Vazquez 1

Danielle Vazquez
Mrs. Herbert
English 12- P:3/4
5 September 2016
Go Lumberjacks!
Introduction
Ever since I was younger I knew that I wanted to become part of the dental field and now
that I am older I realize that becoming a dental hygienist is my end goal. Luckily, I was able to
find school that offers this that is both reputable and recognized, offers housing, and is close to
home (in-state), and that college is Northern Arizona University. Upon the realization that I
should attend this school in Flagstaff, the question of finances got my attention. Close sources
have all praised this school and claimed it was one of the best and this intrigued me, leading me
to discover if I can accommodate for the expenses I will encounter in my next school year.
Housing information
Northern Arizona University of NAU offers three types of on-campus housing; one of
which being specifically towards honors students. Now I was not about to spend extra money
trying to prove my worth and higher stature by taking honors classes, so I really only had two
options for housing on-campus and a third option for off-campus: an apartment from which I can
walk.
On-Campus Housing
The residence hall of my choice is the traditional hall which is the standard for pretty
much every freshman attending the school. I chose this one because it looked to me like it was
the least expensive option out of the two and I jumped at the chance to spend less money. The

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meal plan per semester which I chose is the 14 meals per week because I do not regularly eat a
breakfast so I figured that I could spare on here; I could also just buy packaged cereal if need be.
This meal plan costs 2,082 per semester which is pretty reasonable compared to the other three
meal plans the school offered. As another expense, I chose to purchase cable and/or internet
which they dont provide, and will spend about 60 bucks extra. Out of all the residence halls, I
chose Sechrist because it is a very social place located in the middle of the campus so other
buildings on-campus will be easily accessible.

Sechrist http://nau.edu/Residence-Life/Housing-Costs/Freshman-Connections-Hall-Rates/
Apartment Housing
NAU does not, unfortunately, provide any on-campus apartments so I found the two
nicest and best-rated apartments next to the school. With the first apartment or Sterling Pointe
the cost for a 2-bedroom monthly rent was 1625 plus the average cost for utilities adding up to
130, the average cost for cable and internet being 65, and the monthly cost for a two-person food
expenses being 400 it added up to about 2220 (but per person it is 1110 per month). The other
apartment or Ridge at Clear Creek had a rent of about 1440 plus all those other costs added up

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to 2035 (but per person it would be about 1017.5 per month). The cheaper option, Ridge Creek
did sound promising but the location and dcor of the apartment itself falls short of Sterling
Pointe. If I were to choose one, it would be Sterling Pointe because of the cheaper price and
aesthetics versus the other apartment.

Sterling Pointe Apartments

Ridge at Clear Creek Apartments

https://www.walkscore.com/apartments/nearby/northern-arizona-university-flagstaff-az
https://www.walkscore.com/score/923-w-university-ave-flagstaff-az-86001?
rid=50_b_109194428
Data
Both options, the dorm and apartment, seemed very pleasing and inviting and although it
may be a tough decision to choose between them, the costs will make the final choice. The costs
of the dorm on-campus and Sterling Pointe Apartments off-campus will be compared in the
graphs below.

Housing Expenses

On

for 12 Months
Rent (1 roommate)
Electricity
Trash
Meals
TOTAL

Campus
5128

4164
9292

Apartment
9750
780
390
2400
13320

Housing Reflection

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The two houses both present very different perspectives to college lives and some may
have more benefits than others. In the end, the costs for the apartment versus the on-campus
housing option are very are very different, but the dormitory seems more reasonable. I will most
likely choose the dorm because of it make the campuss food options and buildings more
accessible to me than the apartment and the price is significantly less. I feel that I will be
spending much more on meals if I were to be living on my own too because there is not a set
schedule and I will have little to no limitations or restrictions on the meals I choose to eat,
making it more expensive. Ultimately, on-campus housing is my best option and it will most
likely work out better for me finance-wise than the apartment.
Financial Plan
The average tuition for NAU is about on par with many other colleges I have researched,
but it may vary with in-class fees depending on the program (mine is Dental Hygiene). A full
years tuition is about 9462 (not including supplies) to attend NAU. I would say that this amount
is pretty reasonable.
Estimated Expenses
For my room and board, the total cost would be at 9292 since, in my previous paragraph,
I have decided to go with the on-campus living choice: a dorm called Sechrist at the heart of the
university over the apartment at Sterling Pointe. This would add a lot to my already growing
expense list because of the tuition starting at almost 10000. It is, however, more reasonable than
an apartment which would bring my estimated expense including the tuition well past 20000. I
believe that my choice in living is very reasonable and cost-efficient because even if the cost plus
tuition is nearing the 20 thousand mark, it will still save me a few hundred dollars that I could
put towards other expenses.

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Estimated Income
Next year, as far as payments for colleges goes, I plan to apply for as many scholarships
as possible and hope to accumulate a minimum amount of 2000. I already know that I cannot
apply for FAFSA, but I can apply for other financial aid programs such as Sallie Mae and am
hoping for at least a 900-dollar loan. I might be able to contribute some gift money or otherwise
to my college fund if relatives decide to give me some. Luckily, I am currently enrolled in the
EVIT program for dental assisting so there is a good chance that I will be able to, if the
circumstances are correct, get a job as a dental assistant and earn a yearly salary of 23000 and
being able to pay for most of my college. Lastly, if all else doesnt quite add up, my parents are
willing to pay for whatever else my college expenses might be, granted they be within a certain
limit.
Data
The following spreadsheets below compare the annual cost of expenses to the annual
items of income and will observe if I will be able to pay off what needs to be paid off. The graph
displays the total cost of the date side by side for a better comparison.
Estimated Budget for 2017-2018
ITEM

EXPENS
E
Tuition
9462
Books/Supplies
1500
Room/Board
9292
Computer
1200
Car/Transportation 0
Cell Phone
0
Entertainment
800
Personal Expenses 1500
Travel
0
Misc.
1000
TOTAL
25554

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ITEM
Job
Parents
Student Loans
Scholarships
Financial Aid
Gifts
Other
TOTAL

INCOME
23000
0
900
2000
0
0
0
26900

Financial Plan Reflection

I have learned that with getting a job post-high school it will save me a huge amount of
money that my parents would otherwise be paying for or relatives would have to compensate for
in gift money. I realize that if I do get a job as a dental assistant and dedicate 100 percent of my
salary towards my college, I should have no problem being able to make my college life a
breeze. The graphs and charts show that I will have more than enough income than expenses
(well theoretical expenses) and everything should be possible as long as I keep the job, which is
where the majority of the income stems from. From this, I am extremely relived because I was
very afraid prior to starting this project that I would have debt my whole life after college, but as
long as I stick to the plan, everything should be smooth sailing.

Conclusion
My research on the college I will attend next year proved to be very informative and,
surprisingly, very positive. The costs which I had previously expected to be outrageous are
actually a lot more reasonable and the college which I had not given enough thought to prior to
the project, now is more intriguing than any other I have researched. I now realize that I will live

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in a dormitory on-campus, having a few expenses outside the tuition and in-college range, and
will pretty much be covered for my endeavors as long as I stick to the plan of getting a job as a
dental assistant right after I graduate from my EVIT course. This plan really helped to put things
into perspective and I am more than glad that I was assigned this. Now I can safely assure my
younger self that my dreams in taking part in the dental field are now a reality.

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Works Cited
"Access Denied." Gale Group Resource Center. Testing and Education Reference Center, n.d.
Web. 05 Sept. 2016.
"Apartments near Northern Arizona University." Walkscore. Walkscore, n.d. Web. 5 Sept. 2016.
"Estimate Your Aid." Federal Student Aid. Federal Student Aid, 02 Sept. 2015. Web. 05 Sept.
2016.
"Northern Arizona University - NAU - The College Board." Northern Arizona University - NAU
- The College Board. College Board, n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2016.
"Student and Departmental Account Services." Spring Tuition. Northern Arizona University, n.d.
Web. 05 Sept. 2016.
"Surprising Facts About Scholarships." Savingforcollege.com. Saving for College, n.d. Web. 05
Sept. 2016.