| Is it possible to graduate college debt-free? Unless | | | | FAFSA4Caster can also be ported to the real |
| you're from a wealthy family, this may seem like an | | | | application, which will save you some time. |
| impossibility. But it can be done, if you follow the advice | | | | If you're serious about graduating from college |
| in this article. But be forewarned, it's not easy. And it | | | | debt-free, then you want to avoid student loans. |
| can't be done unless you're willing to think strategically | | | | However, the FAFSA will also help you get student |
| and work hard. | | | | loans if need be. Many private student loans offer very |
| Before you go out and start applying for student loans, | | | | good interest rates, so it's definitely an option. |
| you should pursue financing that doesn't have to be | | | | There is a growing trend in the U.S. of high schools |
| paid back - i.e., grants and scholarships. It is definitely a | | | | offering classes to students to let them earn college |
| good idea to work and study hard in high school. If you | | | | credit before they even enter credit. This is FREE |
| have good grades, you should qualify for some kind of | | | | education that will reduce the number of hours you |
| scholarship at your school that will at least partially | | | | need to take in college to get your degree. You should |
| offset your tuition. Another area that can help you with | | | | definitely take advantage of this opportunity if it is |
| scholarships is your extracurricular activities. Like it or | | | | offered by your school. The fewer hours of classes |
| not, you need to think of your high school career in | | | | you need in college, the less money you'll need to pay |
| terms of building a resume. The better your resume, | | | | tuition. |
| the better your chance of getting scholarships. The | | | | If after applying for grants and scholarships, and getting |
| more things you can do to get your tuition bill down to | | | | as many credit hours as you can in advance, you still |
| start with, the easier it will be to figure out how to fund | | | | need money, there's always the old fashioned way to |
| the rest of it. | | | | get it: working for it. Possibly the most popular way for |
| There are a number of different need-based grants, | | | | college students to make good money is waiting tables |
| such as Pell grants, SMART grants, and SEOG grants. | | | | in restaurants. In a good restaurant, you could make up |
| There are grants provided by the federal government | | | | to $20 per hour or more. If you're not the waiting type, |
| and grants provided by the states. If you know where | | | | you may need to think out of the box. Any job will do, |
| you are going to school, you should probably call or | | | | but to pay tuition and living expenses, and still have |
| visit your school and ask for information about grants | | | | some money left over, you will probably need to make |
| and other student aid. You can also find a lot of | | | | more than you can make working for minimum wage. |
| information by searching online. | | | | Some possibilities include buying and selling items on |
| The first step in applying for financial aid, such as | | | | eBay or offering tutoring services. |
| grants, is filling out the Free Application for Federal | | | | Our final tip is to graduate early. You don't have to |
| Student Aid, or FAFSA. The FAFSA has a little over | | | | spend four years to get your degree (and certainly not |
| 100 questions that help the government and institutions | | | | five or six, as some students like to do). If you take a |
| get a good picture of your financial and academic | | | | heavy load every semester, you can graduate in three |
| standing. A lot of financial documentation is required to | | | | or three and a half years. Obviously, the fewer |
| complete the form, so you should give yourself plenty | | | | semesters you have to pay for, the less you'll have to |
| of time. To make things as easy as possible, you | | | | spend. Sure, you'll be working hard and may not be |
| should use the FAFSA4Caster, which is an online | | | | able to party with your friends as much. But if you're |
| application that helps you estimate your eligibility for | | | | serious about graduating from college debt-free, then |
| federal student aid. The information you enter in the | | | | you'll do what you have to do. |