Suppose you’re a student about to enter college (or a parent of a soon-to-be college student). In that case, you already know that post-secondary education is pricey and have likely asked yourself this question many times.
How To Pay for College: 7 of the Best Money Saving Tips
Each of these tips/methods alone is a powerful way for you to handle some of your college costs. When implemented together, though, you’ll likely find that paying for college is easier than you expected!
These grants can go a long way towards helping you with your college costs. If you DON’T complete an application for a grant, you’re likely to leave behind thousands of dollars on the table (according to a study done by Sallie Mae).
Financial aid differs from a scholarship in that a scholarship is typically merit-based. This means that you need to “earn” your scholarship by being excellent in your academics, extracurriculars, or some combination of the two.
Don’t know where to start looking for scholarships? Not to worry, as the College Board itself has a great scholarship search tool offering over 2,200 programs that you can take advantage of. You’re sure to find something that can benefit you!
If you aren’t eligible for any financial aid and can’t access any grants, you can still get help paying for college through student loans. When considering student loans, always prioritize federal loans over private ones.
When it comes to paying for college, people often focus on how much more money you can MAKE to cover your costs and fail to remember that the other side of the equation is equally important.
Sometimes, the right move (financially and learning-wise) is to choose a public university and skip the private, more expensive option. Nowadays, many private universities don’t provide that much greater advantage to you than public universities.