Tips & Resources

A lot of variables can affect indirect costs. Here's an (incomplete!) list of things you'll need to pay for while in college. In general, these costs can run between $1,000–3,000 per year beyond books and course materials — but each student should calculate their own estimates.

• Personal supplies: shampoo, soap, cosmetics, toothpaste, and so on.
• Services: laundry (dorm machines usually require payment), streaming subscriptions, and so on.
• Personal items — these can be one-time costs before college starts or ongoing costs during college:
  • One-time: bedding (sheets, blankets, pillows), towels, a new computer or calculator, a new winter coat or boots, a lamp for the dorm room.
  • Ongoing: medication, clothes, and so on.
• Other and miscellaneous: gifts, eating out (pizza, ice cream) or snacks, hobby expenses (art supplies, gaming subscriptions, and so on).
• Travel: this depends on how far you are from home and how often you plan to go back. Consider your mode of transportation — a ride with friends or family, bus, train, or plane — and its costs.
• Costs related to a particular major: some fields of study bring additional costs. Nursing, for example: scrubs, a stethoscope, pen lights, nursing shoes, and more.

Some of the best scholarships will come from colleges themselves. These usually show up on your financial aid award, but also check each college's website for additional scholarship information. The nice thing about scholarships from colleges is that they are normally renewable for all four years of undergraduate study, provided you maintain certain conditions, such as full-time student status and a minimum GPA.

Check local sources for scholarships, too, including:

• Community organizations, such as a Rotary club or religious group
• Employers — including companies where your parents work

And research scholarships online. A few good places to search:

• Scholarships.com
• Fastweb
• College Board BigFuture Scholarship Search
• Scholarships360
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Warning signs:

• You should never pay to apply for a scholarship.
• You should not need to provide sensitive information such as a Social Security number or ID information.
• You should never be asked for banking, Venmo, PayPal, or similar account information.

Understand whether a scholarship is for one year or can be renewed. Don't discount the value of a one-year scholarship — it can help fill a gap — but you'll need to find a way to cover that amount in your other years of college.

Renewable scholarships are great because the funds will be available for each year of college, provided you maintain certain conditions.

When considering work-study that has been awarded with financial aid, remember the following:

• Students need to apply for on-campus jobs and work the hours.
• On-campus jobs don't necessarily pay the same hourly wages.
• Students should consider their ability to earn the amount awarded — and how working may affect their academic performance — especially if the award includes a high work-study dollar amount, such as $2,500–3,000 per year.
• Sometimes work-study is paid directly to the student, not to the student's account with the college. It's up to the student to use those funds toward direct and/or indirect costs.

Families should look closely at their health insurance to understand what's covered for their college student.

• Check what's in-network and out-of-network. For example: is the student health service in-network, and if so, what's covered?
• Check whether Medicaid is accepted at each college the student is considering. Medicaid is often not accepted by a college's student health services — or not accepted for certain services (x-rays, pharmacy prescriptions, and so on) — so it's best to check the details before committing to a particular school.
• Check whether the health insurance offered by the college covers medical expenses out of state or internationally. For example, if a North Carolina student attends a college in Pennsylvania and signs up for the college's health plan, will they have coverage when they go back to North Carolina for the summer, or if they study abroad? If you can't find answers online, call the colleges and ask.
• Check whether the colleges the student is considering offer specific coverage the student needs or wants. For example, not all colleges offer coverage for contraception.
• More highly selective colleges may have funding for Pell-eligible students to cover the cost of health insurance. Contact the college's financial aid office to find out whether additional funding is available.

Families should consider what the student will need to repay — and when those payments will come due.

• Understand how much the student is borrowing and the terms of the loan (interest rate, repayment commitment, and so on) before taking it out.
• What's offered as a subsidized or unsubsidized loan is normally the maximum allowable. Students are not obligated to borrow the full amount offered — families should determine what's best for their student.
• Use a repayment calculator to see what the monthly payments would look like: the federal government's loan simulator and NerdWallet's student loan calculator are both good options.

Colleges offer payment plans so families can spread out their direct-cost payments over the year.

• The timing varies — monthly, quarterly, or other schedules. Check with the student's college to see what's offered.
• There are occasionally fees attached to payment plans. Again, check with the student's college for details.
• The first payment is often due in the summer, before school starts. Students (not families) will usually receive information about payment plans well before the school year begins — it's up to them to watch for it, sign up, and meet the required deadlines.

The FAFSA needs to be completed for each year of college in order for the student to remain eligible for financial aid.

• A student's SAI may vary from year to year, depending on the information the family provides. For example, a change in employment status can affect the SAI — a job loss, or, conversely, a new job with a higher salary.

If you're unsure about how to report parental information on the FAFSA because of your family structure (divorce, separation, or other circumstances), these official guides explain exactly whose information to include:

• Reporting parent information on the FAFSA
• FAFSA information for parents

To be eligible for the best financial aid award, applying as early as possible makes a real difference. Certain funding can run out if you apply late.

• Each year's new FAFSA usually goes "live" online on or around October 1. For example, a student starting college in the Fall of 2027 would complete the FAFSA that goes live around October 1, 2026.
• Check the FAFSA deadlines for your state — but don't wait until that deadline. Get your application in as early as possible.
• You'll need to complete the FAFSA for every year of college. Look for each year's new application at the beginning of October so you'll have the best aid for the following academic year.

Students applying to more selective colleges may need to submit a second financial aid application: the CSS Profile. Check each of your colleges' websites to see whether it's required — and don't complete this application unless you're required to do so.

If a family feels they have just cause, they can appeal their student's financial aid award.

• Students can appeal either by using a form provided by the college or by writing a letter to the school's financial aid office. Check with the financial aid office about what's needed before proceeding.
• The student and family should have "just cause" for the appeal. In other words, "we would like more free money" won't be sufficient.
• Examples of reasons for an appeal include:
  • a parent losing a job since the FAFSA was completed
  • additional medical or other unavoidable, unforeseen expenses not accounted for on the FAFSA
  • divorce or separation of parents
• Documentation — "evidence" such as medical bills or a termination-of-employment notice — can be helpful and is often required.
• Appeals should be made as soon as possible.
• It can take a few weeks for a college's financial aid office to process an appeal.

• If you're considering four-year institutions, try to have a mix of state or public schools and some private ones. This will give you a greater variety of financial aid award options.
• Consider schools where you may "outmatch" the college's average accepted profile. If your classes are a bit more competitive, your grades a bit higher, and/or your standardized test scores a bit above a school's accepted average, you may see them offer additional scholarship money.
• If you know you want to major in a specific discipline, some majors offer their own scholarships. Use the scholarship search engines above to narrow the field.

• The Federal Student Aid YouTube channel — lots of short, official videos
• Why complete the FAFSA? (video)
• College Board: how financial aid works and ways to help pay for college