Reason No. 3: Room and board is pricey4 of 7According to the College Board, the average cost of room and board at a four-year public institution is $8,535 per year. That's $930 more than the cost of tuition and fees. Students can save on room and board by choosing cheaper dorms and smaller meal plans, says John Gottardy, senior associate director of student financial aid at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.The catch is that off-campus housing usually requires students to pay rent year-round instead of just during the school year. A better option to save on room and board could be through a resident adviser position. While some schools offer RAs a paid salary -- meaning that you must pay taxes on it and it could subtract from your financial aid package -- other institutions offer RAs free room and board.More On College Tuition:10 best colleges for the moneyIRS offers ways to save on collegeCreate a news alert for "college finance" Related Articles:10 best colleges for the moneyCollege timeline for seniors10 ways to land college aid11 associate degree jobsRelated Links:Too much college debt?Three-year college degreeCollege aid for middle classWhat's not in an award letter advertisement
According to the College Board, the average cost of room and board at a four-year public institution is $8,535 per year. That's $930 more than the cost of tuition and fees. Students can save on room and board by choosing cheaper dorms and smaller meal plans, says John Gottardy, senior associate director of student financial aid at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
The catch is that off-campus housing usually requires students to pay rent year-round instead of just during the school year. A better option to save on room and board could be through a resident adviser position. While some schools offer RAs a paid salary -- meaning that you must pay taxes on it and it could subtract from your financial aid package -- other institutions offer RAs free room and board.
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