So you want to go to college. Unfortunately, getting the money to go to school is almost impossible. So the chances of you getting to go are looking very slim.
What if you were to find knowledge and resources that would help you go to college for free…or nearly free? Would the world look a little brighter then? If this is an option you would like to know more about, read on!
Check Out the Government Options
FASFA (Free Application For Student Federal Aid) should be the first stop on your journey to discovering free money for school. On the average the government has about $95 billion dollars to work with in the form of grants, student loans, and work-study programs every year. The money is there for the taking.
Go to the FASFA website and see exactly what it is that you will need. Print out the form and gather up the materials. When you have everything you need make your way to the application and go. It is that simple. If you want the best results, be sure that you file income taxes on your own for one full year prior to filling out the form and be sure you are not a dependent of anyone else on their taxes. This will help get you the most free money. FASFA is an income based program so if the more income there is to report, the less money you will receive.
If you have to go the student loan route, never fear! By checking into current tax credits and forgiveness programs for the field or industry you want to go into, you may take the loans and never have to pay them back. For instance, Teachers and medical professions may have all their student loans forgiven if they are willing to work for anywhere from three to five years in underdeveloped or low-income areas. What this means is that by following your calling to help people in need, the government won’t make you pay back a single cent if you are working in a qualified area.
The wok study programs at schools can be a great gig too. Colleges and Universities will employee students at hourly rates and use their paycheck to pay off college debt. The beauty of this is that the jobs are located on campus and more often than not, departments where you work will allow you to leave work to attend classes. Cool right? You can work with different departments at the school, learn new skills, network with faculty and staff and pay for school all at once.
Scholarships
Filling out applications is a drag. But, it can become the most prosperous drag you have ever encountered. Scholarships can fund anywhere from $250 – $25,000. Some scholarships are reoccurring, meaning if you keep your grades up you can get them year after year. Some are one time only.
Scholarships are the motherlode of college funding. Millions, yes millions, of dollars go unawarded every year. Get past the myth that scholarships are just for those with stellar academic standing as well. Just as there are different people in this world, so are there different scholarships.
Scholarships may be industry specific, or they may be based on clubs you belong to, or even activities you participate in. Did you know that there is a scholarship for left-handed students? The only requirement for this scholarship is that you are left-handed.
Finding scholarships is easy too. There are scholarship locating services like Americasgotfunding.com that requires a monthly paid membership. There are also sites where you can get information for free. A great resource to get started with if you are in high school is your student counselor’s office. You can also walk into any major university and ask the financial aid office for assistance.
Here are a few sources to get you started:
Hook Up With Uncle Sam
Joining the military is another very viable option for free college tuition. The GI Bill is offer to any honorably discharged veteran. It will cover the cost of all college expenses. In some instances you may even get assistance with housing if you are living on campus.
Other options may be that you will become promised to military service. The military may agree to send you to school with the promise that you will serve a certain number of years in the military upon graduation.
This option may not be for everyone, but they also offer training and schooling while you are on active duty.
Corporate Options
Becoming more prevalent is the option of corporate sponsorship. Large corporations and businesses will offer tuition reimbursement to employees who express an interest in staying with their company for an extended period of time in lieu of an education, training and experience. Corporation will often be enticed in hiring an employee who will be willing to agree to such an agreement.
Tuition Free Schools
The last option to be discussed is tuition free schools. Throughout the United States the option, though not as common, has been the option of tuition free schools. Much like the idea of full tuition, at least half a dozen schools in the United States offer tuition free admittance in exchange for at least 10 hours of labor.
Very skilled students who may not qualify at other institutions may find tuition free schools an option in lieu of grades and traditional levels of college acceptance. Some of the schools that offer tuition free acceptance may offer jobs that pay for most of the school tuition and pay a remedial amount of compensation in regular pay. There are others, but here’s a sample of some tuition free colleges:
- Alice Lloyd College
- Antioch College
- Barclay College
- Berea College
- College of the Ozarks
- Curtis Institute of Music
- Deep Springs College
Conclusion
If you are looking to attend college there are many tuition free options available to you. With a little research and a bit of good old fashion manual labor, any student may find options that are viable for them to attain a college tuition complete free of charge. Whether outright free or through a channel, tuition free college is available for any student wishing to further their education.