Paying for college can be a major concern for both parents and students. To relieve some of your stress, here are eight offbeat ways to pay for college.
1. Attend a tuition-free school
You read correctly. There are accredited tuition-free colleges. You can get your degree without actually paying for college.
In most cases, students will have to work 10-15 hours a week to cover their tuition, but it sure beats a $30,000 student loan.
2. Give back
Recent graduates can volunteer with organizations like the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps to reduce their student loans. Medical, law and education professionals can work in low-income communities to lower their debts.
You can usually find information about these programs at you school or from your local government website.
3. Transfer from community college
Community colleges are a less expensive way to take many of your core classes.
Talk to a counselor at your university of choice to ensure you only take classes which are transferable. There’s no need to wait until you’re done with high school.
Many community colleges will allow you to take a few night and weekend classes during your final two years of school.
4. Search for unique scholarships
Scholarships are a great way of paying for college. You can get scholarships based on your hobbies, your chosen profession, and even your height.
Use search engines like FastWeb to find unique scholarships.
5. Check your school job board for extra money
You can find some lucrative and interesting posts on your school job board. You can find part-time gigs like passing out flyers or paid studies in need of volunteers.
6. Ask your financial aid advisor about a tuition payment plan
Coming up with a large sum at the beginning of the semester can be quite a strain. Breaking your tuition into smaller monthly payments can make paying for college a little easier.
7. Make sure not to have large amounts of cash or assets in the student’s name
Large amounts of cash and assets can disqualify students from certain scholarships and grants. Research ways of keeping money out of a student’s name.
8. Become an entrepreneur
Many students are opting to start their own businesses instead of getting regular jobs.
If you are creative, you can even come up with ways to employ your friends and cut back some of your workloads.