[Muckraker]

Quote by: Chaossaber314 But that already isn't an accurate figure because very few people are allowed to live on campus for a full year. The most is really 8 months, if they mean by school year. Anyone like foreign students and the like have to pay extra that I can guarantee is more than this average.

That makes sense and I would agree that the $6500 average is probably per school year. Although this adds an additional wrench into the plan. If you do plan on going home for the summer then you are most likely stuck in a year lease and will be paying 12 months on the apartment even if you aren't living there. At least that is how it was with my apartment. It was leased by the year and I just ended up living there all year and going to summer school so I could make use of the lease. You could always find someone to sublet to if needed but that could be a pain too.

Anyway, my point was that in order to look at this realistically you have to take your 325 /month fee and multiply it by 8, not 12.

That $325 price was from ten years ago. People would probably commit murder to secure a $325/month two bedroom apartment today :)

Hell, let's look at my current place. 550 / month 4400 20 / month - internet 160 10 / month - garbage 80 roughly 80 / month - electrical 640 5280 So provided I didn't even have a roommate and was simply paying for the entire place myself, I would still be saving more money than living on campus.

Except you still haven't factored in the monthly cost of food, which is included in the college's room and board figures.



AND, another big item that would probably play more of a role for the parents if they are helping out with his/her education at all is that the room and board should be tax deductable whereas paying for an off campus apartment and a year of McDonald's isn't.