Student Budgeting
Understand the importance of budgeting for college students
Preparing for college means preparing for living a more independent life than you've had thus far under your parents' roof. And near the top of that list of independence is learning to handle your own finances.
You may not have learned money management in high school, but now is the time to begin taking student budgeting seriously.
Student budget example: some actual line items to get you started
Here is a student budget example with some items that would typically appear on a college student's expenses and income list:
Expenses:
- Tuition
- Room & board
- School books & supplies
- Food (groceries & restaurants)
- Entertainment (movie tickets & rental fees, concert tickets, books, magazines, etc.)
- Car payments/transportation costs
- Cell phone bill
- Car insurance
- Spending money
- Other miscellaneous costs
Income:
- Job earnings
- Student aid
- Savings
- Gifts from family
Under each of these student budget example categories, you should consider tracking the items both by the month and by the semester (or possibly by the school year). And make sure to compare what you thought you would spend on each item with the actual expenses for each.
Learn more about creating and using a student budget and use our budget calculator.
Find convenient student banking options to help your student budget
Charter One wants to help make managing your money easier with student bank accounts that fit the needs of busy students, like you. Or, if you still have student financing questions, call a student loan specialist at 1-800-721-3969, and we'll help walk you through the process.