To determine the amount Emily and her family should save each month to pay for her first year of college, we will follow a step-by-step process involving the costs laid out in the table and the grant she anticipates receiving.
1. Calculate the Total Predicted Cost for the First Year:
- Tuition: \[tex]$36,620
- Room and Board: \$[/tex]12,900
- Books and Fees: \[tex]$2,450
- Transportation: \$[/tex]3,100
- Other: \[tex]$1,330
Adding up these costs:
\[
36,620 + 12,900 + 2,450 + 3,100 + 1,330 = 56,400
\]
Therefore, the total predicted cost for the first year of college is \$[/tex]56,400.
2. Subtract Anticipated Grants:
Emily anticipates receiving \[tex]$6,000 in grants. So, we subtract this from the total cost:
\[
56,400 - 6,000 = 50,400
\]
Hence, the total cost after considering the grants is \$[/tex]50,400.
3. Determine the Number of Months Available to Save:
Emily has 6 years to save, and since each year has 12 months:
[tex]\[
6 \times 12 = 72 \text{ months}
\][/tex]
4. Calculate the Monthly Saving Needed:
To find out how much needs to be saved each month, we divide the total cost after grants by the number of months:
[tex]\[
\frac{50,400}{72} \approx 700 \text{ (rounded to the nearest dollar)}
\][/tex]
Therefore, the reasonable estimate of the amount Emily and her family should save each month for the next 6 years is \[tex]$700.
Thus, the correct answer is \( \$[/tex]700 \).
