Posted June 16th, 2016
By Guest Blogger
With all the media attention revolving around student loan issues, it can make many of us feel as if taking out student loans to pay for college is the only option. Students are taking out loans larger than ever before, and the combined national student debt grew to a whopping $1.3 trillion earlier this year. However, there is good news for fiscal-minded students who want to graduate from a college without the pressure of college loans.
The biggest secret to graduating without student loans is an earnest time commitment and a little detective work. It is a great idea for inspiring students to research through student debt advisors to acquire maximum knowledge and also read through the various student loan forgiveness programs. For intelligent aspiring students who wish to graduate without student loan debt, here are five ways to make it happen:
1. Employer reimbursement. Many modern businesses are now offering tuition reimbursement for full time or part time employees. Bigger brands and companies may offer these programs to make themselves more competitive all while helping employees defray college and university costs.
2. Scholarships. Scholarships are a great way to pay for college and university. However, this is a process which is often based on course of study, merit, financial circumstances, family history, and other social circumstances. Assessing these matters may take a long time and could be a lengthy process. Therefore, students seeking scholarships as their college solution must stay active, aware, and updated, staying on top of the multiple deadlines.
Some students who start looking for scholarships late may eventually give up on this idea because of the time investment involved.However, if you are interested in look for websites like College Board, Fast Web, and other sites that offer specific opportunities for women in STEM and other fields. There are also other private scholarship opportunities with smaller companies if you keep a lookout for them. Just be prepared to fill in lengthy scholarship applications. However, bear in mind that the harder or longer the application is, the less competitive it will be.
3. Save early and get creative. It’s always a great idea to look for part-time jobs while you’re still in high school: this will help you save money for your college education. It’s to your benefit to get a side hustle, like babysitting, crafting, computer repair, or freelance writing jobs. You can save up to take the money with you the college to help you to pay as you go and defray some of the costs. Even a part time job (15 hours a week) at minimum wage could earn around $5000 a year, if you save up for a few years that can definitely put a dent in your fees and also help you avoid student loans. If you continue working full or part time while studying you may not have to take loans at all, especially when combined with these other tips.
If you have a creative mind and enjoy writing, making crafts, cooking and baking, then you may start selling crafts, food, cakes, pastries, cookies or start your own blog. If you are active on social media you can also try running a crowd funding campaign to raise money for school.
4. Pay as you go. People sometimes wonder how to pay for college without even taking any student loan debt often ignore the most obvious choice – going to a less expensive nearby school and paying as they go.This may take longer to graduate or mean balancing full-time work with full-time studies. Even in this case, it is a great option for students who wish to graduate without any loan, working your way through the school is one of the best ways to graduate debt-free.
5. Work study. Students who are eligible for federal aid may also qualify for a school’s work and study program.This program will place students in an area related to their interest and field of study. Their earning from this work will be used to pay for their tuition and other college related expenses.
High school students and other aspiring college students need to be aware of their options for staying debt-free. The more we self-educate, and work to avoid taking on expensive school loans, the faster we can move ahead both in school and after we graduate.
Article written by: Rachael Everly @RachaelEverly A business and finance enthusiast, who happens to have a special interest in matters related to student loans and repayment plans.#StudentLoans #Finance
