Tips for taking on high college tuition rates

Photo courtesy of salon.com // Students struggling with high tuition rates can seek out alternative ways to make money in an effort to graduate with less debt.

The price of college is only increasing, and now students struggle with way in which they will
pay college. Some people are fortunate to have parents to help them with the cost of college.

“Because of the fact that my mother has always been saving up for me for this day, I’ve never thought about how I plan on paying for college but the only thing I can think of is getting a job but I can only imagine how hard that would be. While trying to enjoy my years at college, I would have to work hard just to pay off tuition and I would be expected to do well in classes too? I would not know how to manage my time.” said Isiah Byrd.

Some people have gone out of their ways to do things out of the ordinary to get money for college, with recent reports about many college age girls seeking out “sugar daddies” to fund their costly educations. It is no surprise that students feel as though they have limited options, but the truth is that there are reasonable alternatives for students hoping to graduate with little to no debt.

The best thing to keep in mind if a student plans on taking out a loan is to choose a career than you know interest you and also will make you enough money to pay off your loans. Loans will follow you until the day you die, so why deal with that burden? If you get a job that pays well, then you will not have to deal with loans for the rest of your life.

Saving money is the hardest but crucial thing to do when paying the cost of college. It’s important to manage the money that you have whether it’s earned in a job or given to you. Spend less money on things that you do not need. It might seem like it’s taking forever to save the money but once you’re there, it is worth it.

Getting a job is the most effective way to get money during college. Look out for opportunities on or off campus that would allow for you to generate some income will focusing on your studies. The job does not have to be related to your career, but it can’t interfere with your main goal: getting your degree.

There are also many opportunities to get scholarships. Do not give up because you haven’t heard back. Fill out a bunch and you never know the outcome. At college, always go to the Help Desk and ask if they’ve heard about any scholarships. It does not matter if you’re annoying them. The worst they can say is no, but at least you know you tried.

Also, find out how you can get involved that can possibly get you a scholarship. Senior Jason Yumiguano says, “Becoming a nurse means so much to me, but as well it means loads of money I need to pay for it. The only way I can reach that absolute goal is by doing the only thing possible and that is to contribute to my community. I definitely would spend hours doing community service to restore and make our cities better in someway and even joining fundraisers to help fight a serious cause. Contributing to all of that work could reward me with scholarships to get me a step closer to affording my major.”