Those Hidden Costs Of College
BOSTON (CBS) - When you begin to plan for the college experience there are some costs most parents of freshmen are surprised by.
There is tuition, room and board and the miscellaneous fees but these are not the only expenses you will need to plan for.
Your son just got into your alma mater, Stanford University, in Paolo Alto, CA. How much is it going to cost to fly that kid home? Did he get into UMASS Amherst and now he wants a car.
They will need the new computer and printer the school requires. The dorm room may need a rug or lamps. Also new linens that fit the extra-long mattresses. New clothes are also on the shopping list.
Some schools do not guarantee housing after freshmen year. So will your kiddo be apartment hunting and need you to co-sign the lease sophomore year?
Got yourself a jock? You may be looking at purchasing equipment so they can play hockey.
Who pays for the concerts that appear regularly on campus, the spring break trips and the nightly pizza run? The telephone bill? Your kiddo is going to want to text all of his friends and hopefully you.
Sit your student down and have a money talk with them before they head off to college. Discuss who is going to be responsible for each expense? Have them earmark their summer earnings to pay for some of these extra costs.
In order for a student to get a credit card, they will need to have an adult co-sign. This would be a good time to tell them there is no credit card fairy to bail them out if they blow it.
Put a limit on the card and explain that using the card is a form of borrowing and they must pay it back. And if they are late in paying there will be fees such as late charges and they will pay interest on the loan to the credit card company as well.