Seven Ways to Save on College Education - Personal Finance Article

By:Mark Shead

Many people graduate from college owing thousands of dollars in student loans. It isn't uncommon for students to graduate owing $30,000 to $40,000. For people that get married shortly after graduation that means starting out with around $80,000 in debt. Thats a lot of debt for a young couple just looking to buy a house and possibly replace their aging vehicles.

While you may not be able avoid taking out a loan for college, here are six tips to help minimize the cost of your college education.

1. Choose an affordable school. Quality of education is not directly related to the cost of education. Usually you have several options cover various price ranges. State schools are partially funded by the government, so they are often less expensive.

2. Consider changing your residency. Most state schools offer greatly reduced rates for residents. Depending on what is required to establish residency, it might be work moving before starting college in order to get the less expensive tuition.

3. Take a summer job. Getting a summer job that can give you lots of work hours can significantly reduce the amount you need to take out in student loans. You have to save the money you earn in order to have it available for school expenses. If you can find a job that is related to your area of study, it will not only help you financially, but help make you a better student as well. Ideally find a job where they can use your help when you are on spring and Christmas break.

4. Look for scholarships. Many scholarship programs have been cut back in recent years, but there is still money available. Check with your financial aid department. Also check with your professors. They often know of scholarships that are handled on a departmental level instead of through financial aid.

5. Try to get a job tutoring. Work study usually is not at a very high pay rate, but getting paid to teach your favorite subject will often make you a better student while giving you some extra money for expenses.

6. Consider the total cost. Don't just look at the cost of tuition when evaluating a school. Keep in mind other factors. If a nearby school would enable you to live at home, it might be much less expensive than a distant school with cheaper tuition. If you would not need a vehicle at one school, it might be much less expensive than on that would require your own transportation.

7. Consolidate college debt. Once you've graduated look for programs that will let you consolidate any debt that you have at a low interest rate. This will allow you to put more money toward the principle and pay it off quickly.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: college, education, tuition, scholarships

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

The Money 501 offers insights into managing your personal finances. You can find more personal finance articles at http://www.money501.com. You can find more information about your standard of living at Money501 as well.

Top Personal Finance Articles
1). Dealing with The Stress of Debt! By : Paul Duxbury As the New Year begins many people resolve to address the problems caused by their debts. This article provides some insights into dealing with the stress of debts.
2). Forecasting the Future Value of Your 401(k) By : Stephen L. Nelson, CPA If you’ve got Microsoft Excel (or just about any other popular spreadsheet program) running on your computer, you can use its FV function to forecast the future value of your 401(k) account. The FV function calculates the future value of an investment given its interest rate, the number of payments, the payment, the present value of the investment, and, optionally, the type-of-annuity switch.
3). What Makes a Credit Score Rise or Fall? By : Nathan Dawson OUR financial decisions can affect your credit score in surprising ways. Two credit-scoring simulators can help consumers understand the potential impact.
4). Handling Your Money Effectively By : Mary Williams There is inflation every year. You cannot stop an increasing in living expenses as prices of consumer goods increasing all the time. Saving money becomes an extremely difficult task to do. Here are some solutions for saving a little so that you can still meet your needs and still find ways to trim off a little for the future. 1. Budget – Get one and stick with it! And set aside at least a small portion for savings while you’re at it; savings for your future, your retirement, your education, your vacation, whatever.
5). An Overview Of The Direct Deposit System By : Bob Benson Direct deposit is an excellent feature offered by many banks all around your area. Banking is supposed to be convenient and easy, it has been made that much easier and more convenient with the offering of direct deposits. When thinking about direct deposit, consider many of the things that could apply to you. Have you found yourself hurrying off to.
6). Post-Christmas Financial Difficulties By : Mike Hanna If you’ve spent more than your budget can cope with, then maybe you’re thinking about credit to help you through January. Many people fear the long, broke month of January. After a lovely Christmas full of joyous smiles January can see a mood swing in the wrong direction. Many of us turn to credit cards to help get through this terrible month. But without knowledge of the financial industry a person without a great income can fall victim to the evil grip of unscrupulous credit companies.
7). Boost your savings By : Bob Benson It is general knowledge that residents of the United Kingdom are typically not savers. They tend to spend much more than they save; according to studies, saving money is not as popular as it once was. Saving is extremely important to the quality of life you expect to live in the future. Think about it, what would happen if your car suddenly quit working?.
8). How To Get Personal Loans For People With Bad Credit By : Susan Dean Personal loans for people with bad credit are available. There are a number of opportunities for those who are looking for money that do not have the highest scores out there.
9). If You Want To Make Money: Avoid Debt! By : Rene Graeber Everybody starting in life should avoid running into debt. There is scarcely anything that drags a person down like debt. It is a slavish position to get ill, yet we find many a young man, hardly out of his "teens," running in debt. He meets a chum and says, "Look at this: I have got trusted for a new suit of clothes." He seems to look upon the clothes as so much given to him; well, it frequently is so, but, if he succeeds in paying and then gets trusted again, he is adopting a habit which will keep him in poverty through life.
10). Refinance With Help From The FHA By : Lorna Mclaren Refinance, Home Loan - The FHA can help...

New Personal Finance Articles
1). How To Consolidate Your Debt If You Are A Homeowner With Bad Credit By : Craig Thornburrow Different debt consolidation methods you can use if you are a home owner with bad credit.
2). Bargain Buys for You in the Wholesale Market By : james lowe If you buy lots of goods you can save big money by learning how to use wholesale markets
3). Gold Coins - An Investment in Your Financial Liberty By : Ricardy Banks When you have a child, or even before you do, start collecting gold coins. When your child grows up, cash them in to send your high school graduate to the University of their choice.
4). Estate Planning: The Gift that Keeps on Giving By : Robert Valentine Gifting is one of the many estate planning tools available.
5). Living Debt-Free By : Debbie Dragon Do you dream of living without the burden of excessive debt hanging over your head? It’s possible, but not easy. Living debt free requires financial discipline, all the time. To become debt free and maintain a debt free life, try the following three steps: 1. Get rid of existing debt. This is obviously your first step to living a debt free lifestyle.
6). Accountant By : Jason Gluckman An accountant is a person who manages financial issues, including the preparation of financial plans and budgets, as well as the management of accounts and staff welfare. In most countries, officially licensed accountants are recognized by titles. In the UK, they are termed as “chartered accountants.” In the U.S., accountants are commonly known as “certified public accountants,” whereas in Canada, they are either known as “certified management accountants” or “certified general accountants.
7). Roth 401k – New Retirement Savings Plan. By : Simon Fox Brand new employer sponsored retirement plan is a hybrid of a traditional 401k and a Roth IRA. Income tax rates have been cut, the marriage penalty done away with, and the "death tax" is also on a path to no more. All of this is a result of the Bush administration's Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act which was passed by a Republican congress in 2001.
8). Budget Backyard Family Vacations By : Cheryl Johnson When travel and lodging are cost prohibitive, you can still have a vacation right at home. Yes, in your own backyard. Many of us live within reasonable distance to museums, campgrounds, historic sites, and beautiful state parks. You might be surprised at what you find in your own local area. Do some research in your area to find free or low cost activities and sites to visit.
9). The Cost Of Talking By : blueboy With so many companies offering “the lowest call rates, and the best service" who do you believe and are there any additional costs hidden in the small print? Do they all give per second billing by email, full cost analysis, discounted BT line rental and personal account managers? On mobiles do they offer free connection, and line rentals from £4? There has never been a better time to review the cost of your telephone charges and the service you are getting.
10). Asking for a lot of money By : James C. Samans Most people dream of making a lot of money. The question is, what does that mean? The truth is that money is highly subjective. Certainly, a billion dollars is a lot of money; there are only a handful of billionaires in the world. Is a million dollars a lot? In terms of total wealth, no; a significant minority of the population has a million dollars or more in total assets to leave to their heirs, largely due to the appreciation of real estate.