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The bill for your child's first college semester arrives
in the mail and you nearly swallow your teeth.
You
went through the financial aid process and you saw the cost estimates. You listened
to the bursar explain what this particular school was going to cost. But nothing
prepared you for that first walloping list of charges.
Don't
have a heart attack yet; it just gets worse.
The semester-after-semester
tuition bills are just a beginning. The costs that can really ruin you are the
incidentals: transportation, books, coffee, pizza. These add up quickly. Piled
on top of tuition, they can haunt you and your student for a long time, especially
if you put them on credit cards.
| But there are ways -- at least 18 of them -- to make sure that you aren't spending more than you have to: |
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| 18 ways to cut the cost of college incidentals |
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1. Read the bill carefully.
Each
time a statement from the school arrives, flag anything that you don't understand
or that looks dubious. Sometimes there are items that are negotiable; other times
charges are just plain wrong. When you call the bursar's office, don't settle
for the first person who answers the phone. Try to get the bursar or some other
higher-level financial person to explain the bill to you. Lower-level personnel
are often students working part time who may not know what's possible.
2. Don't get caught in a feeing frenzy.
Ask about recreational or athletic fees. If your child isn't
playing a sport or doesn't want tickets to all athletic events, you may be able
to lose these charges.
3. Beware too
much health care.
If you are being charged for insurance
or some other health care fee, make sure that it doesn't duplicate your family
coverage. If it does, find out what it takes to get the charge waived. Since this
process usually requires dealing with two or three bureaucracies -- your employer,
the insurer and the college -- start the ball rolling right away.
4. Go on dorm-dining diet.
Chances
are you've been automatically billed for the full-meal plan. If you've raised
a football player, he may need three squares a day, seven days a week, but lesser
eaters probably don't. A one- or two-meal-a-day plan is all your child is likely
to want. The money saved can be used for those inevitable late-night pizzas. And
if you decide later that he needs the full enchilada, the school will be happy
to take your money for an upgrade.
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