<p>As an east coaster who’s just finished freshman year… the extra expenses I can think of that come with being from the east are flight and storage.</p>
<p>If you plan to bring your son home for Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, RT tickets can range anywhere from $300-700 depending on how early you book. I bought my Thanksgiving flight just a week before for $510, but I bought my Christmas flight earlier for a little over $300. I made four round trips this past year - Orientation, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and combined August/May one-way flights - so that was altogether roughly 2 grand. </p>
<p>About transportation to/from the airport… taxis from LAX to campus cost roughly $50. Shuttles are cheaper and go from $20-30. What’s cheapest is if your son has a local friend or relative that can drive him for free. </p>
<p>As far as storage goes… the storage services that advertise on campus dorms are overpriced in my opinion - they charge $10-30/box a month depending on the size of the (small) boxes they provide for you. I saved money by using my uncle’s garage; many of my friends did likewise, storing their things at a friend’s or relative’s place for little or no fee.</p>
<p>Everyone has different spending habits. But from personal experience… since USC is in a rather underdeveloped neighborhood, there aren’t a lot of local places one can easily blow their money on. There is no “college town”. I actually found myself saving money because there wasn’t a Whole Foods or an H&M within walking distance. But it varies depending on your son’s access to a car, or his willingness to brave public transportation, or how frequently his friends take him out for excursions. And obviously if he has a car on campus it runs extra costs - parking spots range from $200-400 a semester.</p>