BY DEBORAH PORTER
Moving Off Campus
How to Help Your Student Do This Well There comes a time when living in a 180-square-foot room with another person and all of your earthly belongings just doesn’t cut it. Your college student is ready to move off campus. It’s a big decision, and as their parent or guardian there are several things to know before they cajole you into cosigning a lease. Moving off campus too soon can hamper a student’s ability to form connections and friendships. And it’s not just a simple question of paying rent. There will be loads of new things for your student to worry about: additional expenses (like utilities and transportation), food, security and summer arrangements, to name a few. If your student is considering living off campus, or will make the move this summer, here’s what to discuss!
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Cost The annual price of room and board at four-year institutions ranges from $9,669 to $11,823 (educationdata.org). It sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that the sum is allinclusive and covers a student’s room, internet, water, heat, and usually at least two meals a day. The cost of off-campus housing varies greatly depending on the real estate market in the area, the type of housing (apartment, fraternity/sorority house), typical utility costs, and the number of roommates. These variables should be considered if the goal is to save money by moving off campus.
Meals This was a big one when two of our three children wanted to move off campus. Would they cook, could they get an abbreviated meal plan, or would they be ordering Uber Eats every night (yikes!)? Here’s how it worked out. Our daughter enjoyed cooking and I had more pots, pans and utensils than I would ever use. So we packed up some of my overflow and provided her with a grocery store gift card every month for food. The cost for rent and groceries was much less than what room and board would’ve been at her university. For our oldest son, who was not looking forward to being his own chef, we paid for a commuter student meal plan. At the end of the day, it didn’t save us money but it wasn’t much more than the cost of room and board. He bought cereal and other quick breakfast foods as well as easy-to-prepare lunch options. The commuter plan filled in the rest quite nicely. Spring 2021
