Tiffany Raiford
College tuition is not cheap. This information should not come as a shock to anyone, but the fact of the matter is that college tuition fees are on the rise and the cost of further education is now so expensive that many people choose not to go to college at all. It’s less expensive for some to go straight into the workforce following high school because they simply cannot afford to pay to live and to go to school at the same time. It is a sad reality, but it is reality. According to a tool provided by CNN, the cost of college is shocking. We took their tool and used three Florida colleges to figure out what college tuition looks like. At the University of Florida, one average year in school is approximately $18,542. This includes in-state tuition, books and room and board. For out-of-state students, the price rises more than $7,000. This is a public university. At the University of Miami, a private college, the annual cost of tuition for an average student is $60,867. At the College of Central Florida, a four-year local college, the average annual tuition is approximately $7,648.
What this goes to show is that college is expensive. Even if you go to a local community college, you’re still paying more money than ever before, and the fees just keep rising. If you want to go to college and get a degree so that you can get a job that pays you well, you’re going to want to know how you can go to college for less. We wish we could wave a magic wand and make this possible for you, but we can’t. All we can do is offer you a way out of paying so much money every single year just to better your life.
Look Into a Tuition-Free School
Oh yes, those do exist. They’re in many places across the country. The thing is that when you go to a school that does not charge you any money to attend, you will likely have to spend some time working there. Many of these schools require that you spend time working on the campus as an aide, or something else of that nature in exchange for not having to pay tuition, and that is something that is well worth the cost. As long as you leave enough time in your schedule to work 10-15 hours per week at the school, you will have the opportunity to attend classes that are free. And there is no better way to go to school for less than to go for nothing.
Get Scholarships
We don’t care how many or how you get them; just get them. There is no such thing as too many scholarships, or scholarships that are too small. Start applying for them early; even if they are only $500 scholarships you don’t think will do much to help you in your college career. That’s a book right there that you’ll be wishing for when it’s time for you to pay for those books and those tuition fees. All scholarships are worth applying for, and all of them will help you cut the cost of college classes significantly. The better you do in high school, the better your chances of applying for things like this.
Try Community College
As we mentioned above, you can go to community college for less than half the price per year as a public university, and almost 10 times less than a year at a private college. However, it might not be what you want. Well, sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get an education, even if it means forgoing an expensive college for two years. You can transfer your credits and still graduate from a pricier college, but for far less money. It’s the cost-effective way to go to school for half the price.
Enroll in Accelerated Classes
Instead of taking two to four classes per semester, considering taking four to eight. These accelerated classes are less money because the classes are half the time. You can take up to four 8-week classes at a time twice a semester for a total of 16 classes a semester if you can manage that. It’s going to make college cheaper since you’re paying for room and board for far less time than you are if you take classes at a slower pace.
Find the Right College
Did you ever wonder how athletes who admittedly come from absolutely nothing and weren’t exactly educational superstars in high school get to go to some of the best colleges in the country even though they’re not working since they have to be available for sports? They have scholarships and aid; and they get it because they are stars. Even if you’re not the next big quarterback or ball player, find the school that considers you a star. There is one somewhere. You just have to find it. If a school considers you a must-have student, a star who will make them look good, they will find a way to get you into that school by dropping the cost of their tuition to make it possible. You just have to find your place and your skills, and make sure you know what you’re looking for. Consider your talents and find the schools that go with those.
Study Abroad
An education is an education, and no one really cares if you get it at the local community college or a university in Scotland. And guess what? Overseas tuition rates are almost always less expensive than they are in America. You could get a stellar education in another country, experience a very exciting life and get to see a bit of the world while you study if you choose to take on a semester or more in another country. Before you discount this, understand that you will make new friends, make contacts, learn so much more and make so many memories doing this; and it’s all for the best.
Photo by David McNew/Getty Images
Comments
Loading…