4 strategic ways to pay less for college
Updated on January 27, 2020
It’s no secret that pursuing your graduate and undergraduate studies can be pricy. This is because most institutions have high tuition fees that seem to increase each year, and the cost of living is high. The average price for an in-state student to attend college in a public institute is $9000, while that of a private college is $35,000.
Thus, it’s vital to come up with other viable strategies that can help you and your family pay way less for your education. These include;
1. Be creative with your scholarships
Receiving free money to pay for your college is always a smart idea when trying to pay less for college. However, scholarships don’t come easy, requiring you to be smart in your application to score them. For instance, you may receive a scholarship for knowing how to knit, which is a small talent that many people forgo.
It’s, therefore, essential to include any interest, heritage, or talents that you have in your application that may win you a fully paid scholarship.
2. School proximity
In a school year, there are four breaks, namely summer, spring, winter, and Thanksgiving. Traveling home for each of these holidays can add up and become expensive. To avoid the additional travel costs, try and find a good college that is close to your home. Driving across the state is cheaper than flying across the country.
3. Be reasonable
When it comes to attending college, half of your overall costs go into miscellaneous activities and living expenses. Additionally, your travel expenses can affect your budget, e.g., if you own a car, fueling and parking alone will cost you a lot.
Some of the things you can do to cut down on such costs are to;
• Live in a school dorm
• Avoid going out too much
• Don’t own a car
• Always borrow books from the library instead of buying
4. Federal loans
Lastly, you can pay less for college by taking out a federal student loan. These loans have low-interest rates, and their repayment periods are quite friendly.
At StudentLoanify, we can help you apply for student loans to pay less for college. Contact us today to find the right student loan for you.