Let’s get one thing straight, college is expensive! Tuition rates have been increasing drastically and its affordability is no longer for everyone.
I will be very realistic in this post. There are numerous ways out there that assure you that they will make college more affordable or perhaps help cover a big portion of it. However, most of those ways do not apply to a certain person’s financial status, lifestyle, or school record.
- Claim a $2,500 Tax Credit
If you have had to pay for tuition, you may qualify for the American Opportunity Tax Credit as long as your adjusted gross income is not over $90,000, or $180,000 if you file jointly. Although this method is not helping you pay for college directly, you can either save that money for the next tuition bill, or it can be discounted from your payment to the IRS if you owe them.
You can get up to $2,500 per child.
- Apply for Scholarships
There are many websites that offer scholarships for students like fastweb.com, scholarships.com, zinch.com, and ScholarshipPoints.com, just to name a few.
Additionally, you can apply for scholarships directly from your college. You can also sign up on NextGenVest to receive free mentorship oh now to afford your college tuition.
- Accelerated Learning
If you are in High School and they are offering Advanced Placement courses for college credit, take them. Not only will you save money by taking those credits for cheaper or free
beforehand, but you will also be able to graduate earlier.- Get a Part-time Job
If you are not working already, you may want to consider looking into a part-time job or a side gig. You can look into WayUp, a website that lists internships, part-time jobs, and more opportunities for college students and recent college grads.
- Take More Credits per Semester
Most colleges do not charge a different rate when you are a full-time student taking 12-21 credits. If you are absolutely crazy about paying less for college and do not mind jeopardizing your mental state (yes, it’s that serious), then go for it. However, you will not have time for friendships and your family might also be impacted, let’s hope they are supportive and understanding.
- Work in Public Service
Although I did not want to cover taking student loans in this post because it is a very broad topic that cannot be explained in a bullet point, I will briefly point out how to get a loan forgiveness by working in public service.
After you have graduated college, you may want to consider working for the government for at least 10 years to obtain a loan forgiveness. I know that 10 years is a long time, but I know many people that have been paying back their loans for over 25 years!