Many colleges permit students to pick a plan for meals eaten in the dorm’s cafeteria. If you’re hungry all the time, pick the unlimited meal plan. But if your breakfast or lunch is a granola bar or a piece of fruit, a limited meal plan may work fine for you and save you a few dollars.
If you don’t live in a dorm, you still may be able to buy a meal plan. That’s a good idea if you’re on campus all day and require somewhere to eat lunch and dinner, or if you live in an apartment but you hate to cook. Most important, if you have a meal plan, use it! You’ve paid for the food. Don’t pay again to eat somewhere else.
If you can find a job on campus, it will probably be less hard to fit your work around your class schedule. And, you won’t have to pay for transportation to get to a job somewhere else.
Visit your school’s student employment office to find out about job openings on campus. Your professors also may know about jobs in their departments. If you can find a job that’s related to your major, that’s even better. Relevant work experience will look good on your resume when you start hunting for a permanent position after graduation.
Many students work part time while going to college. Some even hold down full-time jobs. These students often report that they appreciate their education more because they worked to pay for it. Working doesn’t have to interfere with getting good grades, but it does mean you have to manage your time carefully. Don’t work too much your freshman year—10 or 15 hours a week is probably plenty.
Another tip: Schedule your study time like you schedule work. Remember, school is your most important job right now. A college education will give you the biggest payoff down the road, so don’t let anything else interfere with it. Go to class, participate in discussions, get to know your professors, and make sure you get out of every class what you need to know. After all, you’re paying for it!
If an unexpected event changes your financial situation say, one of your parents loses a job or you’re hit with a major medical bill—talk with your financial aid office. Most colleges set aside funds to help students get through difficult situations such as these.
Even if you blow it—for example, you get yourself head over heels in credit card debt—go to the financial aid office. They can direct you to people or programs that can assist you in getting back on solid footing. No matter how bad things may look to you financially, there’s a solution. Talk to someone and get the help you need.
Federal financial aid does not continue year to year. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be filed each year you are in school. Try to file the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1. You can file online by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Your parents probably will need to complete the parents’ section of the FAFSA.
In general, college students are considered dependents of their parents (in terms of calculating financial aid) until the student has obtained his or her first undergraduate degree or has reached the age of 24. Possible exceptions are students who are veterans, wards of the court, married, single parents, or students with other special circumstances.
