for less than $100 (usually less than $70). So if she returns home @ 4x/year (Thanksgiving, end of semester, family event, etc), that’s still less than $400/year. But I have to consider the cost of moving her in and out at the beginning and end of the year. Since that involves driving for nine hours, the cost is more like $700-$900, which includes renting a minivan, gas, food, and a couple of nights hotel stay (cause I’m too old to drive for nine hours, drop her off, then immediately head back to drive for another nine hours).
If she attended a college that was closer, those costs could be dramatically reduced.
Other miscellaneous costs, which for my D include recreational activities on the weekends like going to the beach/movies/miniature golf/restaurant, can be covered by her part time job and/or summer savings. Honestly, that comes to about $25-40/week for her and she can work six hours a week to afford that easily. I supply a little extra here and there but her expenses are quite low because she is in a lower cost of living area. I don’t think that would fly in NYC.
Just remember that many of the costs don’t need to be paid upfront. Books are spread out over two semesters and misc. costs are paid as they come up throughout the year. When you look at the total cost of $17,000, if looks quite daunting. But split up and broken down makes it an easier pill to swallow. And please don’t be fearful of small loans. I know that the word “loan” is pretty much taboo on CC, but a small one of about $2500year can be extremely manaeagble after graduation. Heck, you could even help her pay it off!
