How Much Spending Money Does My College Student Need? (2024)

As teens prepare for college, it’s hard to know how much spending money they will need once on campus. Many freshmen live in dorms and rely on meal plans paid for in advance.

But they may have other out-of-pocket expenses like an early morning coffee or late-night pizza, items at the drugstore, school supplies, or even some entertainment that are not covered by room and board.

What else does my teen need cash if I pay for tuition, room, and board?

Even a student with tuition and room and board covered by some combination of parents, financial aid, and loans will sometimes need funds. For students with cars on campus, gas becomes a major expense. For others, Uber and Lyft can be an extra charge. Students also spend money on school supplies, club or team expenses, items at the pharmacy, eating out with friends, entertainment like Netflix and gaming, clothing, and more.

How much money do college students living on campus need?

A student’s amount varies widely depending on their spending patterns, geography, and the nature of their meal plan. Parents tell us that some students spend almost nothing, taking full advantage of what the cafeteria offers. Still, students in large cities often find eating out and off-campus entertainment tempting.

How much money do parents give their college students weekly?

The answer varies, but some clear trends emerge. Many parents told us they don’t give their students any extra funds. These teens living on campus are expected to fund their extra expenses.

Many families expect their students to fund their entertainment and non-necessary expenses during the semester with money earned during the summer or with an on-campus job. Any extras beyond housing and campus meal plan are up to the student to pay. As one parent noted, “Fun money is on them.”

Some parents said that although they expected their teens to pay for extras like eating out with friends out of their own money, they gave their students a small amount of cash for necessities like shampoo, laundry, and school supplies.

Some students were given money when expenses arose rather than as a prescribed regular weekly amount.

The consensus among the hundreds of parents who did send their college students spending money was that the range should be between $25-$75 a week for a student living on campus. The most common answer was $50 a week or $200 monthly. Students who had cars on campus needed more than those who didn’t.

A smaller group of parents didn’t give their teens cash regularly but instead offeredthem access to their Amazon and Uber accounts to use as needed. Parents can monitor this spending in real-time and note any excessive usage.

How do parents send money to college students living far from home?

Parents loaded funds weekly or monthly onto their teen’s debit cards to make them available. Others sent funds through apps like Venmo or Zelle. Other parents said they transferred funds into their student’s bank accounts at the beginning of each semester, and it was up to their teens to budget their funds until vacation.

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22 Jobs Teens Can Do to Earn Money During the Summer, and School Year