When thinking about the total cost of attending college, families may budget for tuition, housing and meal plans. However, there are also added fees to be aware of.
Fees required by a school that are charged to every student — such as to cover the cost of technology and health and wellness — are typically broken down in the bill for tuition and other expenses.
“These items are going to be disclosed, but students need to read through the material to make sure that they are aware of what the fees are or if (they) can be waived,” says Paul Negrete, executive director of university financial aid services at Rice University in Texas.
Mandatory fees can typically be covered by financial aid or student loans, as they are part of a student’s total cost of attendance, experts say. To be eligible for any student aid, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, must first be filed.
The only fees that can’t be included in financial aid eligibility “are things that are more discretionary, like maybe a club sports fee or sorority or fraternity dues,” says Shannon Vasconcelos, senior director of college finance at Bright Horizons College Coach, an education consulting company. “Those aren’t required. That’s your choice.”
[Read: What You Need to Know About College Tuition Costs.]
Here are examples of 12 fees that college students may need to pay that could surprise them.
Health Insurance
Most colleges require students to have health insurance. And unless paperwork is submitted to opt out — indicating coverage under another plan — students will automatically be billed.
“The college health insurance plans tend to be expensive,” Vasconcelos says. “So often, students can find better care at a lower cost with their parents’ health insurance plan if they are still covered. Generally, students can be covered up until the age of 26.”
Environmental Fees
Some colleges charge an environmental services fee to cover sustainability initiatives on campus, like recycling. The cost is usually minimal.
The University of Texas at Austin charges each student $5 per semester and $2.50 for summer sessions, while Bowie State University in Maryland charges $2 per semester to support green projects and reduce the campus community carbon footprint.
Course Fees
Depending on their major, students may face added charges for certain classes during registration, such as voice lessons or science classes with a lab component.
At Boston College in Massachusetts, for instance, lab fees (which pay for things like microscopes and petri dishes) for biology, chemistry, earth and environmental sciences, and physics classes cost $360. Meanwhile, fees for studio art, music and film classes range widely from $55 to $765.
First-Year Student Fees
Some schools charge a fee specifically for first-year students, as their transition to college often includes freshman seminars and classes. Orientation may be included in a first-year fee or it could be a separate expense.
Prices vary widely per campus. The University of Arizona bills its freshmen $10 in the fall and spring to support first-year student support programs and services, while William & Mary in Virginia charges a one-time $419 fee for all new students.
International Student Fees
International students may have to pay a fee to cover orientation, academic resources and events. International students at New York University, for instance, pay $90 each semester or term.
There may also be other expenses required for international students to study in the U.S., including the government’s SEVIS fee — which ranges from $220 to $350 depending on status — and a VISA application fee.
Technology Fees
Computer labs, laptop rentals and campuswide Wi-Fi are provided at many colleges and universities and are incorporated into an overall technology fee.
[READ: 6 College Orientation Tips for International Freshmen.]
A printing plan — in which students can print up to a certain number of pages a semester, and incur costs after that limit is met — may also be included in that fee or charged separately.
“I’m sure kids these days don’t print quite as much as they used to,” says Joe Dobrota, director of financial aid at William & Mary. “It’s handing papers electronically now, but there might be a printing cost that comes up.”
Health and Wellness Fees
Some colleges also charge a mandatory fee related to health and wellness, which funds programs that support alcohol and drug awareness and other health initiatives at the college.
Tufts University in Massachusetts charges an annual “health and wellness fee” of $1,022 to give all students access to counseling and mental health services, medical visits and health programs and prevention initiatives. However, items such as laboratory tests, vaccinations, X-ray imaging, ambulance transport and prescribed medications are not covered by this nonnegotiable fee.
Student Organization Fees
Colleges offer dozens of student clubs for a variety interests, such as theater, poetry, drawing and intramural sports teams. Dues set by students usually come with membership, experts say.
Membership fees for sororities and fraternities can be expensive compared to other types of student organizations. Average expenses for new members at Ball State University in Indiana are $900 for sororities and $800 for fraternities. That amount decreases after the first year.
Transportation Fees
Some colleges and universities offer students shuttle buses for traveling around campus and to some off-campus locations nearby, and this fee varies among schools.
Students at the University of Akron in Ohio not eligible for the Tuition Guarantee Program — which provides fixed tuition, room and board, and select fees — are charged a $175 transportation fee for each of the fall and spring semesters, and $120 for the summer. Students taking more than five credit hours receive benefits such as a parking permit and access to the campus shuttle service. The school says the fee also helps pay for maintenance, utility costs and debt service of campus parking facilities.
“I think students should keep transportation costs in mind,” Vasconcelos says. “If they had been living at home and borrowing their parents’ car, but now they are going away to school without a car and they have to pay for cabs, Ubers or public transportation, it’s something to think about — whether it’s charged by the school or not.”
Parking Fees
Having a car on campus can be convenient for students, but it also adds additional expenses. On many campuses, students with cars are required to buy a parking permit to avoid accumulating tickets. There could be a price difference for commuter students compared to residential students, so be sure to buy the right type of pass, Dobrota says.
[Read: How to Find and Secure Scholarships for College.]
Resident student annual permits at the University of Maryland, College Park — which allows students to park their cars on campus 24/7 — cost $701. Commuter students are not allowed to park overnight and pay $362.
Before bringing a car to campus, Dobrota advises students to check their colleges’ policies. Some schools don’t allow first-year students to bring their cars.
Building Fees
Though not as common, some colleges may include a building fee in the tuition bill to cover the cost of campus expansion or construction, Vasconcelos says.
At Calhoun Community College in Alabama, a $12 “special building fee” is charged to all students each semester to “secure bonded indebtedness for new construction of facilities,” according to the school.
Graduation Fees
Colleges charge fees to students not just when they enter, but on the back end when they depart. Graduating seniors often have to pay a fee, which is said to offset the price of commencement logistics, caps and gowns, and the creation of diplomas.
The College of Charleston in South Carolina, for instance, charges $25 to all students who apply for graduation — regardless of whether they plan to participate in the commencement ceremony. And students who are late with the application pay an additional $25.
“Be on time for things like registration or when bills are due, because there are late registration fees or late payment fees that could be added,” Negrete of Rice University says.
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12 College Fees That May Surprise You originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/11/23: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
