Task 23 - Financial Toolkit for Future Education
College Tuition Costs
For a college tuition, I would be paying $8152.62 as of this year. However, the tuition will likely go up in the three to four years before I enroll in college. I predict that it will be around $9500 if inflation keeps rising as it is right now.
Potential Expenses
1. Custom PC
You can't develop things and do a tech career without a powerful computer to run it all! This PC will cost 1.5 to 3 thousand dollars, depending on the market at the time. It doesn't have to be ultra high end, but it should at least be able to pull its weight in complex simulations.
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2. Car, or other transportation
I live in the middle of nowhere, and it's going to be that way for the forseeable future, so I'll have to buy an older car (1999 Honda Civic, anyone?) and fix it up. This should run around $500-1000 for the car, and another few thousand in parts to fix it myself. (It runs in the family!) There will also be routine car payments and other maintenance costs.
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3. Cellphone and Service
While it would be great, my parents won't be paying for my phone bill forever, and I'll have to upgrade eventually!
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Otherwise, I should have my other needs covered. I will be staying at and eating at my father, mother, or aunt's house, and they will provide food and internet to me in exchange for helping out around the house. The rest of my budget can be spent on food or entertainment!
Saving and Borrowing
"To say that student loan debt is a crisis is an understatement. According to the most recent figures, more than half of college graduates leave school with loan debt. As of 2005, their average debt level was around $17,000." Source
Based on the experience of several other people, I believe that borrowing for college is a bad idea and should be avoided if at all possible. Thousands of people are still feeling the effects of college loans years after they have graduated.
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"A general guideline is to save 10% of your income. How much you save can depend on factors like what you’re saving for, constraints attached to your goal and if you want to pay off any high-interest rate debts." Source
Over the next several years, I will be saving at least 10% of my monthy income in order to go to school, in addition to paying towards the vehicle and technology that I need.
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Action Plan
Step 1: Get a low-level job in retail or a simple labor position over the next few summers, and save to buy a car and a basic computer (to be upgraded later)
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Step 2: Apply to college after completing high school and, using my experience gained, join a higher-position job that summer as well as into the college year if possible.
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Step 3: Graduate, move into an appartment (or even house, if I'm fortunate enough), begin looking for a more permanent cybersec job, and hopefully get into a relationship.
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