Cut Costs

Due to inflation, the cost of living has dramatically increased over the past several months. Along with living expenses, other prices are increasing as well, such as the cost of dental school. As dental school prices rise, so does the average amount of student loans. Since the cost of tuition and school fees are part of the cost of attendance, you have no way of controlling that cost. It is possible to adjust other areas of your life to help lower the amount you have to borrow. Here is some helpful advice to consider to help cut costs and reduce borrowing amounts. 

Create a Budget

As a starting point, it is a wise idea to determine what your expenses should be per month. If you are unsure how to create a budget, your school’s financial aid office should have guidelines on how to budget for your rent, food, transportation, laundry and other living expenses. 

Track Your Expenses

It is helpful to track your expenses and have a spreadsheet or other method that allows you to see exactly how you spent your money. You would be surprised how much a coffee splurge here and there can affect your budget. 

Find a Roommate

One of the best ways to save money is to find a house or an apartment with a roommate or multiple roommates. Not only can this cut down the cost of living expenses, but if you find someone with similar eating habits and preferences you can also split the cost of groceries. 

Plan for a Splurge

It is important to give yourself an allowance to also have a social life and enjoy yourself from time to time. Your school and study schedule will be extremely full, so you will enjoy having an opportunity to relax with friends over an enjoyable dinner or night out. 

Another option to help with the cost of dental school is applying to the scholarship opportunity provided by Dr. Michael Krochak: 

2023 Scholarship Award Details

The Dr. Michael Krochak Pre-Dental Scholarship was developed to encourage young men and women to enter the field of dentistry. The scholarship helps students pursuing careers in dentistry to meet the rising cost of college tuition. The 2023 award applications will be accepted from June 2022 through January 2023. If you are a college junior or senior enrolled in a U.S. accredited college or university and are engaged in pre-dental studies with a 3.3 GPA or better by the end of your sophomore year, you are eligible to apply for this one-time $1,000 scholarship. 

Best of luck!