The document is a college cost planning guide that provides information and worksheets for students to estimate their funding sources, expenses, and overall costs of attending college. It includes sections to track anticipated funding from scholarships, grants, loans, family support and personal contributions. Expenses sections include costs for tuition, housing, meals, books and various living expenses. It also provides notes on scholarships and information on the UNT Student Money Management Center as a free resource for students to learn money management skills.
1. College Cost Planning Guide
A planning guide to help you plan out your funding and expenses each semester
How will you be paying for college?
Filing For Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) Yes No
FASFA Filed? Yes No
Anticipated Funding Resources AMOUNT
Scholarships $
Grants $
Student Loans $
-Loan Type $
-Loan Type $
-Loan Type $
Family Support $
Parent PLUS loan $
Personal Contribution $
TOTAL $
How much will college cost?
Expenses COST
Tuition/Fees $
Housing $
Meal Plan $
Books and supplies $
Computer/Laptop $
Parking Permit $
Organizations/ Club Fees & Dues $
Dinning out/ Fast Food $
Entertainment $
Gas $
Personal Items $
Travel- Going home $
Other: $
- $
- $
- $
Annual Salary Need TOTAL $
SPECIAL NOTES:
Scholarships: Financial awards that students do not have to repay. These can be awarded based on need, academic merit, academic
concentration, interests, or a host of other criteria. UNT’s priority submission date for FASFA is March 15.
UNT Student Money Management Center: Your free on-campus resource to help you learn how to manage your money with
knowledge, skill, and confidence. Visit moneymanagement.unt.edu to learn more about our services and programs.
UNT Student Money Management Center
http://moneymanagement.unt.edu
2. Reality Check Resources
How will you be paying for college?
What is my anticipated salary for my degree field?
Resource Knowledge
Payscale.com
Allows you to discover current minimum, average,
and maximum salaries for various degree fields. Can
look up salaries by city and state.
National Association Career
Educators naceweb.org
Starting salaries for previous years graduating class.
Salaries broken down by academic fields, liberal
arts, technical, engineering, etc. Includes average
salaries of associates, bachelor’s, graduate, and
professional degree holders.
What is the overall cost of my degree?
College Cost Projector
Finaid.org
Calculate college costs based on number of years in
attendance. Can be adjusted to account for
inflation.
Individual College and
University Financial Aid and
Student Accounting
webpage
Utilizing your institution of choice web page search
for Cost of Attendance. Each institution provides a
calculation of its tuitions, fees, books, and living
costs for in-state and out of state students. These
costs are typical calculated according to a semester
or academic year.
College Cost Navigator
nces.ed.gov
Allows for a comparison search of institutions,
degree programs, public versus private, and states.
Can build a comparison chart for various institutions
to get a snapshot of total costs.
College Cost Planning Guide
Moneymanagement.unt.ed
u
College cost planning resources from budgeting to
study abroad resources, worksheets and more.
What is the potential impact of student loans? Or how much is too much?
Repayment Estimator
Studentloans.gov
Calculate student loan repayments using current or
future total loan balance. Provides information on
different repayment plan options.
Student Loan Advisor
Finaid.org
Input career field or major. Will provide current
average salary for degree field and determine the
maximum amount of loans a student should take
back if they intend to pay their loans back with 10%
or 15% of their monthly salary. Provides monthly
repayment amounts based on anticipated income.
Will my career goals help me achieve my financial goals?
Reality Check
Texasrealitycheck.com
Decide how much you will need to live your desired
life. Choose between various options from housing
to entertainment to determine whether your future
salary will cover your living costs. Includes career
information and average salaries.
UNT Student Money Management Center
http://moneymanagement.unt.edu