If you’re a college student, you might be thinking about bringing your car the next time you sign up for a semester. Having a car at school can mean having reliable transportation for when you need it. You won’t need to always rely on walking to classes and local amenities by foot and you’ll be the person your friends turn to when they need to take a drive. However, bringing your vehicle to college comes financial responsibilities that need to be taken into consideration before making a final decision on whether it’s a good idea.
Insurance
While there are many student driver insurance policies readily available, you need to take the costs of this coverage into consideration before bringing your vehicle to campus. If you’re not currently working and aren’t planning on getting a job, you need to have a plan to pay for your premium. If you fail to pay this monthly bill, you’ll have a lapse in your insurance, which result in penalties to your license and vehicle registration. One way to avoid the often high costs of auto insurance is to compare rates and to avoid piling coverage onto a car that doesn’t have a loan.
Fuel Costs
It’s no surprise to most people that gas is downright expensive. Even if you only use the car to get to and from different local hot spots, you’ll still have to fill up at least once or twice a week. If you’re planning on taking the car home for vacation or on weekends, this will cost you even more money. A great way to save on fuel costs is to keep up with vehicle maintenance. A car that is maintained well with regular oil changes and fresh tires will use up less gas than one that needs work done.
Parking Fees
Your campus may offer free parking for students who choose to bring their automobiles to school, however, this isn’t always the case. Some universities charge for parking, which will be yet another cost to consider when living in one of the campus’s dormitories. You can speak with your school representative or attendant to find out more about parking fees related to living in one of the dormitories or attending classes each day.
Maintenance
Every single car, regardless of how old it is, is going to need some type of maintenance. Maintenance can include minor things, like an oil change every 3,000 miles or filling up your tires with air. However, if you have an older car, you might need to put more money into keeping it running than you’d expect. For college students who are typically already on a tight budget, these mechanic fees can become too much to handle. Before making the decision to drive to school, think about the age and current condition of the automobile itself. If it’s older and already experiencing issues, you can expect them to get worse the more that you use and abuse it each day when driving to class. In some cases, it’s best to either buy a new car or purchase a very good used one that you can rely on.
