Budgeting · College Planning · Worksheet

College Budget Worksheet — Planning for College Expenses

Students build a realistic college budget — tuition, housing, food, transportation, and personal expenses — developing the financial planning habits they’ll need before they leave for campus.

Grades 9–12 / Adult Ed Worksheet 30–45 min Member Resource

What Students Learn

Learning objectives

What a full college budget looks like — both income sources (aid, loans, part-time work) and expenses
How to separate tuition and fees from living expenses when planning college finances
The difference between what a college costs and what a student actually pays after aid
How to identify where college budgets commonly break down — and how to plan ahead for it
Why college financial planning is a real-world application of every budgeting skill learned in class

For Teachers

How to use this resource

Use this worksheet in junior or senior year, ideally in the spring semester when students are making real college decisions. It works well as an application project — students research actual costs for a specific school and build a real budget, not a hypothetical one. Pairs naturally with the Student Budgeting and Planning Effective Financial Goals lessons. Also highly effective in adult education programs where students are returning to school and managing finances on their own for the first time.

Member Resource