By Rachel Waymack

With graduation quickly approaching, seniors are thinking more and more about college and all of the costs associated with it. Those bound for college must not only think about tuition and room and board costs directly charged by colleges, but also all of the additional expenses such as food and gas that come along with living on one’s own.

Like many things in the current economy, the costs of college are rising, with the average cost of in-state tuition and fees of a public four-year school being $7,605 per year according to collegeboard.com.

According to collegeboard.com, out-of-state four-year schools cost on average $11,990 per year, while private four-year schools are substantially even more expensive, with an average annual cost of $27,293.

Due to the higher costs of four-year schools, many students opt for less expensive two-year schools, which on average cost $2,713 per year in tuition and fees. Regardless of the type of school one attends, all colleges are a financial burden that must be prepared for.

“When they [my sons] were born we started saving money and set up a savings plan to set the money aside,” Guidance counselor Evelina Davis said. “We still did not have enough, but it offset what we had to do so it made it easier.”

Because of the steep costs of college tuition, many schools offer scholarships or financial aid to students in order to assist them with the costs of college.

“Both of my sons got scholarships, which helped supplement the cost,” Davis said. “They helped offset some of the costs, but we still allotted so much every month so when it came time to pay for tuition it was easy to pay.”

School tuition and fees are not the only costs students must consider; they also are faced with numerous additional costs including books, housing, and personal expenses. These additional expenditures can add up quickly, and some of them can be large burdens in of themselves.

“My largest single cost is dating and going out on weekends,” graduate Bobby Holden said.

Students are also often surprised by the actual total costs of college that they were unaware of before beginning college.

“There are a lot of hidden fees that aren’t listed straight forwardly in publicized costs of attendance,” Holden said. “I did not expect it [the cost of college] to be this much.”

Parents often assist their children in covering the costs of college, but different parents believe in paying different portions.

“We paid for all of our sons education. Our job is to love them, nutrure them, take care of them, and educate them,” Daivs said. “We were one hundren percent responsible for education.”