Learn 10 Ways to Make Paying for College More Affordable
In-state public four-year institutions often cost more than $10,000 per year for room and board. If you attend a private four-year college and want to live on campus, you can expect to pay roughly $12,000 for housing.
You can save five figures each year by living at home. While you won’t have the complete college experience of living away from home and forming with your friends, you will still receive the most important aspect of your college education.
Earn college credits while still in high school.
Earning college credits before enrolling in a university is one strategy to reduce the amount of time you’ll spend in school and save money. There are several options.
The first and most direct route is to enroll in AP (advanced placement) programs in high school that provide college credit. For additional information on these programs, speak with your counselor.
Then there are Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which anyone with Internet access can take. Many courses are free, but you must pay to take a proctored exam to receive college credit.
Prior Learning Assessments allow you to earn credits by demonstrating your existing knowledge. This allows you to skip some classes and go straight to the exam, collecting credits along the way. PLAs are commonly used in general education topics such as math and English.
Before enrolling, ensure that your chosen college accepts credits from these programs.
Find a part-time job.
Another method to generate extra money to make education more affordable is to work part-time in your spare time. While this may not be the most enticing idea given the amount of schoolwork that college students confront, it may be a viable choice that will allow you to fund your classes.
Consider finding part-time remote evening work to supplement your income while attending college. Some customer service jobs or freelancing opportunities will have flexible hours, allowing you to supplement your income.
Because of the abundance of remote choices available, there has never been a better time to have part-time work while in college. If you have a talent for language, you may handle the phones for a customer care department or write articles for businesses in your spare time.
If that’s the industry you want to work in after graduation, something like freelance writing could be a wonderful way to earn additional money while also gaining crucial job experience.
Conclusion
A college degree can provide you with a better future, yet the cost of higher education might deter many students. With a four-year degree costing well into the six figures, the idea of attending college may seem out of reach for some. With the money-saving strategies and tactics included in this guide, you should be able to make college more affordable than ever before.
