Three unexpected reasons college is expensive

It should come as no surprise that college is expensive. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average tuition at a four-year college was nearly $33,000 a year during the 2009-2010 school year. However, tuition alone isn't responsible for the "poor college student" stereotype. Here are three unexpected expenses to be aware of as a soon-to-be undergraduate.

Textbooks
One of the biggest cash draws you'll encounter each semester is the cost of buying your college textbooks. While certain majors require less expensive books than others, you can expect to spend several hundred dollars stocking up on reading material for your courses.

Class accessories
As if the cost of textbooks wasn't bad enough, many majors - particularly those in more technical or scientific fields - will require students to purchase additional tools. These items can range from an expensive graphing calculator, computer software and even electronic answering devices for completing classroom assignments.

Travel
If you're planning on going to school far from home, your travel expenses will be very high. Between long weekends, winter break, spring break and summer vacation, you may end up paying $500 or more per flight going back and forth from school to home. This doesn't include any weekend getaways or spring break trips you may be planning with your friends.

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