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Five Ways to Reduce College Costs


With the cost of attending college rising at a meteoric pace each year, students are frantically looking for ways that they can reduce the cost of college. Though paying for college can easily be a very overwhelming topic, there are definitely things that you can do to reduce college costs when it comes time to pay for college.  With our guidance, you’ll gain access to five measurable steps that you can take if you are looking to reduce college costs and gain a more affordable college education. For many, gaining access to a college education is a ticket to success. So, these tips are incredibly valuable and will provide you with great information.
 
Use Scholarships
If you are looking for a great way to offset the cost of college, then one of the first options that you will want to explore is scholarships. Scholarships are a favorite method for many people that are looking to gain funding for their education. The benefit of scholarships is that you can be rewarded for financial need or other criteria like leadership, community service or academic excellence and there is no need to pay them back. This makes them a great candidate for funding an education. You can usually find scholarships in a number of places, with the easiest place to find scholarships being looking locally and online searches.
 
Grants and Debt-Free Funding
Though it is important to be able to finance your education, you don’t always want to have to go into debt to do it. Succeeding in your industry might be hard without a degree, but managing your finances while having to pay back thousands of dollars of student loan debt can be even more difficult! One way to avoid having to finance all of your education is to apply for grants and awards that are designed to offset college costs for people like you. Grants are available from the federal government by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). They are also available from many state governments and colleges themselves. Fraternities and SororitiesJoining a fraternity or sorority is a little-known way to save on college costs. While your tuition will likely be unaffected by joining a fraternity or sorority, your living costs can be drastically reduced while you are in college by sharing your living space with others. In addition, these organizations usually result in students gaining many valuable connections and having networking opportunities.

Use Community College
Community colleges can be used in a variety of ways to help you save money on your college education. You can use a community college to get a two-year degree in a field of your choice, or you can transfer out of a community college after two years to complete a bachelor’s degree at a four-year university. Either way, community colleges are affordable ways to get college credits that will ultimately go towards a college degree.  Defer College CostsOne method that has been recently rising in popularity as a way to lower college costs is signing an income share agreement with a university. Since many students are unable to pay for their tuition upfront themselves or secure enough funding to do so, they will sign an income share agreement, which entitles the university that they were educated at to a portion of their income after they graduate and get a degree in their field. These agreements allow almost anyone to get a college education, but you should be aware that they are not without consequence—you’ll need to be paying your college back for the next several years.