Thrifty Mommy

How To Pay Cash for College

by Karen on March 20th, 2007

If you’ve been reading the posts from Thrifty Mommy, you’ll know that I am close to being debt free!  I am currently working on paying off my student loan.  Although I’m almost there, it has been a long 10 years paying towards the debt.  Yes, I said 10 years!!!!

I realize most of you have graduated high school and have gone on with your adult life.  I also realize that some of you may be considering college or have children that will soon be attending college. 

Here are some tips to help you pay cash for college:

1.  Go to community college the first two years.  I did my first two years of school at a community college and it was great.  I lived at home, paid cash for all my classes, worked part-time, and all of the classes transferred for equal credit.  Actually, I wish I would have taken a few more classes at community college because it would have saved me hundreds of dollars.

2.  Find a university close to home and commute.  I did this for a while too.  I lived at home and commuted an hour each way.  I carpooled with some other girls that lived in the same city as me.

3. Take classes online.  Isn’t technology great?  Sometimes it’s hard to believe that you can sit at home and get college credits.  I might not recommend this for someone just finishing high school, but for those of you that are working a regular job and want to work on your degree a little at a time, this is a great option.

4.  Attend a college within your state.  State funded colleges really sock it to you with out-of-state tuition fees, if you don’t live in their state.  Attending an out-of-state college can cost you thousands of extra dollars each year.

5.  Get a part-time job.  Earn enough to pay your way through.  This is ideal for someone living at home or a wife with no kids.

6.  Apply for financial aid early!!!  This is one of the many things my school didn’t tell me about.  I got to college and was clueless.  I understand this was years ago, but honestly a little guidance could have really helped.  I applied for financial aid and found out it takes a while to process everything.  Apply early! 

7.  Take some time and check into scholarships.  Ask the guidance counselor at your school for information.  Sometimes you can get a scholarship just for asking about it.  We have a friend that got some scholarships just because he was the only one at his school that applied for them.

8.  Ask your church, bank, employer, and/or credit union if there are any scholarships available.  You’d be surprised how many of them offer scholarships.

9.  Keep up your GPA.  Extra study time doesn’t just help your report card, it also helps keep college costs lower.  Most schools offer academic scholarships.  Some are based upon your grades in high school and some are based upon your grades in college.  If I remember correctly, I received some financial aid for my college GPA and I didn’t even have to apply for it.  Good grades are like money in your pocket.

10.  Agree to an internship or other program that will pay for your college tuition.  North Carolina offers teachers money for college if they will teach in NC when they are finished with school.  I’m sure there are other programs out there for different occupations.

And here’s a little something I found on Dave Ramsey’s website:

Dave endorses Southwestern Company.  This company began helping students offset their educational expenses by selling books.  Students get great experience for their resumes and have the opportunity to make a great deal of money for the summer: the average first-year student made $8,232!  In addition, many students have the opportunity to earn college credit for their participation. Call them at 888.602.7867 or go to their Web site at http://www.southwestern.com/.

Ok.  I said I attended community college for 2 years and then transferred to a university within my state and commuted. So, you may be wondering where all of my college debt came from.  After I got married, my husband and I moved and there was no university near us.  I had to finish my education at a private college.  I received a great education, but along with it came a big price tag. 

This list by no means includes all the ways to pay cash for college.  Do you have any tips?

Share This

Related Stories

Paying cash for a vehicle is possible
Ways to save money at college
What to do with all your loose change…
Ways to save nomey on college textbooks.
Sorting through Credit Card rewards programs

POSTED IN: Top 10 lists, financial matters, money saving idea