Is there a reliable website that lists all legitimate educational expenses for a college student?

Question

We all know about tuition, fees, meal plans, housing, laptops, textbooks, and school supplies being legitimate expenses. But is there a site (or any source) which lists all possible legitimate educational expenses for grants/scholarships? Would a cell phone, for example, be considered a legitimate educational expense? Thanks to all who help.

Answer 1

Listen.. once they hand over the cash, it is up to you what you spend it on. When you are offered a financial aid package, it will factor in your family's contribution and then how much you will need for expenses. These will include tuition and housing, basically. I got the same amount (because my parents were dirt poor) each year through loans and grants, and some years I lived in cheaper housing and had literally a thousand extra dollars after paying six months' rent. Another year when I lived in more expensive on campus housing I had barely enough to cover books!

People I know throughout college bought some of the following things with their financial aid:

-Moped

-Laptop

-Trip to New York (Albeit a cheap one)

-Concert Tickets

-Paid off credit card bill

-Put money into retirement plan

ETC. Now if you want to rationalize, many of those could be argued as a legitimate educational expense. But you can see most of them are not.

The bottom line is, all that money that those people (or I) blew I am now paying on student loans for FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS, $200 a month at a time! So just keep that in mind, and be smart.