College Money Made Easy

Going to college is a big decision. It is made even bigger in this economy due to the expensive price of higher education. However, studies show that in spite of the immediate cost, higher education pays off in the long run. So if you think you can't afford it, just look to the long run. Of course, there's that matter of paying off student loans, and not all of us are geniuses or sports heroes with full ride scholarships after all. Instead it takes work, and sometimes paying off can take years. Is it really worth it?

Don't sweat it, because there is hope. You may look at scholarships and think to yourself, "I'll never get them," but I believe that there is a way. What you have to do is spread yourself out. Think about it, with a high school education or less you might get a job that earns $8, maybe $10 bucks an hour fresh. At $10 you'd have to work for one hundred hours, or two and one half weeks to earn the money that you can get from a $1000 scholarship, and with taxes and expenses it would be even longer. Think more likely months of work before you can earn $1000 to set away for college.

It's different with scholarships, you just fill out forms and you earn them. You won't get them all, but you can at the very least try. I estimate that the amount of time it takes to fill out several forms would still be less than the amount of work you have to do to earn $1000. If it takes you two hours to complete one scholarship, in one working week you could fill out twenty forms. In the several months I'd estimate it takes you to earn $1000 on menial labor you could fill out hundreds. Please don't tell me you won't get at least a few scholarships at that rate?

Contrary to popular beliefs, you do not need a high GPA to get scholarships. The best thing you can do is improve your writing skills and write killer essays. Some of the best sources for scholarship money include www.scholarships.com, and www.fastweb.com There are, of course, many more available. You can find many scholarships you are eligible for here and elsewhere.

Just a word of warning, always remember that you should never have to pay to enter a scholarship. If you have to pay, it is almost ALWAYS a scam only designed to make money. If they are trying to sell you stuff through their website then you should also be cautious, but the number one rule is, except for postage, you should not have to pay at all. Also stick to the common sources and don't go to some obscure website on geocities offering a scholarship. Keep these things in mind and you will be safe.

You also must always remember that the key to success is spreading yourself out. Spread yourself over a wide variety of scholarships and don't just stick to one thing. Also be sure to start small. The $10,000 ones are generally only awarded to truly exceptional or lucky people. The best place to start is the ones that are a couple of hundred bucks and work your way up. Once you go up though, don't write off the $10,000 ones. If you are eligible always remember, somebody has to win them and it could very well be you!

If scholarships aren't your thing, then you can take advantage of financial grants for the college itself and government programs. The truth is that government programs in particular are very, very plentiful. I'm sure that you could probably find some obscure program that could get you money, regardless of whether or not you are eligible for Pell Grants and some of the more popular ones.

Also, keep in mind the price of colleges themselves. Saving money is just as important as making money, and while you should try to get a decent education you need to think to yourself; can I downgrade now and have less worries about student loans later? What that means is you should probably try for the public universities before you try for the private colleges, just because private colleges are much more expensive. Also, states often provide incentives for students to stay in their home state. If you go to college in your state of residency you are almost always eligible for more money than you would get going outside of state for this reason alone.

Also, be sure to live frugally in college, but that is a no-brainer. However, it is probably best to focus mainly on the academic aspects of college and not so much the "college experience." Sometimes people get so caught up in the campus atmosphere that they forget about what is important, and that is earning your degree. Always keep your eye on the prize and you can graduate with good grades and low to no debt. Now, always remember that nothing I say is a guarantee, but it is still better than doing nothing.