Tuition hikes across the country are not the only source of financial stress for college students and their families. Even after tuition is paid, the cost of classroom and dorm essentials can stack up.
A new survey of 1,500 undergraduates found that the average student spent $305 back-to-school shopping this year. Six in 10 (62%) students say textbooks were their largest expense, while 13% say they spent the most on home goods such as bedding and kitchen supplies.
A majority of students (71%) report spending more than $100 on textbooks and other reading materials for the semester. More than one-third (35%) spent between $101 and $250, while 27% spent between $251 and $500, and 9% spent more than $500.
7 in 10 Students Spend More than $100 on Textbooks
While back-to-school shopping, how much money do you expect to spend on textbooks and reading material?
While the cost of textbooks is fairly constant across class year, underclassmen generally have a longer shopping list when buying home goods for their dorm or apartment. Seniors are more likely than sophomores to spend $100 or less on home goods (73% vs. 60%), while sophomores are more likely to spend between $101 and $250 (27% vs. 18%). Five percent of sophomores report spending more than $500.
Paying for school supplies and home goods adds to families’ financial burdens when sending a child to college. More than one-third of students (35%) receive financial help from family members for back-to-school shopping, while 22% rely on money they earned at a summer job and 18% use their savings. More than 1 in 10 (15%) go into debt by using student loans or credit cards for school supplies.
Students on financial aid have a particularly difficult time paying for school supplies. Students who are not on financial aid are significantly more likely than students on financial aid to have help from family (53% vs. 28%), while 15% of students on financial aid rely on student loans to cover back-to-school expenses.
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted among a sample of 1,500 full-time and part-time students attending four-year colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
