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Big Announcement today!!
I’m going back to school!! Education has always been important to me, but over the past 8 years I’ve taken the time to be a mom, wife, and homemaker. A few years ago I got as close as talking to a counselor, but ended up deciding it wasn’t the right time. Now I am actually enrolled, have my previous credits transferred, and financial aid completed and turned in.
School can be so expensive though! It’s always amazed me just how much an education costs. From tuition, fees, and books to your cost of living – especially if you live on campus! All the different fees are one of the main reasons I chose not to go back until now. Turns out, it doesn’t have to be that expensive! Let me show you how.
Lower your Tuition
- School shop. Don’t have your heart set on one school. A few things to consider when looking at different schools. Compare the tuition costs. Do they have your program? What is the graduation rate? Are their graduates able to get jobs afterwards? I’ve chosen to go to Western Governors University, where their tuition is a flat rate, fees are incorporated into that flat rate, and all my resources are online.
- Grants. Make sure you fill out FAFSA when applying to schools. This usually tells you what federal loans you can receive, as well as the PELL Grant which is money you DON’T have to repay. I’m currently paying almost my full tuition with the PELL Grant.
- Scholarships. Do a google search for scholarships, and start applying. There are so many out there, and most only take a couple steps to apply for. Just make sure you meet the qualifications before applying.
Lower Cost of Books
When someone goes off to college one complaint I think we can all agree on is the cost of text books. Why do textbooks have to be so insanely priced? They really shouldn’t be, but someone is making a good amount off of the poor college student. You don’t have to pay full price though.
- Borrow from classmates. Know someone who took the class? See if they have their book and will let you borrow it.
- Buy Used. You can usually get a pretty good discount on used books, although they still tend to be priced highly depending on the class.
- Rent them! Once I see if I need any books, I’ll be visiting Campus Book Rentals. With a savings of 40-90% off bookstore prices, I don’t think there is a better way to go. Unless of course you want to keep your textbooks. Which if you do, you might consider the Rent Back program. This program earns YOU money on your textbooks, by renting them out to other students. I’ve talked a lot about them before, but my favorite feature of Campus Book Rentals, is that on top of the savings they offer, they also donate a portion of every book rental to Operation Smile
