Six Tips for College Students to Save Thousands of Dollars on College Costs

According to Steve Loyola, president and founder of Best Book Buys (http://www.bestbookbuys.com), a leading online comparison shopping service for textbooks and books, students can save thousands of dollars off their 2009/2010 college costs.


Loyola recommends the following cost saving tips:

• Buy textbooks online. Students spend more than $1000 per year on books and supplies but by comparing the cost of buying textbooks at an online comparison shopping site like BestBookBuys.com, students can save up to 76 percent off the list price of their textbooks. BestBookBuys.com compares the cost of renting or buying used, new, and international textbooks across thousands of online sellers and online stores.
• Consider making a financial aid appeal. If your family’s finances have taken a detour in 2009 compared with 2008, consider filing an appeal with your financial aid office. If you haven’t applied for financial aid, do so by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Don’t forget to claim the new higher education tax credits made available by the stimulus plan. Under the credit, taxpayers can get a reduction in their 2009 tax bill of up to $2500 per student provided the tax filers have an adjusted gross incomes of less than $80,000 a year (if single) or $160,000 (if they file jointly).
• Check your health insurance. If you are already insured on your parent’s policy, appeal your college’s health insurance coverage. At the University of California Irvine, for example, you could save $671 per year if covered under a separate health insurance policy.
• Leave your car at home. By leaving your car at home you will not only save on the amount you pay in car insurance but also on parking permits ($711 annually at UCLA and $568 annually at the University of Arizona).

Make sure to claim your Advanced Placement (AP) credits. Check out www.collegeboard.com/ap/creditpolicy. Students with scores of 3 or higher on at least three or more AP Exams, may have sophomore standing and may have potentially saved at least $6,585, the average tuition and fees at a four year public university according to 2008 Trends in College Pricing from the College Board

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