Is There A Way To Get A Debt-Free College Education?
Unforeseen Consequences About Going To College
The average college student will take out more than $20,000 in loans to help finance his education. Often students believe they have no other choice but to go into serious debt years before they can even make a dime off of their college education.
Sure, student loans seem innocent enough. They have low interest rates and they can help you go to that dream college you otherwise could not afford. Students and family struggle to pay off their loans for years, but I wonder if there is not another way.
After research I have discovered a number of ways you can get an inexpensive or free college education. There are ways not to go so deeply into dept and to stop dreaming and start realizing the possibilities that are out there.
Ways To Go To College Without Going Heavily Into Debt
If you want a free (or nearly free) college education, it’s necessary to do well in high school. Study hard in high school, ignore the temptations, and prove your worth by your activities and grades and colleges will give you a full education at little or no cost to you. This is what I did, and my college paid me to attend it.
There are many high schools and colleges now realizing that you can start college classes in the latter years of high school. There are programs like Early College Initiative and other similar programs that will give you the same credits that you will receive in college. The better your grades the more college classes that will be offered to you. These are offered to you for free and will be completed while you are in high school.
You can skip dozens of college classes just by taking some standardized tests offered by the College Board. At just $60 a test, these exams can help you save thousands of dollars on general requirements courses and are called the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). This is an easy and cheap way to take a major chunk out of your college career.
More and more students are taking part-time jobs to help pay for their education. The important part of this is not to settle on a minimum-wage job. Look for a higher-paying job on campus, or work nights or weekends waiting tables. Just be careful to monitor your work-school-life balance so you do not end up flunking your classes.
You might consider starting at a community college for the first two years where the cost is considerably lower, almost one half the cost. You then can easily transfer to a four-year institution. You will still have the same bachelor’s degree in the end, but could save you at least one year of tuition.
A challenging effort, yet think of the money savings by combing more classes and finishing your college education in three years. This would mean going to school during summer and taking additional classes during the year. The savings you would make by skipping that fourth year is even greater due to the continual hike in tuition each year.
Try to find a college close to home that has what you want. You can cut your college costs in half by living with your parents. Don’t worry about how “uncool” this might be. Instead think of having all of those thousands of dollars after graduation, which is totally “cool.”
Be as frugal as you can as a student. Plenty of students get through four years of college eating ramen noodles and juice. Forget the dining out and kayaking trips when you are in college. Save them for when you’ve earned them; after you have your degree in hand and no debt in your pocket.
Know What Your Dream Is First
First search hard and develop YOUR dream. And then fight tough to obtain it and not be influenced by any one. You have the ability to do whatever you truly want. You just have to want it enough.
