<p>UC Davis’s website says that an on-campus student would pay around $31,199 while an off-campus student would pay around $27,634 per year. However, this figure includes stuff like books, “personal” expenses, transportation and such. Tuition is obviously a figure that’s set in stone but I’m pretty sure that books, transportation and personal expenses won’t amount to as much as UC Davis’s website says (I’m guessing they’re using the higher side of things?). </p>
<p>So here’s my question to all you current UC Davis students: How much does it actually cost for you guys to go here? Freshmen room and board is obviously a higher figure because of on-campus housing, but what about after your first year? Does it really cost around $8000 per year for your room and board even if you share with 2 or 3 roommates? And I highly doubt that transportation would cost me around $1500 if I live in a 100 mile radius of campus + books can always be bought used. I really wouldn’t want to spend $1000 on new ones. Thanks for your info.</p>
<p>It really depends on how much you’re willing/able to save. You could save a ton by having four people to a cheap 2-bedroom apartment; you could also save a lot by cooking all of your own meals. On the flip side, you could end up paying a ton if you want your own room and choose to live downtown or in University owned apartments. As for transportation, if you don’t go home too often (I’ve only gone home during breaks) it really should not amount to very much. Maybe a few hundred, tops. And you definitely should not be spending $1000 on textbooks. It’s a hassle sometimes, but you can save a lot by buying used books. You can also sell them back for almost as much as you bought them for (sometimes you can even make a profit.) Also, if you take chemistry and calculus (I don’t know your major), the books will last you three quarters.</p>
<p>So then how much do you think a student could live off during his soph, junior, and senior year (assuming constant tuition rates which isn’t gonna happen lol)?</p>
<p>~ $15,000 for tuition + $4,000 room and board + $1,000 everything else = ~ $20,000? Does that sound about right?</p>
<p>Here’s a real world example (Fall-Spring 2012) for 3 people sharing a dorm room, 150 meal plan/quarter, family has own health insurance, no spending money (incidentals) and no transportation costs… but these last two are really only $100 to $200 per quarter should you need to include them (assumes home is within an hour of campus). Also, I’ve included $530 per quarter for books… if you sell your books back and/or buy used… you can likely cut the in half for an additional savings of $800 a year.</p>
<p>Living off campus, housing drops to $5400 for room, $1500 for 180/qtr on-campus dinning commons meal plan, and another $600 for misc items… so about $7500 room and board to live off campus. Assumptions are: two bedroom condo with two to a room, 12 month lease, doesn’t included 1st & last month rent plus deposit.</p>
<p>With this scenario, off campus living is $23,215 vs. $26,435 for on-campus… a difference of $3220.</p>
<p>If you figure saving $800 by selling back your books, the total costs may look like this:</p>
<p>off campus living is $22,415 vs. $25,635 for on-campus… still a difference of $3220.</p>
<p>If I read you correctly, I think you made an error regarding the above calculation. </p>
<p>Granting that people who don’t live in the residence halls pay the much-higher $8.00 per meal (as compared with the $2.30 per meal paid by people who live in residence halls), or as you state $1500 for 180 meals/qtr, the $1500 has to be multiplied X 3. This comes to $5400 + $4500 + $600 according to your scenario, or $10,500 per year.</p>
<p>The fact is, meals in the DC are fairly priced for unlimited portions of varied and pretty good food. But the price does add up (3 meals per day =~ $24). I think an off-campus person would probably do well to eat 1 DC meal per day when he is hungriest, with perhaps a small dinner and breakfast, possibly taken at home. I think that eating in this way could be done for about $13 per day, or 230 X $13 = $2990 per year. This is about $1500 less than taking all your meals at the DC. Also, 3 meals/day in the DC is simply too much food.</p>
<p>I think a person who wants to prepare ALL of his own food could do it for as low as $2000 per year, but it is more work and time.</p>
<p>You are correct… I misunderstood what another told me. When she said $1500 for 180 meals… I was thinking of it was renewed every quarter like it does when you live in the dorms. I asked again, and she said it’s $1500 for 180 meals to be used during the whole year – equivalent to about 60 meals per quarter.</p>
<p>So it sounds like living off campus is as much as $3000, and as little as $1000 less than living in the dorms.</p>
<p>Maybe you could save more is you lived in an appt and not a townhouse. Definite savings if you cooked your own meals… but that is not always possible.</p>
<p>Just checked my billing history - I got away with paying a little less than 40k (graduated a year early). I think the first year was the most because of student housing and I managed to pay off housing/ living expenses through internships/ campus jobs. You can definitely make it affordable without financial aid.</p>