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<p>One thing that many people do is work part-time while in school. You should be able to cover your housing costs that way, and still have a little left over. Try to look for paid research positions in your major, as well (you can usually get one as a junior or senior). You get paid and you build your credentials at the same time.</p>
<p>When you look at housing, don’t always just look at dorms. As a freshman, on-campus is a good thing because it allows you to meet people. But after that, off-campus is usually much cheaper. When you’re enrolled in the summer, fraternities rent out their rooms at dirt-cheap rates. </p>
<p>Before buying any textbook, go to class the first day. The professor will sometimes say things like “I included this book on the syllabus for reference, but you don’t really need it.” Also, before buying a book, ask the professor if you can use a previous edition of the book. While the latest edition of a textbook might cost $200, the previous edition might be available used for $20. Finally, use sites like abebooks.com to see if you can find cheap used (and sometimes international) versions of your textbooks. You can save a ton of money.</p>