Every college student wants to save money, and I am here to remind you of a couple of fees you might pay for in your tuition at a college or university. These fees, if utilized, can actually save you from spending extra or spending money where it is not needed!
1. Fitness Center Privileges
I know it tends to be the trend to find fancy gym memberships with posh facilities, but check your tuition breakdown. Chances are, hidden in the fees for your semester, you will find that you are paying for the use and maintenance of the gym at your college or university. Instead of stressing about both student debt and a gym membership, why not take advantage of something that you are already paying for? In the long run, the one time cost per semester for this use will be significantly less than dealing with gym contracts and fees elsewhere.
2. Public Transportation
This will vary from school to school, but depending on the public transportation available in the local area, you might be able to use the bus, train, or light rail at next to no cost by using your student ID. Using public transportation has several benefits. First, less money for gas (also, the more we shy away from excessive gas pollution, the cleaner the air will be!). Secondly, if you decide to not bring a vehicle to campus, you are also avoiding a hefty price for a parking permit.
3. Athletic Events
Looking for an easy weekend outing with friends or something informal for a date? Check out the ticket prices at your college or university. As with all of these points, it can vary school to school, but often students get a break or a very large discount for sporting events. This is a great way to tap into your school pride and spend time with friends without forking over a lot of cash.
4. Best Buy Student Discounts
No, I cannot get you a free computer, but I can encourage you to sign up with Best Buy to find student savings on a computer and other gadgets. As soon as you receive your student email account, you can visit this Best Buy site and use that email to receive student specific deals on essential technology. I have subscribed to that list all throughout college and saved a good amount of money on my MacBook Pro and a printer.
5. Student Health Services
I would highly recommend checking in with the student health center on your campus for services offered. Many times, these centers will do things such as dental care or primary care through the use of students getting their degree in that field. You won’t always see a specialist, but you will normally see a professional in the field on staff as well to work with and guide the student faculty as needed. When I needed a physical for a program, I made an appointment on campus and got it right away! They usually offer several services for administering necessary shots, counseling, and resources to ensure health, safety, and protection for sexual health. These services will not be free, but you can usually work with them to get insurance or use your current provider.
6. Kindness and Freebies on Campus
This is not specifically built into your tuition, but one thing I have learned the past 3 years of college is that with all the clubs and groups on campus, someone is always giving out freebies somewhere on campus. I have stumbled upon free snacks every week in a study spot on my campus; I just had to keep my eyes open to notice! During National Nurses week, our campus provided all of us nursing students coffee, pizza, and small nurses buttons. Get involved on campus, you may get some freebies, and even better make some new friends!
