Education funding
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Join Facebook groups for your chosen college to buy textbooks from other students.
Students often sell books for half the price or lower.
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Seek graduate programs that offer full tuition waivers and stipends in exchange for teaching or research assistance to eliminate student debt.
You can graduate without paying out of pocket.
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Live at home or commute to college instead of living in a dorm to reduce costs.
Dorming every year can increase loan debt compared to commuting.
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Consider trade schools or community colleges as alternatives to four-year degrees.
They often cost less than federal aid covers and lead to high-demand jobs like plumbing or electrical work.
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Be skeptical of tuition-free coding schools that require long durations, as the opportunity cost of lost wages may outweigh the savings.
You forgo earning power during prime working years.
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If you want to avoid loans during graduate school, consider living in a van or car.
One person reported doing this to afford grad school and have an adventure without borrowing money.
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Go to the financial aid or bursar office to resolve issues, as they will likely square things away.
They will likely square you away; you may be overthinking.
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Pursue a certification first to become job-ready faster, then save money from work before seeking further education.
It is faster and makes you job ready.
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Calculate the total cost of education including living expenses, not just tuition.
Unsubsidized costs including room and board can amount to approximately $98,000 for five years each of undergrad and grad school.
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Consider vocational trades like plumbing or HVAC/R as alternatives to college, noting they offer paths to business ownership and cannot be offshored.
Some people worry about physical labor later in life.
- Some wonder if they would prefer being inside at a desk as they get older.
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Recognize that the financial aid system uses parental income to prevent gaming, such as rich parents having kids move out to qualify for aid.
Defining low income for 18-year-olds is problematic, and looking at family income prevents rich parents from gaming the system by having their kids move out.
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Take general education or base credits at a community college that transfers to a four-year university.
This reduces costs compared to taking these credits at a four-year school.
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Be skeptical of vocational schools promising immediate high salaries, as these figures often depend on union pickup, travel, or other conditions not guaranteed upon graduation.
Schools pitch high earnings but do not disclose that this requires getting picked up by a union and traveling.
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Consider guardianship arrangements if you are from a broken home, as this may classify you as independent for aid purposes.
The government considered one person 'independent' under a guardianship, which did not count their grandparents' income when considering them for grants.
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One approach that helped: pursue a two-year associate degree in nursing to cut down on debt, then have an employer fund a Bachelor of Science in Nursing as an employee benefit.
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Apply for a Resident Assistant position to receive free room and board.
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Be cautious that dual enrollment classes may be less rigorous, which can lead to struggles with missed knowledge when transitioning to full-time college.
One person reported that their child struggled with missed knowledge from prerequisites after taking less rigorous dual enrollment classes.
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View education as a process of learning to think rather than a product that solves problems.
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Verify the actual outcomes and accreditation of alternative education programs before enrolling.
Marketing claims may be exaggerated; there is no standard rating system for coding schools, and some programs claim top rankings despite being so new they haven't graduated anyone from their long-term program yet.
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Use Amazon book rentals, used books, or international editions to save money on textbooks.
Books were way overpriced.
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Do not let scholarship availability be the deciding factor for attending college.
High academic achievement does not guarantee funding, as evidenced by a valedictorian with top test scores receiving no scholarships.
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Recognize that attending college does not automatically open doors; value depends on what you make of it.
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Obtain two letters from adults, such as a teacher and a relative, to corroborate your story of parental non-support when challenging your Expected Family Contribution.
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Require yourself to submit a set amount of scholarship applications every month.
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Search dedicated online communities for free PDFs of textbooks.
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