Paying Your Tuition

As it rolls around to school time, your school will post up your tuition. Usually, they are kind enough to list out exactly how much you are paying for everything. Mine even listed how much I was paying for using the chemistry lab because I'm a Biology Sciences Major.

The school goes further to list all or any credit you previously had. For instance, I had to deposit $100, when I sent my S.I.R. (Statement of Intent to Register). Then I had to deposit $250 when I sent in my housing contract. I also received loans and grants, and so at the end of the list of what I had to pay, my college kindly listed all of my credits, and let me know exactly how much I had to pay.

One thing to keep in mind that while it's easy to pay online, most schools charge an outlandish fee for convenience. UC's generally charge about $70.00. That in itself is quite an outrageous fee!

This is why I suggest that paying by check. Schools DO NOT usually except money orders, and expect you to either pay by check, online, or drop in payment.

A drop in payment is when you personally visit the school and pay them.

I myself paid by check.

IF PAYING BY CHECK REMEMBER TO DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Fill in the To: field exactly as the college informs you. Do not write it incorrectly because then the school cannot cash it, and it can possibly lead to having a late fee. (After writing in the name, put a line through the rest of the space so that no one can place their name in the field, and cash the check for themselves).

2. Write out the amount in capital letters. If the price is 3,099, write THREE THOUSAND AND NINETY NINE DOLLARS ONLY, and place a line through the rest of the space.

3. For the numbers write 3099.00.

4. In the memo, remember to write down your NAME, and your STUDENT ID.

5. Lastly, remember to have your mom or dad or guardian sign it.

Once you have written the check, place it in a piece of paper folded into thirds, and place it into the envelope. This is so that if someone tries to see the contents of the letter under a light, it looks like it's just a letter to the school. You do not need to put a stamp on the envelope, but you need to write the address. GO TO THE POST OFFICE TO MAIL THE LETTER. It is worth it to spend the extra to send it through priority mail, with a delivery confirmation. (You will go to the people working at the post office, and have them personally weigh, and put a stamp on the envelope. They will also be the ones to ask you if you want delivery confirmation). This way you know that the school has gotten your check.

It is important to do this because it relieves the stress of wondering if the check has reached the school. If your check reaches the school on a weekend or a time that no one is there, it is best to inform them because the school might not know that the post office had attempted to deliver the check. After 15 days the post office sends the check back to you.

Is is important to keep track of WHEN the money is due. For instance some UC's require that the money be in their office by September 1st, no questions asked. They disregard the post mark date. So it is best to get the money in as soon as possible, but if that's a problem, try to aim for a few days before the due date in case their is a delay in mailing. (This also applies to if paying online because usually after 4 or 5PM, the payment is processed the next day. You do not want to be stuck on September 1st, paying at 4:30PM and finding out that it will be processed on the 2nd. It would be awful to have to pay the convenience fee as well as the $50.00 late fee).

--- If you have any questions regarding payment of tuition please don't hesitate to ask because it's a lot of money going towards your education. ---

Where Does All My Money Go?

Many people wonder why college costs so much. I'm sure that my parents did not have to pay $25,000 in taxes or more to pay my way through public school. Well, if you went to private school, then that's a whole new land for me. I don't really know how much private schools' cost, but I'd estimate it to be around $12,000? Don't quote me on this.

Anyway, tuition is broken down into about five categories. According to a UC, it lays out as follows.

Cost of Attendance:

Fees 9141

Room and Board 10900

Books and Supplies 1750

Transportation 1300

Personal Costs 1750

This totals up to be a little over $24,000, which is a lot of money. However, if you go to a private school, through some calculations you can multiply these costs by two, and it'll be about how much you're spending on everything.

Room and Board tends to be the most expensive because while Room is your room and Board is your food costs, this category includes utilities, mailbox, a gym, and other facilities. REMEMBER: A mistake that many students make their first time at college involves the meal plan. Everyone thinks they're going to eat a lot at college, but that's not true. For example, I knew that I wouldn't be able to make it for breakfast which is from 6am - 9am. I have a class at 8am, and I am probably going to get up at 7:30am for it. Another thing is that when you have classes during the day, you might just not have time to make it for lunch either. It just depends on your schedule, but be realistic. When you choose a meal plan like 7 meals a week, it comes with a couple hundred dollars to buy food from the student center.

Fees are your tuition. It's usually some solid amount of your overall cost. This is the money charged to pay for the classroom, maintenance of the school, and paying the teachers. Sometimes this can be a lot and sometimes it's not so much. Just remember that this fee is paid quarterly, so even though it might be $10,000 or $20,000, it's only paid 1/3 at a time.

Books and Supplies may seem like a lot but if you buy all of your books from the bookstore, it won't be long before you have spent $1,750 on books. That's why it's highly suggested that you scout out the used book sales on the Internet. Some people choose to use:

Amazon.com

Half.com

Textbooks.com

CampusBooks.com

There are many options. Sometimes it's possible to buy from upperclassmen because they won't need the books anymore, and might as well make some cash from them. Not only that but REMEMBER to sell your books at the end of the quarter unless the book relates to your major. Then it might be beneficial to keep them for reviewing later.

Transportation is pretty nice. It usually includes free shuttle service around campus, free bus use, cheaper taxi service, escort service, and a safe ride service, for those times that you know you can't get home safely. I recommend using the escort service for those times when you have to stay late somewhere, because campuses are open, and anyone can walk through. At night, especially, it can be dangerous because strangers might mug or assault you. It's better to just not take the risk of walking back to your dorm late at night, alone.

Personal Costs are usually things like deodorant, shampoo, and all those other accessories that you could possible need. Just remember that it might be smart to buy a load of the supplies you need so that you don't have to worry about having to buy them during the year.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to leave a comment, and i'll get back to you as soon as possible. :)