Continuing school and getting your degree is very beneficial and can help you be more successful in the future. But college does not come cheap. Student loan debt tops more than $1.3 trillion dollars. In the United States, the average student graduates with more than $37,000 in personal debt. No matter what your career, paying your loan debt, with its acquiring interest, can take a decade or more. The ideal situation would be to graduate with little to no debt. It seems impossible, but all you have to do is get creative. Here is a list of creative ways to pay for college that don’t involve taking out a loan.
Apply for Grants
Grants are like free money. According to The College Board, most grants are given from the college which the student plans to attend. Private schools give out more grants than public schools. Often students are considered for grants upon their acceptance to college. Grants can also be applied for by filling out the free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Apply, Apply, Apply for Scholarships
There are limitless amounts of scholarships out there to be applied for each year. Businesses offer scholarships, colleges, alumni, sports teams, charities, and so much more have scholarships waiting to be taken. You can find scholarships to apply for by an internet search. Some of the most popular websites are: Scholarships.com, fastweb.com, and unigo.com.
Ask For More Money
Not widely known, but it is acceptable to haggle for more money by sending a letter to your college’s financial aid office.
Get a Work-Study Job
There are quite a few colleges that offer the opportunity to work in exchange for the cost of attending college. These jobs can usually be found through your financial aid office.
Take Core Classes at a Community College
Every degree requires a certain amount of core classes. These classes are usually transferrable to bigger universities. You can take these core classes for cheaper at a community college or even consider getting your associate’s degree and transferring to a university to receive your bachelor’s degree.
Live off Campus
Many colleges require freshmen to live on campus, but as soon as possible it is usually cheaper to live off campus. Get a few roommates and your housing costs will shrink dramatically.
Take Advantage of Employer Reimbursement Programs
There is a large amount of companies out there that offer to pay either half or all of your tuition costs while you remain working for them. One popular company that does this is Starbucks.
Ask Friends and Family for Money
Friends and family like to give gifts for birthdays, graduations, and other special life milestones. Consider asking them to give you money for school or donating money to your college fund instead.
Sell Your Body
Many students sell their blood and plasma regularly. These payouts are not large but could help with other expenses such as groceries. You could also consider donating your eggs or sperm. Although, these kinds of donations should be well thought out before making a final decision.
The list goes on: participate in clinical studies, rent out your possessions, drive for Uber or Lyft, start freelance writing, become a paid note taker. There are so many more ideas listed on this helpful website here. College is expensive and managing money is hard work but it can be done. Look up this website for the complete list of ideas and then decide what you can do and do it. Finishing college debt free will well be worth it. Good luck!