5 Ways To Get Money For College ~
I don’t know how many of you have children that will be going to college soon, but I know that I earned my college degree as an adult and it wasn’t cheap. My daughter is also currently in early college and it will soon be very expensive when she goes off to a university. But don’t stress too much. There are lots of ways to get help with all of the tuition, books, room and board and other costs that are associated with getting an education.
5 Ways To Get Money For College
1. Pell Grants – These are grants that you get from the government that you do not have to pay back. You do have to make sure that you keep a certain GPA and you have to remained enrolled for a certain percentage of the semester to be eligible. There are only certain reasons that you can quit a semester early. You need to talk to your school about these reasons should you need to leave classes before the semester ends. You fill out the FAFSA to be eligible for this type of financial aid.
2. Stafford and Perkins Loans – You also get notified if you qualify for either Stafford Loans or Perkins Loans when you fill out the FAFSA. These are just what the name implies. They are loans, so be aware that you will have to pay these back after you graduate or if you quit college early. You generally have a grace period after you graduate before you have to pay these back. You can learn more from your school guidance counselor, from the FAFSA website, or by contacting the school you plan to attend by asking to speak to someone in financial aid.
3. Work Study – This is also a great way to earn money for college. You qualify for work study programs through your FAFSA form as well. You can also ask to speak to someone in financial aid at your school and definitely make sure that they know that you are willing to work to earn money for your education. You will generally work on campus somewhere and you will receive a check that you can use towards expenses throughout the semester.
4. Volunteer For Scientific Studies – I was a Psych major in college and I worked in the Psychology Research Lab and I know that we did a lot of studies {no, nothing invasive} and people would generally come in, watch a video or take a simple test and do a questionnaire or survey. They either got points in other college classes for this or sometimes cash, depending on the experiment. Some studies pay $25 or more for like 15 minutes of your time. This is definitely worth checking up on and it also helps out your fellow students with their research. Win Win!
5. Private Grants – Many schools have lots of private companies and groups that offer scholarships to eligible students. For example, AutoInsuranceCenter.com is currently offering a $1000 scholarship for students at the University of Denver. You can read more about that here. Be sure to check your school’s financial aid department for private scholarships that you might be eligible for. This is money for college that you do not need to repay.
It’s never too early to start thinking about the financial aid process. If you are a senior in high school, go talk to your guidance counselor now and be sure to look around on the internet for ways to get money for college. It’s out there, you just have to apply for it. Good luck!
Do you know other ways to get money for college?
If so, please feel free to leave them in the comments. 🙂
I paid for most of my college education and it was worth every dime. I did end up with student loans to pay off once I was done. I put myself on a 5 year plan to pay them off. I was glad when I did because then I was able to pay for grad school out of pocket through a payment program!
Awesome job! You should write a post telling how you did that if you haven’t already!
Dawn
Thanks for sharing! My oldest is a senior and he will be applying for colleges within the next month and we are looking for all ways to help with funding! I would also like to go back for my MBA to entitle me to teach online classes but I think that will have to wait:)
Great tips to save money!! We’ll be thinking about college tuition before we know it!
My daughter is in college now. We are doing a pell/loan combo. Great post!!!
Great tips! I have one in college, one is a junior in high school and one is a freshman. We have applied for loads of scholarships and won quite a few! Don’t be intimidated — there are loads that are not grade-specific. My kids have won (collectively) over $13,000 (sometimes $250 or $500 at a time) for their community service. But, there are scholarships for sports, arts,ethnicity, and more. Just keep applying! Here’s a good resource: http://www.backtobasicslearning.com/schoolblog/
Thanks so much for all the helpful tips! I am glad that your children were able to get a lot of assistance!
Dawn
This is great to know! I need to show this to my sister who just went back!
I am still paying for my Social Word Degree from 2000!! I hope my children dont have to take too many student loans when they get older but if they do, it is one of those things that must be done. Great tips!!
Great tips! We’re trying to start saving now for our two little ones to get through college. Hoping for scholarships, too! My husband and I got through college with a combo of scholarships, a small Stafford loan, and help from our parents – thankfully!
6. Work your hiney off in high school and get scholarships. lol I did the work study and it was great!
Thank you so much for the tips! Are ver important for the parents! I’m following your blog for Facebook, Pinterest, twitter and networked! Have a great week!
Namaste!
http://www.mamiholisticaygenial.com
These are excellent tips and this is a really detailed post. Do these things apply in Canada too or are they US specific?
Paula
Thanks! You know, I am not really sure about Canada, but I will try to find out and write a similar post for Canadians if these don’t apply there. 🙂
Dawn