How to Make College More Affordable
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There is no denying the fact that there are a great many professions out there that can only be pursued if you are equipped with a relevant university degree. While there are surely some great careers out there that don’t require a degree, the pursuit of pretty much any career involving the sciences, education, and engineering, among other fields, means that a college degree is in your future.
Unfortunately, college can be quite an expensive endeavor. When you factor in tuition costs, the price of textbooks, room and board, and additional expenses, you are looking at paying tens of thousands of dollars over the course of several years in order to fund your degree. That being said, earning your college degree doesn’t have to be as expensive as you might think. There are a variety of ways in which you potentially fund your university degree.
Here are just a few suggestions to consider when looking for ways to pay for attending college.
Athletic Scholarship
There are a number of scholarship options out there for prospective students to go for. Some must be applied for, some are competition-based, others are bestowed based on academic merit, and others are granted to student-athletes. When you reach a certain level of success in your sport, you can get in touch with university coaches and scouts to see if you might be able to qualify for an athletic scholarship. Such scholarships are awarded in varying amounts, from partial scholarships to full rides.
There are many programs out there that are looking for committed and talented athletes to join their teams. In some cases, you might be approached by a scout without seeking out a program. Other student-athletes put together profiles for themselves and seek to generate interest in their abilities at different schools. Whether you play a team sport like football or are looking for gymnastics scholarships, there are plenty of quality programs out there looking for student-athletes just like you.
Start in Community College
One thing that many students are opting for these days in order to alleviate the cost of going to college is to start by earning college credit at community colleges. Such institutions are far more affordable than major four-year universities. By taking classes that will count towards a degree at a major university, you can drastically reduce the cost of your four-year degree.
No matter what you major in, you will have to take core classes such as writing and basic mathematics courses. When you complete those classes at a community college, you can end up saving a great deal of money on tuition costs as well as on room and board.
Make the Most of Your Pre-Collegiate Education
There are other ways of earning college credit that can count towards your degree. You can opt for dual-credit courses while you are still in high school and even take advantage of summer break and earn college credit during that time. Anything you can do to earn credit before you get to college will help cut down your degree’s cost.