Shudi Peng
CONTRIBUTOR
University of Nebraska President Hank Bounds has openly discussed the state’s current budget challenges. While administrators work through managing budget reductions, students are anxiously waiting to see if tuition and student fees will increase.
Several University of Nebraska at Omaha students shared how they save money to make college more affordable. Here’s what they had to say…
“I have a part-time job, and every month I would save some money for school. Even though I saved a lot, UNO’s tuition is still expensive to me. In order to save more money, my tip is to save 20 percent of your paycheck every two weeks and budget your money wisely.”
Kara Bernbeck, 19, graphic design major
“I will limit how much I spend every month. I will make an estimate as to how much I will spend every week. I keep track of my budget every month to check which money is wasted, then remind myself do not do it again.”
Brian Foollin, 31, environmental science major
“Compared to other colleges, UNO’s tuition is [fairly reasonable]. I live with my parents so I don’t spend extra money; it helps a lot with my saving. I opened a savings account, and I save 20 percent of my wages every month, and it’s only used for school (tuition and textbooks).”
Mariah Chonis, 19, pre-nursing
“I don’t use too much money for myself because I save it for the future. In my opinion, UNO’s tuition is not so expensive compared to other universities, especially for some students who have scholarships. When I want to spend money, I consider my future expenses, not now.”
Alex Airola, 19, mathematics and music major
“To be honest, I worked in high school and saved some money for college. In order to save more money, I use money wisely. For instance, I always prefer to buy textbooks online, it can help me to save at least $100, then I can save more money to use for college in the future.”
Jacob Moore, 20, political science major
“In order to save money, I always cook for myself to keep healthy. To me, UNO’s tuition is a little bit expensive. However, its cultural diversity is very good. My tip is to spend no more than $15 a day and no more than $20 on weekends. I know it’s hard, but you have to study how to control yourself.”
Joel Ceron, 24, exercise science
“I get Pell Grants and some scholarships. These cover some of my tuition. I also have a job to pay for my tuition. I will put cash on a Debit card every month and only spend the cash I took for that month. If it runs out, it runs out. If I have extra, I will apply it toward the next month.”
Emily VanOrnam, 20, elementary school education with a concentration in ESL
“I work full time and I also have a student loan, so it’s really strict for me to control my budget. For example, I don’t eat out, so I buy my own food at the grocery store. It helps me to save a lot of money. I think that it’s a better idea to live with guardians; and don’t buy new things if you don’t need them; eat cheap and healthy food and start to save money early.”
Abbey Stewart, 24, sociology major
