Ways To Save On College Tuition

When I was 14 years old, my dad sat me down for a talk. What I did not know at the time was that this talk was going to change my life forever by motivating me to be successful on my own. My dad was and still is a factory worker. He and my mother never went to college. Although I am sure they would have loved to pay for my college education, they were unable to pay their own bills at the time, let alone take on any more debt. What my father told me was this: 'If you ever want to get a car one day or go to college, you're going to have to work for it. I can't give you a car to drive like your friends, and I can't pay for you to go to college. If you want to have these things in your life, you're going to have to get a job and you are going to have to work hard.'

Challenge accepted! I started working when I was 14 years old, and I saved up enough money to buy my own car and begin saving for college. I worked a part time job while going to high school, and was also actively involved in clubs, community service opportunities, and athletics. I also tried to get into the most AP classes I could get into in my high school career, so that I would be able to earn college credit as a high school student. I managed to graduate with a bachelor's degree from one of the top public universities in my state, debt free. That's right, zero debt.

How did I do it? Here are some tips on how to save money on your college tuition:

• Attend a local community college. Community colleges offer tuition rates that are the fraction of the cost of larger colleges and universities. Community colleges often offer transfer programs to larger 4-year universities and colleges for bachelor degree programs. Make sure that the classes you take at a community college will transfer to your 4-year college of choice before registering for them.
• Get good grades! Many types of scholarships are available, but the donors of these scholarships want to make sure that their money is going to someone who takes their education seriously. Try your best to earn the best grades you can in all classes you take. This requires going to class, participating in class, and studying on your own outside of class.
• Apply for all of the scholarships that you may qualify for. Most colleges and universities have a financial aid office and website, and usually scholarship information and applications are on their websites. Pay attention to deadlines for these scholarships, and get all of the required materials for application in on time. Also, search online for national, state, and local organizations who offer scholarships. Some scholarships require letters of recommendation, transcripts, and personal essays. Take the time to do a great job on your scholarship applications. A little time and effort can go a long way, and save you thousands of dollars!
• Apply for financial aid, before the financial aid deadline. Most colleges and universities give preference to students who turn in their FASSA (application for financial aid) by a certain date. Usually this date is on or around March 1st. Your income tax return should be filed before or around the time you complete your FAFSA. If you miss the deadline, apply for financial aid anyways, because you never know if you will qualify to receive free money for college unless you try.
• Apply for work-study. Many colleges and universities offer work-study programs, by offering jobs on campus to their students. For example, my brother worked on campus in the campus library, and my husband worked as a set designer for the university's theater department. Food service and office jobs are also usually available for work-study students. Not only is this a source of income, but you will also get to know other students and professors better this way. Making connections is an important factor in earning scholarships and getting a job after graduation! Usually in order to qualify for work-study, you need to submit your FAFSA (financial aid application).
• Have a part time or full time job. I worked my way through college by waiting tables as a server at a nearby restaurant. This job allowed me to live on my own and go to college full time, because of the flexible scheduling available. It also enabled me to meet friends who attended the same university, who I would have never met had I not worked there! My husband also worked through college, sometimes working two or three part time jobs while attending college classes full tine. Find a job that is willing to work around your college class schedule. Try to work on days that you do not have class, so that you can focus on your studies on the days that you do have class.
• If you must take out a loan, try to get a subsidized student loan. The government will pay the interest while you are still in school. Try to pay off the loan before or shortly after you graduate, so that interest does not begin to accumulate!
• Only take classes that are necessary for your degree of study, and do your best in those classes. Sure, a basketball class sounds like fun, but is it worth the couple of extra thousand dollars to you? Also, do your best in each class, because if you fail a class necessary for your degree, you will end up having to take it again, which means more money spent and a waste of your time. Also, your GPA can affect your financial aid.
• Skip the expensive Spring break trip. Plan something fun to do over Spring Break that will not cost you thousands instead.

These are all ways I managed to save money on my college tuition, and graduate with a bachelor's degree debt-free. What are some other ways you could save on college tuition?