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college costs, financial aid

5 Creative ways to finance a college education

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financing collegeAs a parent, you are probably willing to go to great lengths to ensure that your kids make it to (and through) college. You have no doubt tried hard to instill in them an understanding of the different options available to them should they complete a degree. And if you’re like most parents, you’ve likely been contributing to a college fund and you plan to help support your kids during their time in college. But even so, you simply might not have the money on hand to cover all the bills. Between tuition, books, a dorm, and other living expenses, you’re basically supporting two households–a tall order for any parent. So your children might have to take out loans, get a job, and find a few other creative ways to get the money required to pay for their education.

Here are five creative ways to finance a college education:

1. Crowdsourcing.

Random strangers probably aren’t going to help your kids pay for tuition and books. But their loved ones might be willing to kick in, especially if they stand to see a return on their investment. The way crowdsourcing generally works is that a business presents an idea to the public, which then decides if it will move forward via their donations (talk about putting your money where your mouth is). In return, those that donate may get free product, swag, or even cash back with interest (like a loan) when the idea comes to fruition (and to market). Your kids could make the same deal with aunts and uncles, grandparents, and so on. The real upside is that they’ll likely get better interest rates and more lenient terms all around than banks might offer.

2. Grant money.

Many kids apply for scholarships offered by their school and by outside organizations, but many forget that they can also apply for grant money (like the Pell grant) as a way to get additional funds for their schooling. These offerings are generally need-based, so your earnings could play a role in whether or not kids are able to get grants. But it’s definitely worth a try since they do not require repayment.

3. Scholarships.

Most families don’t realize that millions of dollars in scholarship money goes unused every year simply because students aren’t doing their homework to find available funds that they qualify for. Although your kids may be busy with their studies, they won’t be for long if they can’t pay their tuition. So encourage them to sign up for sites like Fastweb, Zinch, and Scholarships.com. If they apply for just one scholarship each week their odds of winning greatly improve.

4. Save everywhere.

There are so many ways for students to save money that they have no one to blame but themselves if they’re paying full price for anything. Textbooks, for example, can be purchased at a discount online (on sites like Chegg, PhatCampus, and so on) or even rented for a semester at a fraction of the cost of new (at BookRenter, eCampus, etc.). They can get numerous discounts using their student I.D., as well; all they have to do is ask to get deals on travel, entertainment, and food. This won’t exactly allow them to earn more money, but it can definitely help them to save some and put it towards college expenses.

5. Consider using other funds.

Suppose you have received structured settlements. You might want to consider selling the structured settlement for a lump sum (there are companies that buy them) as a way to send your kids to college. Yes, you will lose some money in the long run, but if you’re able to avoid student loan payments (and the interest that comes with them) it may just even out.

Get creative with college funding, especially with money that won’t have to be paid back. Don’t, however, use 401K money to finance college. It’s a poor financial decision and compromises plans for your future.

 

admissions, college costs, college planning, extracurricular activities, financial aid, parenting, scholarships, social networks, test prep, Uncategorized

How to raise $15,000 for college

 

A few weeks ago I attended a virtual college event at CollegeWeekLive. I was impressed with the simplicity of the information and wanted to pass it along to all my readers who might not have had the opportunity to attend. This particular session was conducted by Kim Clark, staff writer for U.S. News and World Reports. She outlined some simple steps to raise $15,000 for college:

  1. Up to $2500 from Uncle Sam–via tax credits (Hope and Lifetime Learning Credit)
  2. Child labor–put your teen to work at a summer job ($8 an hour x 40 hours a week for 9 weeks=$2880)
  3. Student loans–Stafford Loan ($5500 max per year at 7%); after student leaves college can sign up for payments based on their income (less than 15%)
  4. Family savings–cut teen to occassional driver and save $; food bills will decline; stop subsidizing entertainment (food and insurance can =$300-$400 a month)
  5. Scholarships and grants–leverage grades, test scores, athletics, arts for merit-based grants; apply for local scholarships
  6. Friends and relatives–ask for college fund contributions instead of presents
  7. Corporate sponsorship–some employers subsidize education for employees and families; UPromise
  8. Reduce college expenses–reduce dorm costs (share with other students); watch meal plans; buy used textbooks or rent; earn cheaper credits at community college, AP classes or dual credit classes; sell student’s car (won’t need one at college)

The bottom line: $15,000 or MORE! Here’s how it all adds up:

  1. Tax break-$2500 per year
  2. Student loan-$5500 per year
  3. Student job-$3000 per year
  4. Parent savings-$4000 per year
  5. Relatives-_____ (fill in blank)
  6. Scholarships-____(fill in blank)
  7. Corporate sponsorship-____(fill in blank)
  8. Reduction in college expenses-_____(fill in blank)

By piecing together all these separate components, there is no limit on how much you can raise for college costs. At the very least you can raise $15,000, at the very most, the sky is the limit!

You can check out U.S. News and World Reports education section: Paying For College for more information and tips.