College is a place of growth, and when you join one, you need to exercise a high level of responsibility to have an excellent time. Among the essential factors to pay attention to when joining college is your accommodation. If you are attending a college that is distant from your home, you need proper accommodation plans.
How to Afford an Apartment in College
It is no secret that college life is quite expensive, and the tuition fee alone puts many students in a financial crisis. To beat such a situation and have a pleasant stay at school, you need proper accounting for your expenses. Accommodation is one of these expenses that you cannot overlook.
Keeping savings and budgeting in mind, the question you may have is how to afford an apartment in college. If interested in knowing how to survive in college when it comes to residency, then bank on the following tips that also answer the question.
- Get An Affordable Residing Unit
One sure way to afford an apartment while you are in college is to look for an affordable unit. The term affordable is relative and holds different meanings to everyone, depending on their financial might. Still, on the term, it means you are able to settle the bills without straining much comfortably.
Around the school’s environment, in many cases, there are residential houses within to cater to the needs of students who do not stay in campus hostels. Start your search for an excellent bargain of a rental unit. Before embarking on your search, there are vital points to note to lead you to the right doorsteps. One factor that determines how low-cost an apartment is is the proximity to the college.
The units which are near school mostly attract high rental prices. The same applies to the lush houses coming with exquisite features such as swimming pools and gymnasiums. You may land a house with no such facilities, but it is friendly to your pocket.
- Try Getting In-School Accommodation
Most higher learning institutions have their housing in the form of hostels. The hostels are most of the time located within the school compound, though some have affiliated residing units outside the school. Getting accommodation is usually a competitive affair due to the low costs they attract for using them.
It is one of the best ways on how to afford an apartment in college. You may also get other benefits such as bills being catered for, like electricity cable and other utilities. At times the hostels offer meals and save you a lot on these costs.
One way to land a room on campus is an early application, especially where allocation is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Share A Room
Sharing rooms is very common and comes in handy to cut down on various costs in the household, including rent. If you want to share a place, you need to look for a suitable roommate with whom you are sure to have a friendly relationship. It is an effective way to afford even high-end apartments. However, you need to be aware that you may not have your privacy. Also, take note that frictions with the other member of the household are bound to occur.
The good thing with such a setting is that you pull funds for several utilities such as meals and cable, and it is friendly to your finances.
- Get A Job
To afford the apartment of your choice, you need to have a fit financial standing. While in college, it may seem farfetched, but a sure way to reside in the unit you want is to get a job. Having a job puts you in the right financial position to pay your bills. However, as you are supposed to be attending classes, a part-time setting is the way to go.
There are several part-time stints to pick up, and at times your college may offer such opportunities. All you need is to be on the lookout for such openings and take advantage of them. You may also establish a business to support you financially as you comfortably reside in the apartment of your choice.
- Be On The Lookout For Scholarships
Considering that the prevailing situation while on campus is scarcity when looking at finances, you need to look for extra resources. Such resources may come courtesy of scholarships. The grants work as a reward scheme or for students’ financial aid to help them pursue their academic goals. The awards may either be full or partial, and they mostly cater to your tuition while in school.
When you get such help, you may have some remaining cash in reserve that you may put to use to get a decent apartment. To get the sponsorships by whichever body is offering the financial aid, you need to show proficiency in whatever you do. It might be in academics, where you get good grades, in sports activities, and also leadership.
You always need to send applications. Who knows it might be your lucky day and get selected for sponsorship. Some grants may take care of some of your needs, and accommodation is one of them; hence, your path to a decent residing unit is set.
- Join A Sorority Or Fraternity
When you join college, you get acquainted with a social environment consisting of various groupings depending on multiple factors, such as preferences and beliefs. Some of these social groupings that you may encounter in college are the fraternities and sororities. They are Greek letter organizations that open for undergraduate students and sparingly to graduate students.
The units conduct themselves as a family and offer you many perks. Among the perks is accommodation at the organization’s houses. The families take a decent number of students; hence, you easily have the chance of getting accommodated in their impressive apartments.
Fraternities are for male students, while sororities, also known as sisterhoods, are for female students. The cliques have characterized the college environment for ages, and the bonds formed in such groups remain active even after school.
Before joining a fraternity, know about your school’s policies on the formation and joining of such establishments. Also, remember that there are hazing rights when joining most of them with a vow of secrecy.
- Opt For Student Loans
Still, on how to afford an apartment in college, student loans may come to your aid. You may access the loans from two entities, either the federal government or from private loaning institutions. The loans attract a low-interest rate and also have a friendly repayment period.
The loans usually come in handy to cater for school expenses such as tuition fees, books, and accommodation needs can also fit in the list. As they are funds that you, later on, need to pay for, you need to be careful about how you spend it. Start with the most important of all needs, which is paying for tuition. With the remainder, you may now look for a residing unit that your budget can support.
The loans come in handy when you have no other way to meet the expenses. If you have a way to handle your college costs, it is not advisable to go for the loans more so from private entities as it may affect your credit score. Federal loans are an excellent way to go, though the process is, at times, competitive, and you may miss out if you delay or do not meet specific requirements.
- Look For Discounts
Facilities for use by students usually come at affordable rates to fit in with their financial state. In this vein, discounts are the order of the day for the various utilities that are at your disposal. For apartments, some may offer discounts, especially if you come early. The cash-off may come in the form of paying for utilities where the apartment’s owner may cater to bills such as electricity and cable, among others.
The rent prices may also be slashed to a decent amount that won’t stress you when it comes to footing it. Be keen on such offers, which are usually present during the start of the learning period as the apartment owners want to capitalize on student numbers to get full occupancy.
- Talk To Your Parents
If your parents are quite well off, then try to talk to them to help you with certain expenses such as your residing costs. You are still part of them, and they want the best for you. If you bring a suitable proposal to them to help you with such expenses, then they can dig from their pockets to help out.
As most parents are strict, let the apartment that you have your eyes on to be something decent. Residing in the chosen apartment should also not come into the way of your studies. They may want to explore where you want to stay, and it will be prudent if you showed them the unit and let them know why you have an interest in it. Be reasonable in explaining to them of your wishes, and you are sure to have your rental bill sorted out.
- Take Advantage Of Relatives
If you have relatives or close associates living proximal to your campus, then you may bank on them for your accommodation needs. Only go for this option if they have extra space that can comfortably accommodate you without infringing on their privacy.
In such a scenario, you need to communicate with them in advance to tell them of your plans and see if they are good with it. If they agree, then you are good to go, and you now have an affordable apartment or room. If they accommodate you rent-free, then it is a decent move to be helping out with some bills and chores around the household. It shows how responsible and appreciative you are.
Also, respect the set rules and do not cross lines that you shouldn’t, lest your arrangement end abruptly with a tainted relationship as a result. In such a setting, you also save on the cost of meals, which also eat deeply into your finances when in school.
Things To Take Note Of On How To Afford An Apartment In College
College ushers you into the life of responsibilities and is a platform where you have the independence to make your own decisions. When it comes to affording an apartment, you need to take note of the following factors for a smooth stay in school.
- Always Come Up With A Budget
Part of being responsible needs you to plan, and a budget fits this description. Take note of your funds and create a budget giving priority to essential needs. Respect your budget and do not spend what you do not have as you may fall into a financial burden.
- Do Not Follow The Crew
College is a social setting, and you may find yourself having a group of friends you share the same interests. They may come from different backgrounds and may not be in the same situation as you. As such, do not follow your clique blindly without paying attention to your financial state.
- Keep Your Ear To The Ground
Accommodation is vital, and to get the best deals; you need to know where to source them. Here, you keep your ears open for any impressive offerings to bank on to save some funds.
Conclusion
Before joining college, accommodation is one of the factors that you need to consider. Due to the high costs associated with being in school, you need to look for affordable means to reside as you partake in your studies. Above are some of the sure ways on how to afford an apartment in college. You may look at some ways, such as sharing the residential unit as you get to share a lot of costs.
Have a budget set to guide you on the proper allocation to set aside to get you a decent apartment. You may also consider getting a job to have more funds at your disposal and get you a modest apartment.
Read our guide to the pros and cons of living alone at college.