At Choose It Right, we come across people all the time who have student loan debt yet they don’t fully understand what they specifically paid for.  This is standard across the board – most people look at room and board, as well as the tuition, without truly knowing the breakdown of the costs (many colleges have ways of incorporating the “extras” into your bill).  Here is an in-depth view of a few additional costs you may not realize you may be on the hook for during college.

    Mandatory fees – many colleges list “fees” on your bill however, they don’t specify where the money specifically goes. This could include everything from costs for using the library, campus transportation, parking fees, class registration, use of athletic facilities, and printing. The good news is that you can seek out all of these items if you like, but you still have to pay for them whether you use them or not.

    Health insurance enrollment – like everyone, college age individuals need health insurance. While many students remain on their parent’s plan under the age of 26, some opt to secure their own coverage or enroll in their college’s health plan (which in recent years, the price of which has gone up dramatically).  To ensure that all students are covered, many colleges auto-enroll them into the college’s health plan unless he or she waives coverage or provides proof of an alternate plan. If a student forgets to waive this, or does not realize they can, this can be a cost incurred that may be unnecessary from the get-go.

    Requiring courses that come with additional fees – some courses, such as those that offer labs and the use of expensive equipment, may require you to pay more.  This is the same for those that pursue the arts, where the use of art studios, recording studios, and dark rooms all cost a bit more.

    Meal plans – even if you don’t live on campus, some colleges charge students automatically for meal plans and make it very difficult to opt-out of their plans.    

    Student-sponsored activities – this is another aspect of college that most people do not understand.  Whether you attend these or not, you will most likely have to pay for them.