How to Pay for College Without Going Broke

Paying for college is not an easy task. It is a worries a lot of high school grads, and there parents, and some times even keeps them from going to college at all. But if you know what is out there to help you and make a financial plan it does not have to be the an issue.

Before you start looking for money you need to know how much you need. You know you have your tuition cost, but you also have to buy books ( new or used is your choice), do you want or need a laptop, how about where you going to live on campus or off how much is that going to cost, what about surplices, food, bills, and transportation.

Now lets look at the money.

A few questions to ask your self are.

(1) do you plan on working while in school? If so are you going to work full time or part time.

(2) Is you family going to help you? Are they going to pay anything for you or send you money, if so around how much?

(3) Do you do anything now to make money? Have a job online, sale on eBay, make jewelry, rent out your car, or a home? How much does that make?

(4) Do you have any savings? A college fund for college, a savings account you have put money in while working, or even a piggy bank? if so how much does it have in it.

OK now add up what you already have some of you might already have what you need to pay for the college you want to go to just buy doing this but most of you won't but even if you have $200.00 a month already coming in then that will take care of at least eating.

Now you know your numbers you know what you need. Lets look for help you may not of thought of.

(1) Dose your job have tuition reimbursement? Some jobs will pay for your college, some will pay up front others will pay you the cost at the end of each semester. If you don't know ask. I know Wal-mart dose.

(2) If you plan on living off campus rent out a room. This will help pay for your housing and bills. You and your roommate might also decide to share food and other living cost.

(3) Have a fundraiser. Bake sale, raffle, car wash, or sale items you make. Let people know you are trying to pay for college. One of my best friends in high school paid her full college out of pocket doing this she help a yearly raffle and back sale every summer at our church, and people where more than happy to help some would write her large checks for it.

(4) Rent out you stuff. Now in days you can rent out anything from your hammer to your car. You can do this on sites like loanables.com

Now it is time to get to where all the money is.

(1) Scholarships. Scholarships are not only for the sports star. There are tons of them out there you should really look hard and apply to everyone you can, even the small $1,000 ones will help you. You can apply for scholarships that are based on things you have done, based on your major, your heritage, or where you or your parents work. There are scholarships for people entering specific year in college,, for woman, for single parents, for low income, for homeless, you can almost name it and there is a scholarship for it.,You can see some scholarships at studentscholarships.org

(2) Grants- Talk to your college enrollment aid they will be able to help finds grants that you can get and fits your needs, and help you apply. You might need to take more than one. You can also look around online but be careful there is a lot of scams out there.

(3) Pay as you go You can work over summers and while you attend school part time and pay for it your self out of pocket. If you plan on going to a community college this might be the best plan for you.

You can also pay more up front to take more classes a graduate sooner. It might cost you more to start with but could save you a lot in the long term.

If it comes down to it there are loans but try everything else first. Loans are not the fix all or the easy way out. They will land you in debt after to graduate that you may or may not be able to pay off. With jobs being hard to come by even for college grads you may not have that high paying job you where hope for right after you graduate, it might take a awhile and with a loan you will still have to pay. If you take alone just remember it is not free money you have to pay back every cent you burrow then some, and if you don't it will hurt you credit which can hurt you when you want to buy a home or a car, and they can take your tax return every year.

You can pay for college. There is a lot of help out there. Use everything you can, and talk to everyone from the school itself to your friends, and you will get the aid you need.