Student Loan

1. A recommendation that I have is doing your first two years at a junior or community college, and then transferring into the 4-year program of your choice. This way, you will be able to get half of your education out of the way for a considerably cheaper price. Also, I have found that employers really only care about where you got your degree from, not where you started your education.
2. Go to a public school instead of a private school. Public state schools are typically a ton cheaper than private universities. If you absolutely must go to that prestigious private university, check to see what financial aid options they have, because you are going to need it!
3. Take advantage of all financial aid that is available to you. Most colleges have a financial aid office or department where you can talk to a counselor and explain your situation. They will help guide you through all the financial aid services that they have to offer.
4. Get as many scholarships as you can. Scholarships are available almost everywhere, and typically require that you write an essay and/or get a letter of recommendation from a teacher or employer. You don’t get all the scholarships that you apply for, but when you do get one, it provides you with money for school that you won’t have to pay back. I have seen scholarships as low as a few hundred dollars, all the way up to ten thousand!
5. Work while attending classes. Some people work a full-time job while attending classes full time. I don’t have a clue how they do it! I met one fellow in college who would work the night-shift at a grocery store then go to classes all day. He didn’t have to take out a single loan because of this. Even a part-time or weekend job can really help ease the financial burden. In college, I had a job as a “supervisor” getting paid about eight bucks an hour to basically sit around and do my homework. Every fifteen minutes I would have to walk around the student union, but mainly I could get paid to focus on my studies. The position was only available to students, so take advantage of opportunities like that.
6. Secure your future by taking out a student loan. You can usually get very low rate and flexibility. You aren’t charged interest until you pull the money out, and you don’t have to start paying it back until you are done with school. One thing to remember is that college loans are typically not erasedif you declare bankruptcy. This is because people used to get student loans for college then declare bankruptcy once they graduated to wipe the loan out.

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