With colleges charging thousands of dollars each term for room and board, it’s no wonder why college students are looking for cheaper alternatives. While housing costs look different from state to state and from school to school, on average, students tend to pay more than $49,000 for room and board over four years of college.

So what’s included in room and board? First of all, your living arrangement and meal plan. If you’re entering your first year of college, you’ll probably be in a dorm with an on-campus meal plan. If you choose to live in a dorm room, you’ll have to think about how to find the right roommate for college and get well with your neighbors, follow college move-in tips and even look for a few dorm room decor ideas.

To cut down on that chunk of cash, you can consider taking a part-time job, starting your scholarship journey early, or decide to attend a military academy.

Become a Resident Advisor

A Resident Advisor, or RA, is a university employee who lives in a dorm or on-campus housing. They are in charge of a certain hall, building, or floor. That means they coordinate all the fun activities, like social events for students living there, while also dealing with disciplinary actions and safety concerns.

As you’ve probably guessed, being an RA means you get your room and board completely paid for. The trade-off? You have to be available at all times to deal with any health or safety issues that arise with the residents in your hall. That means reporting students who break the rules.

You also are responsible for cultivating a sense of community. That means planning and running events that bring your residents together, such as a paint or movie night. So on top of being a disciplinary figure, you also are someone that residents trust and can form a relationship with.

In order to become an RA, you need to complete a full year at your university first and show exceptional involvement in your community and school. Being an RA is highly competitive, thanks to the benefits, so you’ll need to make yourself a competitive candidate.

But starting your sophomore year, apply to be an RA so you can get your housing covered!

Federal Pell Grants

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a great way to qualify for free money, including grants and scholarships. The Federal Pell Grant is available for students who complete the FAFSA and meet income eligibility requirements.

For the 2022-23 school year, the Federal Pell Grant amount was a maximum of $6,895. Grant money does not need to be paid back, and it can be applied to room and board costs. Depending on the college or university you attend, the Federal Pell Grant can cover all or a majority of your housing costs each year.

Also, the Pell Grant amount usually increases from year to year. So make sure to complete your FAFSA every year that you’re in college to see if you qualify!

Arts Contests

If you love painting, making videos, or writing, you’ll be happy to hear that there are plenty of portfolio-based scholarships and competitions. Research local, state, and national art competitions for seniors in high school if you’ve created an art portfolio in high school.

Similarly, there are many essay competitions available for high schoolers who want to earn money for college. Topics range from political science to environmental science to creative writing. Start by simply searching for essay-based scholarships for high schoolers.

School Scholarships

Wouldn’t it be great if your college just paid for your room and board on their own? Well, for some students, that’s exactly what they’ll do! If you are planning on playing a sport for your school, participating in a fine arts program or have an exceptional academic record, then you may qualify for a full-ride scholarship.

Full-ride scholarships include tuition, room and board for your entire time in college. They’re not very common, but if you fall under those categories of athlete or performer, you have a much better chance of receiving a full-ride scholarship.

To get ahold of this kind of scholarship, start doing your research early and make connections. In sports, that means talking to coaches from schools you’re interested in early on. For performers, that means going to certain showcases that your target university will be scouting.

External Scholarships

So what can you do if you haven’t received enough scholarship or grant money to cover your housing and board? Luckily, there are a million other businesses, organizations, and individuals that hand out scholarships every year.

Identity-Based Scholarships

To narrow your scholarship search, look for scholarships that are filtered by identity-based factors like race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. Each of these metrics has scholarships available, whether it’s at a local, state or national level. The more specific you are in your search, the better your odds of finding a scholarship you can actually win.

Local Scholarships

If you don’t know where and how to get a scholarship for college, check out your school district’s website. Odds are, they will post local scholarships or scholarships specific to your high school. Also, local businesses usually have scholarship opportunities if you take the time to find them and apply.

Another excellent resource for scholarship funding is online platforms like BookScouter, which provide a book scholarship to assist students in reducing their textbook expenses.

Military Academies

If you’re interested in military school rather than the traditional college or university route, free room and board may be easier to get. Schools like the US Naval Academy in Maryland or the US Air Force Academy in Colorado have free tuition, room and board.

That being said, these schools are extremely hard to get into. For example, the US Naval Academy has an acceptance rate of just over 8% (read our Q&A about acceptance rates). Only the most qualified candidate with good GPAs and impressive applications are admitted and can receive perks like free tuition, room and board.

Conclusion

As we mentioned earlier, room and board can cost tens of thousands of dollars over the course of four years. To save yourself from the stress of student loans, you can strategically target scholarships, RA positions, and military academies.

Remember, the first step in slashing room and board expenses is knowing what opportunities are available. Make sure to fill out your FAFSA and be on the lookout for scholarships to cover those costs!