<p>"and, yes, unfortunately, i have to have a car. although i don't really want one. the campus is in a rural area. i would have to drive at least 20-30 minutes to get to anything. for instance, i will have to switch banks because i found out that the nearest branch is 45 minutes away."</p>
<p>You still wouldn't need a car. Typically, students on such campuses either get rides from friends or are able to get rides through services the campus has set up.</p>
<p>It's normal to switch banks when moving to a new city. Probably there's an automatic teller on campus that you can use. Typically, one local bank will offer special deals to students--- cheap or free checking, a campus automatic teller and other perks.</p>
<p>Also, most students on rural, residential campuses stay on their college campus most of the time. Why go off campus? Their classes, activities and friends are all on the campus. If one needs to go shopping, that's usually possible by going with someone who has a car. To reciprocate, one can give money for gas or treat them to lunch. That's far cheaper than paying for a car, insurance, repairs, etc.</p>
<p>For what it's worth: Penn State: technology fee= $202 semester; student activities fee $57 per semester. That's it. </p>
<p>Daughters fees at her private run $600 yr.</p>
<p>I wonder if some schools just roll the fees into credit hour charges so you don't really see them?</p>
<p>Fire: Since the biggest fee is a mandatory one there is a good chance that an outside scholarship might cover this (if you are lucky enough to win/earn one). </p>
<p>Is there anything you can do to better position yourself for the "full ride" scholarship?</p>
<p>Swimcatsmsm: Good Grief! That's an amazing amount of fees!</p>
<p>OK...without the "cap, gown, diploma" fee (which I can't see you would be paying BEFORE you are a senior, your fees are $2362. You are estimating books at $1100 (based, I'm sure on the price the school puts in their estimates).</p>
<p>$3462 is the total. This would mean that you would estimate $1600 or so for "personal expenses". It seems to me that you can earn the money for most of your fees etc. during your summer job(s). Then any spending money (including the expense for that car) could be earned by working about 9-10 hours per week. I agree with Northstarmom. Both of my kid had to switch banks so that they would have access to the right ATM on their college campus. However, I have to say...with college "cards" (each school has its own name...the cards where you can put points on the card), there is little need to carry money or even go to the bank. My kids have direct deposit for their jobs, use their bank debit cards, and use their school convenience points cards. Also, even the most rural of small college towns have the essentials IN the town (a small pharmacy, someplace to buy food and snacks, pizza places, etc). AND most rural schools also have very good on campus entertainment (which is also inexpensive) for their students...so they do NOT have to go 45 minutes to get "anywhere". </p>
<p>It sounds like you can manage this...even with the car...but for the life of me, I can't imagine how you can afford a car when you can't afford to pay your college expenses. I'm sorry, I realize this is a personal choice, but I just don't understand it.</p>
<p>FYI: One of my friend's D's is going to a small college in a rural area of the midwest. They are a middle income family who are stretching their budget to send her to the college of her choice. She also has need based and some merit aid.</p>
<p>They had bought their D a cheap used car when she was a h.s. senior, but to afford the college of her choice, she sold it. She has an on campus work study job and does not seem bothered by the lack of a car. </p>
<p>Frankly, there's little to do in the very small town near her college This is typical at rural colleges). Virtually all of the things to do are on campus. When she needs a ride to the airport (the campus is many hours away from her hometown), she carpools with other students, which is easy because as is the case with your college, it's a relatively small, supportive college where students are happy to help each other out. </p>
<p>Even if she couldn't carpool, the $100 or so cab fare would be cheaper than paying the costs of having a car at college.</p>
<p>Please trust us on this: While some students at your college will have cars, having a car is not at all a necessity and will definitely hurt your budget. There will be plenty of students who come from middle class families who don't have cars. It's very easy to thrive at a rural college without ever going into the town. Such towns typically have less to offer than do the campuses.</p>
<p>transportation costs were one thing that we considered in finding colleges.
not only costs related to coming home for visits, but in and around the school.
D has been out of high school for 6+ years, and has never owned a car- she has two bikes- and a bus pass ;)</p>
<p>Kind of going a little off topic here but - I have seen 2-3 postings about using bikes on campus. Is this practical? My daughter wants a bike for Christmas as she plans to use one for getting round campus next fall. I was all set to get her one but a friend advised me to wait and see whether it will really be practical. Any opinions? I may just make this a new thread.</p>
<p>depends on what campus I imagine- but I know that many students at Ds school used bikes and at our local flagship as well- however neither of my nieces used a bike at their rural college ( or a car)
I wouldn't get a new one though, wait until she gets to the campus and buy one off of graduating seniors</p>
<p>swimcatsmom
You'll get more replies by start a bikes thread in college life or parents' cafe and by naming the college.</p>
<p>The practicality of biking depends on the campus. However, bikes can be very practical even at some campuses where most people don't bike. My husband, a college prof, commutes 10 miles roundtrip to work in a college town where most students don't bike. Their reasons for not biking seem to be more cultural than related to convenience as biking really is far more convenient here than is trying to find campus parking or taking public transportation.</p>
<p>just to clear things up, my grandmother is giving me her old car when i graduate. i'm not paying for it.</p>
<p>although, from all the replies i've gotten here, i feel more convinced that i could do without one. it just seems kind of scary being 1/2 an hour away from even a wal-mart when i'm used to having one like 5 minutes away now. but an extra $1500-2000 a year couldn't hurt.</p>
<p>many students at this school own bikes also. i might have to look into that.</p>
<p>as for putting myself in a better position for the scholarship, sax: most of the information they use is included in the admissions application, but there are also interviews somewhere around late jan./early feb. hopefully i'll do well at that and impress some people. even if i don't get it, there's always the bunches of outside scholarships for which i'm applying. and even without any of those, i'm sure i can handle things now, after reading all these posts. thank-you so much to all of you who gave me ideas!</p>
<p>fireflyburning,
It's nice that your grandmother is willing to give you her old car. It's good, though, that you're reconsidering taking that care to school. Car maintainance, insurance, gas during the school year would be budget busting. If, though, you leave the car at home, using it only during the summer to get to work, your costs would be considerably less.</p>