Tuition. Fees. Books. It all adds up!
College can be ridiculously expensive, but it doesn’t have to be.
Don’t accept the idea that you’re going to pay an arm and a leg for college.
You can go to college for free.
How to Go to College for Free
Take a look at some of these methods that have the potential to put you through college for free. Some will work well with your circumstances, others won’t – think through them to decide what’s best for you!
1. Serve Your Country
The Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, Air Force, Merchant Marine, Military, and Naval Academies offer a free college education to those who serve after college.
The requirements vary, but military training is required and those serving must commit to up to 10 years of service. That’s a lot of service, but it’s for a great cause.
Serving your country is a noble endeavor, and should you choose to do so, you absolutely deserve a free college education.
2. Work at Your College
While colleges charge students tuition, it’s not always the same for college employees.
That’s right, you might be able to get a free college education by working at your college of choice. Even if you don’t get an entirely free college education, many colleges offer at least some degree of tuition assistance to those who help around the school.
3. Have Your Employer Pay
Some employers offer tuition reimbursement programs, especially for areas of study related to their industry. For example, if you’re working for a medical clinic, your employer may pay all or part of your education to become a registered nurse.
Ask your employer (or future employer) if they offer tuition reimbursement (if you’re shy, read through the benefits online).
4. Secure Grants
By applying for FAFSA, you’ll find out if you qualify for the Federal Pell Grant.
But there are many more college grants available, and you can find them at Edutopia.org.
5. Apply for Scholarships
There are also scholarships available at many colleges, offered by generous donors. Talk with your college to see what scholarships are available. Check out a college scholarship guide to learn where to apply, and then apply for as many as you can!
You can also find scholarships through Fastweb.com, a database of scholarships that automatically matches scholarships with your Fastweb profile.
6. Find a Tuition-Free College
It’s surprising, but they do exist.
There’s a good list on U.S. News, although many of the tuition-free colleges require some kind of special condition – such as enrollment in a music program.
Barclay College is one example of a Christian institution that, upon acceptance into the program, gives all resident students a $11,000 full-tuition scholarship.
7. Try Fundraising
Are your friends and family extra generous? Try fundraising!
GoFundMe is a great way to fundraise that allows you to create your fundraising campaign, share it with family and friends, accept donations, and withdraw funds to your bank account (or you can request a check).
Many people use GoFundMe for their college fundraising campaign, and the website even advertises this as an option.
Also, you won’t have to worry about your donors getting charged anything extra beyond their donation amount. Other online fundraising services sometimes charge donors an extra fee. Instead, GoFundMe charges you a 5% fee from each donation you receive. That’s not bad, and would probably be made up by increasing donations through the use of their well-designed website.
Final Thoughts
Many who sign up for student loans end up paying those student loans for years to come. Even if you can afford to pay in cash, college can take a huge chunk out of your bank account.
You can go to college free of charge. Brainstorm your plan, work hard to achieve it, and be amazed at the results!
Are there any other ways to go to college for free? Leave a comment!
You don’t necessarily have to commission through one of the service academies to get school paid for; you can also go through ROTC at an otherwise civilian college like I did 🙂
Or enlist and use Tuition Assistance or the GI Bill
Iam 44 years old house wife I try to get a scholarship no one will help me get a loan to go back to school I don’t have my GED I didn’t finish school since I’m home everyday I thought about going back to school and getting my GED and getting a scholarship and find a better job for myself all my kids are grown up I need help with financially money
I was just about to post a link to Moody. My daughter is currently attending MBI. It is a wonderful school with a strong reputation in most evangelical circles.
There are also loan forgiveness programs that will greatly reduce what you owe. My husband (a teacher) will have his loans forgiven after 10 years of on time payments and is only required to make monthly payments of a fraction of the usual amount. Yes, he’s paying some, but after getting loans for both his bachelor and Master’s degree, it’s a very generous program.
You also can get free schooling if you have a parent that works at the college you go to.
Thank you for this informative post!
Serve in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, or Coast Guard reserves, and receive tuition assistance after you’ve trained for your specialty. In the state in which I live, annual tuition is set at the equivalent of a year at the largest state university (one of the Big 10 schools), so this is a great benefit. If you’re called into active duty, you would additionally qualify for the GI Bill and other federal programs as well. Yes, there is a chance you’ll get called to active duty, but 80% of military positions are non-combat, so choose a specialty that’s not combat-related.
Also, if you join the military full-time, your college tuition will be reimbursed 100%, so you can earn college credits while serving full-time and then use the GI Bill to complete your education after your enlistment is complete. The Air Force has the largest community college in the U.S. and every enlisted soldier is automatically enrolled and given an opportunity to earn credits while in the USAF.
Thanks for adding that, CK!
These are all good ideas. The FAFSA determines what the federal government thinks that your family should be able to contribute (EFC-estimated family contribution) to the cost of attending (COA) college. This is based on income and property owned etc. The sad part is their estimation is often way off of what a family today can actually afford. My husband and I both work, and have saved, but our EFC was estimated at way more than we could afford especially with 2 more children to go-we have one in college now. I recommend that you start saving what you can when you can. Also, be honest with your kids and begin having conversations when your kids are young about everyone’s expectations. Our 2 older kids work, and are expected to pay for all out of pocket expenses once in college. Also, they have worked for good grades and have earned their BSA Eagle Scout awards. Colleges really do look at the whole picture when deciding on students and their financial award packages.
Melanie @yayas2cents.com
Thanks, Melanie!
If you are in NY or want to attend school in NY, there is always the new Excelsior Scholarship program to look into. Not sure of the details but I plan to review it more closely.
Thanks for sharing, Lacy!
Thanks, Greg!
Yes the idea of working for your college is definitely a brilliant idea IF you are patient. When I was in RVA, I worked in the office of admission full time and I had the opportunity to take 6 credits every semester free…Obviously it is going to take longer but if you plan on being there for more than 4 years, why not? However, you may not find what you want at your preferred college or work schedule may be a little tight to allow you to take the classes you want…I suppose you could enroll in their online program if they have it.
Thanks for the comment, Michel!
Also, if you homeschool your kids in their junior and senior years in high school, they can probably attend colleges classes for free at their local community college. Liberty University also has a dual enrollment option that has a 73% discounted rate compared to their college peers.
I only had to pay about $3000 for my bachelor’s degree because of grants. And my grandparents gave me a bunch of savings bonds which paid for most of the rest. I just did a horrible temp job to pay for the remaining $1000. But it didn’t help me get a job– or at least, no one who I wanted a job with wanted to hire me. Mom said college would give me confidence, but it didn’t. So now it’s 10 years since graduation, almost, and I still live at my parents’ house. I do pet sitting part time an work at my mom’s job and do child care. not enough to pay rent
I don’t blame those people for not hiring me. I get so nervous when interviewed, I don’t look good, and I don’t have many skills or a good personality. There’s literally nothing to work with, nowhere I belong.
I was looking for a master’s degree since a year after graduating, but i balk at so many loans. My first degree didn’t give me a degree (through my own fault), so i can’t risk not getting a degree with something that accrues tons of loan $. But I can’t get anywhere where I am now. No one wants to hire someone like this. If I got more skills…. but I’m not interested in real world things lol. INFP– floaty dreamer, the worst of them.
That’s great advice from Jenna! My bachelors degree never got me a job I wanted, but I did get a job at my college that paid well. I have went through a lot of hard times: a 27 yr abusive marriage, then being walked out on & divorced after being moved to a new state where I knew no one except my two young teens. But God! He has used all of the circumstances of my life for my good! I am supposed to be in this state, He has found me a job, & I got a masters degree. Yes I’m 50k in debt but He’s also been blessing me financially as I now tithe without fear of anger from my (ex) husband. I can see Him working to open the door to opportunity for me to counsel women who have been emotionally abused like me (it is real & it is devastating)! Evelyn, you are made in the image of God. Sincerely ask Him to show you who he is & He will. He wants you to be confident & successful. That may look different than how the mainstream society defines it, but living Gods way will bring you great peace & joy. He sent Jesus to suffer & die for you. Accept Jesus Christ as the one in charge of your life & ALL things in your life, including you, will be made new. You can PM me on FB. Look up “bambi cato”
Hey Evelyn-
Even INFP’s and unusual people can pay their bills. =) Many people don’t work in the area they earned a degree in, so don’t let that hold you back. Also:
* If you’re a person of faith, pray for God to open up opportunities for you. God is listening and cares.
* Have a money goal (moving into your own place, saving for a Masters, etc.) and use that as motivation to go after jobs.
* Volunteer with organizations you have a heart for.
* If you hit it off at your volunteer gig, ask the staff there and your fellow volunteers for references and job referrals.
* Use your INFP awesomeness to create a resume that stands out. Remove any dates from your resume or application. You don’t need to advertise that it’s been 10 years since you earned your degree, just that you have a degree.
* Set an ambitious number of jobs you apply for each week. When I’ve been serious about finding a new job I apply for 10+ a week. Add scans of your reference letters to every application you send out.
* Interview with anyone who contacts you. It’s a great way to get practice and they may consider you for other future jobs that haven’t posted yet.
You can do this!
If I could go back and do it all again I would try harder to get a cheaper or even free education. I didn’t come out of school with a ton of debt compared to many people, but it is still debt!!
I did do one semester at community college and took some gen-ed course over the summer at my community college. I also graduated one semester early. This all helped to save money.
But in the end, I still came out with debt.
I hope there are smart high school students out there who are reading things like this! It is much better to incur as little debt as possible than to get a very expensive education.