Life is tough enough for university and college students. Finances like rent, groceries, and tuition can become overwhelming and scary, especially when working minimum wage. Many students take out loans to pay for their tuition, but the costs add up. What many students don’t know is that they are entitled to see a cost breakdown of their tuition and fees. University and college students should take note of the following advice because there are some ways students can save money on their tuition.
It should be noted that I attend a Canadian university, and I am a domestic student. Therefore, I pay domestic tuition. I am well aware that the contrast between the cost of tuition for Canadian universities versus tuition for American universities drastically differs; tuition cost in Canada is considered “cheap” by American standards. In Canada, the average cost of tuition for an undergraduate degree for domestic students is roughly $7,000 CAD (~$5,000 USD) annually, depending on the program and university (Source: Top Universities 2024). In the United States, the average cost of tuition for private colleges is $42,162 USD annually; for out-of-state students at public universities, it is $23,630 USD annually; and for in-state residents at public universities, it is $10,662 USD annually (Source: US News 2024). Considering these costs, I think it is safe to say that university/college tuition is NOT cheap.
When looking at my tuition statement for my upcoming semester, I noticed that out of the $4,000 CAD (~$3,000 USD) total, $1,000 CAD was just tuition fees. That’s 25% of my tuition allocated to paying many miscellaneous fees. My university always provides a statement with the cost breakdown so students can see where their money is going. If your university does not automatically provide you with a cost breakdown of tuition, including fees, I am sure you can request that information from them.
As I was looking through how much money I am paying for the university fees, I noticed a bunch of small fees that add up. The description and cost of all the fees combined were three pages long. Some notable fees include paying $9.40 CAD for a fee labeled as “Radio Gryphon--Undergrad.” - I don’t know anyone at my university who listens to the radio.
Turns out that broke university students have been contributing to the funding of food banks. This semester, I had to pay $3.03 CAD for the food bank, meaning I might have to visit it more often as the prices of groceries are getting too high. It reminds me of when I went to buy peaches and tomatoes that were on sale, the total was $30 CAD. I was so shocked because I could not believe eight peaches and a container of grape tomatoes would cost so much that I just tapped my card and left.
Lastly, I realized that out of all the fees I am paying, one of the lowest fees goes towards menstrual products; only $1.12 CAD is allocated for menstrual products. That fee upsets me because I believe that women’s health is important and should be given a higher budget -however, this topic would be for another article.
The most expensive fees were related to improving physical and mental health, such as the athletic fee, athletic building fee, mental health services fee, student health service fee, medical insurance premium, and the undergraduate dental plan. The total of all these fees is precisely $629.59 CAD ($454.45 USD), which I consider a lot, but these services are important, right? Students' health matters, and we should be provided services that help us, right?
In my experience from last year alone, I realized that the services I pay a lot for are not very helpful. Last October/November, I was getting terrible pain in my mouth. It turns out my wisdom teeth were coming in during the midterm season, meaning that while I was studying for my biochemistry midterm exam worth 25% of my final grade, I was also crying in pain due to my wisdom teeth. I went to the dentist's office on campus in hopes of finding a solution or being guided in the right direction to seek help with my pain. The person I spoke to basically told me that they could do nothing and couldn’t recommend any dentists in Guelph. She had also mentioned that it would be costly and not worth it if they tried to help me with anything on campus. They said my best option was to go back to my hometown and get the dentist there to help.
So, when looking at the amount of money I pay for the dental plan, I was baffled about why I was paying for that when I never go to the dentist on campus and am part of my parents’ dental plan anyway.
The worst was during December; I had a terrible eczema flare-up - one like I’ve never experienced before. My whole face was swollen and burning in pain, and it got so bad that one day, I wasn’t able to see because my eyelid was so swollen I couldn’t open my eyes. This flare-up lasted for a few weeks, and by the time I realized that enough was enough, I had noticed that my chest was hurting and I was having a hard time breathing. These were two unrelated issues, but when I went to see a campus doctor, she immediately told me that she could only help me with one problem. So I had to choose between trying to fix the eczema flare-up that was causing me daily pain and burning or figuring out why I’d been having shortness of breath. I decided for her to look at my skin. While I am grateful that the doctor was able to prescribe me medication to help with my skin and pain, I am confused as to why she couldn’t help me with both my issues at once.
My advice to any university student, and everyone in general, is to see the breakdown of what you pay for. People, especially students, should know where their money goes and what services they pay for. For me, I now know which services I’m entitled to and which places I should utilize more often (like the school athletic services). This is also useful to see where we can save money because a dollar saved is earned. In many universities, students can opt out of specific insurance programs if they have coverage elsewhere. I am covered under my parents’ dental plan, so this semester, I have decided to opt out of the school dental plan and save myself $137.00 CAD (~$99 USD). This may not seem like a lot compared to the $1,000 CAD total I am paying, but with the money I save from opting out of the dental plan, I could buy 12 luxe craving boxes from Taco Bell. With the cost of groceries, I wouldn’t mind eating Taco Bell for lunch five days in a row.
While I strongly recommend opting out of services where possible, it is essential to consider a few things. The first is whether or not you can opt out of certain services. For example, due to my university’s policy, students cannot opt out of the premium medical insurance regardless of coverage they may or may not already have.
Other considerations include the value of the insurance because sometimes the school may provide students with cheaper insurance compared to the prices they would have to pay without the school subsidizing the cost. It should be noted that universities will require students to submit proof of other insurance instead of the school insurance they opt for. Sometimes, like in my case, students who are part of their parents’ insurance plan do not need to pay for the school plan. There is usually an application process where the proper documentation is required, so students should be aware of this process and its due dates.
To conclude, I firmly believe people should know where their money goes. Don’t be afraid to ask for information you are entitled to, and always ask for a tuition receipt or statement with a breakdown of fees. Students should be mindful of how much their tuition costs are and what fees they are paying for. Now that I know how much each course costs, I won’t be skipping any more lectures. Students like me who are always looking for ways to improve how they spend their money should advocate for themselves and find ways to opt out of services if willing and able. Don’t be afraid to save money; a dollar can go a long way.
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