By admin College brings an exciting new chapter to the lives of millions of young adults, but it can also be one of the most expensive financial burdens on students and parents alike.
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While tuition is usually the main culprit behind the bill, moving freshmen to their first dorm room or upperclassmen to their new apartments can cost families thousands of dollars.
According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of a college room and board is $14,398. That amount doesn’t include the additional cost of furnishing the room.
And for parents, it’s clear that furnishing a new room and buying essential items isn’t as cheap as it was back in their college days.
Back in 2021, back-to-school shopping cost college students $71 billion, according to a report from the National Retail Federation. This amount includes the cost of electronics, room furnishings, clothing, accessories, shoes and school supplies. Five years later, back-to-school shopping cost the same families a record $103.5 billion.
That’s an average of $1,437.79 per shopper.
To find out how much it costs to furnish SC dorm rooms, The State reached out to several local parents who recently helped move their kids into college. Here’s what they said:
How much did it cost SC parents to furnish students’ dorm rooms?
Some parents are finding it more manageable to relocate their kids from home than others.
For LaShay Price, moving her daughter back onto Spartanburg Methodist College’s campus for her Sophomore year cost almost exactly $1,000. That’s including the cost of bedding, wall art, frames, rugs, cleaning supplies, medication, and all the other miscellaneous items they bought.
Moving her daughter to college for the first time last year required more funds.
“I felt like things were more expensive because you’re kind of creating a starting pack for your kid,” she said. “I really feel like the investment was probably close to $1,500 to $1,800.”
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As an interior designer herself, who’s the founder and Principal Designer of TEN2 Creative Agency, Price said that some other parents might overspend on dorm decor because they prioritize “vibes” and aesthetics over practicality.
“I don’t think that it’s getting to a point where it’s not affordable,” she said. “I think that parents lack the education on how to make their children’s spaces look and feel like home, but without breaking the bank.”
LaShay said she didn’t purchase any second-hand items, but found creative ways to decorate the room while saving money, like printing her kid’s own wall art from Walgreens.
Some parents chose to save even more money by bringing in furniture and other items from home.
Erin Smith moved her older child to Converse University toward the beginning of August and only spent around $300 to $500, mostly on bedding and random decor.
She said that it was a considerably smooth — and emotional — transition.
Smith also noted that many parents fall into the trap of dropping thousands of dollars on decor just to chase the unrealistic standards set by social media.
“I think it is a disservice to students,” Smith said. “I think it sets students up for having unclear boundaries as far as what’s a need and what’s a want.”
Responding to a Facebook post that The State created for this article, Michelle Davis said it also cost her around $500 to move her child into an SC college dorm. That price tag didn’t include the laptop required for students to succeed in class.
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