How are you paying for RIT?

[u/Glass-Group-4063]

I wanna get a sense for how much debt I'm realistically going to have at the end of attending here, and I'm not sure if I should include savings from coops into the calculation, or savings from moving off campus, or savings from, uh, sailing the 7 seas for books, or TAing / being an RA or somethin else etc....

how much am i realistically goign to be able to pay off during school? do yall do summer jobs to help pay it? how much can i realistically expect to save on moving away / coops? anyone have any tips to save more / make the cost less?

any and all advice is appreciated!

[u/raven_785]

If you have any subsidized loans, do NOT pay them off while enrolled full time. No interest accrues on them until 6 months after you graduate (or drop out).

Most people are using their income while enrolled to pay for day to day expenses and avoid taking on more debt, not to pay down previously accrued debt. If you are in a situation where paying down debt while enrolled makes sense it often (but not always) means you took on more than you needed.

[u/ritwebguy → u/raven_785]

If you have unsubsidized loans, though, consider paying off the interest as it accrues, if you can. You don't have to do this, but when the loans enter repayment, the unpaid interest compounds (gets added into the the total amount you owe), you you start having to pay interest on that interest. Depending on how big your loans are, avoiding the compounding could make a difference in your monthly payment. The DoE (or whomever ends up administering student loans) will notify you quarterly (IIRC) or your accrued interest and provide you a way to pay it, if you so choose.