College doesn’t come cheap. Many UCBA students are feeling the sting of expensive tuition, but the good news is, you don’t have to be the stereotypical “starving college student” while earning your degree. There are many tricks of the trade that tons students over look when trying to save money. We are here to help. Below are ten broke student hacks to help pinch pennies and keep as much of that jingle in your pocket as possible!
1. WAIT To Get Supplies!
Wait to hear from professor to see if there are alternatives to the book, or what supplies are needed. There may be an older version that works just fine. In some cases, very rarely, professors will have readings posted on blackboard and you won’t have to spend a dime!
2. Where To Find Cheap Textbooks Online!
If you go to google and type in the textbook you are looking for and click on the shopping tab, you will get a whole list of places that you can get the textbook from. Some of the options they give you are Barnes and Noble and Amazon. This is a lot cheaper than buying the books from the campus bookstore because most of the textbooks there are more than half the price of the books that you can buy online.
3. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid!)
When it comes to school supplies, you may already have them laying around the house. Check for pens and pencils, maybe even an older sibling may not be using an old calculator anymore. If you’re staying in a dorm check out thrift stores or garage sales for home essential items.
4. Purchase Used Textbooks and Supplies off Other Students
Textbooks are not cheap and not very useful after you finish your class, so why not sell them to other students? It’s a win win for both students. If you buy your textbooks you will mostly never use it again, so sell them! It will save you a lot of money buying used textbooks.
5. Ditch the Drive Thru, Pack a Lunch Instead
Buying a lunch everyday can really start to add up. A nice way to save your money is to start packing your lunches instead of buying them in the cafe or somewhere else. It may seem like a pain to do this, but you will really start to see how much money you actually spend when you are buying a lunch everyday.
6. Utilize Free Transportation
UC provides free transportation from main campus to Blue Ash this something to take advantage of if you live on campus. If you do not live on campus you could save money by carpooling. Gas is not cheap so any way to drive less can help save.
7. Who Needs a Tutor? Use the Resource Center Instead!
Academics are priority numero uno for all UCBA students. Tuition is expensive, but included in the academic courses a student is paying for, comes the free resources located all over campus. Rather than spending hundreds on private tutoring and online subscriptions to academic aid courses, visit the free academic resource centers located on campus!
8. Save on Electronics, Check the Library!
There is an unspoken rule that college students “must” own a laptop. This is completely untrue. Our UCBA library gives students access to computers, printers and copiers, not to mention the option to rent laptops, headphones, and electronic chargers! All a student needs a free bearcat card and the access to these free electronics is limitless!
9. Use your BearCat Card for Free Sporting Tickets!
Tickets for UC football games and other sporting events can be expensive. Luckily for UC Blue Ash students, the Student Life Office (Muntz 123) offers one free ticket per student for games when you show them your UC ID. For each game, they hang up a sign outside of the office advertising that students can get their free ticket, but if you want to go to a game go to the Student Life Office ASAP because tickets run out quick.
10. Save THOUSANDS on Tuition, Apply for Scholarships and Grants!
It’s no shock that college costs a lot of money, even at a satellite campus. UC offers many different scholarships and grants for eligible student on their website. You can also go visit the one-stop office and ask for help looking into scholarships and grants that can help lower the amount of money you have to pay back.
Pinching pennies as a college student isn’t as hard as one would think. When you know how to utilize free resources and know where to look for less expensive ones, college doesn’t seem so expensive after all.
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