Student Budget Calculator
Add your monthly income and expenses to see what's actually left over, each month and across the school year.
Making a student budget stick
Budgets fail when they're aspirational. Use real numbers from your last two months of statements, not what you hope to spend. Then watch the two lines that actually move the total: housing (pick roommates over amenities) and food (groceries beat delivery by 3-4x). Everything else is rounding error by comparison.
On the income side, remember that aid comes in lumps: a term's refund has to stretch across every month until the next disbursement. Spread it out on paper before it disappears in practice.
Working out the bigger picture? Net price calculator · Loan repayment
Common questions
How much do college students spend per month?
Beyond tuition, most students living off campus spend somewhere between $1,200 and $2,500 a month, with rent as the biggest line by far. On-campus students prepay most of it through room and board, leaving a few hundred dollars a month of personal spending.
What's a good budgeting rule for students?
A student-friendly version of 50/30/20: put fixed costs (rent, phone, groceries) around 60-70% of your income, keep fun money at 20-25%, and try to save something every month. Even $25 builds the habit and covers surprises.
How should I budget a financial aid refund?
A refund check is your living money for the whole term, not a windfall. Divide it by the months it needs to cover and treat that as monthly income. That's the job of the aid field in this calculator.
What if my budget shows a deficit?
First cut the flexible lines (subscriptions, eating out), then attack the income side. More hours isn't the only lever: scholarships pay better per hour than any campus job, and unlike loans, they never have to be paid back.