<p>Does it cost money to use the printers? Are there any printers that don’t require a fee?</p>
<p>When I was at UVA, you had to pay per page. Here are the current prices.
[University</a> of Virginia Printing & Copying Services: Public Laser Printers: Cost](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/uvaprint/public_cost.html]University”>http://www.virginia.edu/uvaprint/public_cost.html)</p>
<p>If you had your own printer (and with the cost of ink and transport to get said ink, it really did work out to the same as UVA was charging) you could print free. Or, there was a printer in Newcomb where people would print for free but you had to be a member of that club. You should just budget to spend some money printing.</p>
<p>Arrgh!.. just lost my post on a refresh… Maybe it was trying to tell me to be more brief in my comments. :)</p>
<p>So, the short version is: we purchased a refurbished laser printer/scanner ($75), and combined with its inexpensive toner cartidges and paper cost a B&W page will cost about $0.04-$0.05 per page. Plus it can be much more convenient to have the ability to print in your room, especially late at night before an assignment is due. But with more and more online submission of assignments this may become less important. The flipside (as hazel implied) is that it will take about 2000 pages before that breakeven point when this becomes any cheaper overall than just paying $0.08/pg for printing at the libraries. Also, the convenience of being in the room will undoubtedly make you print more than if it were a bigger hassle.</p>
<p>The real problem area is the outlandish color cost @ $0.60/pg. This is not a retail Kinkos. I won’t go into detail, but I’ve leased plenty of high end color Xerox printers and suffice it to say $0.25/pg would be more than adequate to cover costs (ink, maintenanace, paper), provide a 2X overhead, and still dissuade students from using color when it’s not really needed.</p>
<p>Just an aside, optional money that you put on your students Cavalier Advantage is available on the student ID and can be used at printers, vending, laundry, the bookstore, as well as on grounds eateries (I don’t reload flex $). They never expire. If there are funds left prior to graduation you can request a refund. I think we started with $200 in fall 2011. I have never reloaded, so that does go a long way depending on your student. </p>
<p>He does have a printer but there are times you want to use one on grounds. A lot of things are submitted electronically, however some profs still want hard copies. Some people get concerned about hall mates/roommates taking advantage. He’s never had an issue. If you do, put a jar next to the printer and have people put in a dime for a B&W and 20c for color (or whatever you think your cost is roughly + paper). My niece did this when it became apparent her printer was going to be used frequently and no one ever groused about chipping in.</p>
<p>@blue - Thanks for the reminder. Almost forgot to put a little bit in Cav Advantage to start the semester :)</p>
<p>Aside from the cost comparison which makes sense here is an intangible. Consider the possibility that once you move off campus, the universities printing availability are farther away and you may relish having your own printer. My son in his later years (When off campus) would trade printing for things. Seemed many regretted not having their own printers for convenience.</p>
<p>As of 2 years ago, wireless printers did not work in some first year dorms because they conflicted with the U’s wireless system. Therefore, I’d bring a printer cable. They often do not come in the box with new printers. Also, many printers only come with “starter” inks that don’t last long. </p>
<p>I’ve personally had some problems with some of the HP double quantity ink cartridges, and I stick with the single ones.</p>