Going to college is only a dream if you have a plan to
pay for it, and you continue to work your plan. Far too many families think
money for college will magically appear, but it doesn’t. Students who go to
college on a full-ride did a great deal to earn their award. The most important
thing they did was to apply for scholarships and/or grants over and over, until
they had enough free money to pay for everything.
Paying for college entails having enough money for more
than just tuition. There are books, fees, room and board to consider as well.
Students whose families are extremely well off, and have put away enough money
for retirement, may be able to help. Most families probably won’t be much
financial help, however. Of course, if you live at home, room and board won’t
be an issue, but transportation might be. I lived at home when I went to college.
My family bought me a very inexpensive car, and I drove to campus and work daily.
Tuition then was minimal and books were inexpensive. My job paid enough to
cover it all.
A simple financial plan to pay for college might
include looking for scholarships and grants while children are still in elementary
school. At this time, parents are doing the searching and applying. As children
mature, they should take over. In high school, they should be applying for
scholarships at least three times each week, and more over holidays and
vacations. A major mistake many students make is they stop applying for
scholarships once they’ve been accepted to college.
Acceptance is an important step, but most of the time it
has nothing to do with paying for college. If a college provides financial help
through grants, scholarships or a work-study program, that’s great. It does not
mean students should stop looking for more free money. When they do, they often
realize too late, they can’t pay their bills. Taking a job might help pay for
books or some fees, but it won’t cover everything, not by a long shot. Scholarships
and grants are the best way to avoid needing to take out student loans.
The only time a student need not continue to apply for
scholarships is if he/she has received a truly free ride. This must include
tuition, fees, books, room, board and travel for all four years. These awards
exist, and are wonderful. But every scholarship is not a free ride. Some only
cover part of tuition or tuition for the first year. Many do not include books,
or room and board. There are thousands of college students who are homeless and
food insecure. There’s money out there to pay for all of this, but it won’t
come looking for your student. Someone has to find it.
Parents who have purchased my book, Free College, know I provide a place in
the book to record scholarships and grants. If you don’t have my book, be sure to purchase a calendar and notebook to keep track of all scholarships you've applied for over the years. If you don’t,
you’ll become confused and miss something important, like a deadline. You can buy my book instead by clicking on the book cover in the upper right hand corner of this page. Continue
applying for scholarships until your student has graduated from college debt
free.
You are reading from the blog, RoadtoFreeCollege.com, where we empower families with knowledge to navigate the path to higher education without the burden of excessive loans.
For more information, you’ll want my book, Free College, CLICK HERE. It teaches families how to help their kids become more successful in school, college, and life.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
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