Do your homework when applying to colleges

Before worrying about college tuition, there's the small matter of getting your child into a school.

It's a process that can sap you of thousands of dollars, especially if you're booking hotel rooms and plane tickets to visit campuses. Application fees alone can be $60 or more a pop.

Many parents considers the costs necessary to securing the best future for their child. With so much at stake, many parents say it's easier to surrender any attempt at budgeting. Yet at a time when anxieties are high, mindful spending can help focus your goals.

As you ramp up the college application process in coming months, here's how you can tackle three major costs.

Test fees

The National School Lunch Program provided free or low-cost lunches to more than 30 million children last year.

If your child was among them, your family also could be eligible for an SAT fee waiver. School guidance counselors can tell you about additional eligibility guidelines. Standard registration for the SAT costs $45.

Otherwise, knowing the test schedules and deadlines will help you avoid paying extra.

With the SAT, for example, there's a $23 fee for late registration and a $22 fee to change when or where you take the test. That's on top of the standard registration cost. The ACT test has comparable fees.

A little planning also can help prevent the need to have scores rushed to a school. The option costs $27 plus $9.50 for each SAT report. It can add up, so don't opt for a rush out of fear.

Applications

It typically costs about $60 to apply to a college. So if your child applies to 10 schools, that's $600 off the bat.

To save some time and money, carefully weigh the chances that your child will end up at a particular university.

Often students apply to schools they wouldn't attend even if accepted or have little chance of getting into.

That said, your child should apply to at least one or two "reach" schools, as well as a couple fallback and safety schools. All told, six or seven schools should cover the bases.

Campus visits

Traveling to check out campuses can get expensive. To narrow down the list to visit, start by taking virtual tours.

While they can't replace in-person visits, they might help rule out options your child is on the fence about.

Of course, you'll want to visit schools in person if there's a good chance your child could end up there.

Local alumni groups often sponsor bus trips and overnight stays for prospective students.