Cutting Costs in College

As the cost of higher education soars, many college students feel forced to begin their adult lives shouldering humongous debt. The debt appears a necessary evil in the pursuit of a good education that will lead to a good job. Cutting costs in college, as in the rest of life, reduces the burden that finances may cast. By making some changes in your college plans, you can whittle down the cost of your education.

Skip a year of college.
Cutting costs would be the natural result of skipping a year of college. Before you apply, check the college's or university's guidelines for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests. A representative from the admissions office should be able to explain which tests they accept and what credits they award for each test.

CLEP tests cover a variety of general education requirements. If you pass enough CLEP tests, you could earn enough credits to essentially skip a year of college. But always check with your college first to make sure they accept the tests you wish to take. You will pay a small fee to take each test, but the fee is worth cutting costs-much larger ones-from your school bill.

Transfer from a community college.
If you don't think you've got the knowledge to study for and pass the CLEP tests, consider taking some general education classes at a community college for the first year or two. In most cases, cutting costs with this strategy will not prevent you from obtaining your degree from your university of choice. Again though, always check first to make sure that your credits will transfer to the next school. You don't want to waste time and money on classes that won't transfer into useful credits.

Commute to college.
Room and board usually accounts for a large part of the school bill each year. Choose a college within driving distance and continue to live at home. Or, find a college near a relative and arrange to live with your relatives while you pursue your education. Even if you contribute financially to whomever you live with, most relatives probably won't ask for the equivalent of the room and board that the university will charge you. Commuting equals cutting costs.

Apply for scholarships.
Obtaining scholarships or grants can consume a lot of time, but some will offer substantial ways of cutting costs. First, check the scholarships offered by the school or its alumni association. Apply to every scholarship for which you meet the eligibility requirements. Next, research any scholarships offered by local organizations, or by clubs or associations to which you or your parents belong.

You may also conduct searches at websites such as scholarships.com. Here you fill a profile with relevant information on your background and education plans. Then you browse through a list of scholarships that meet your criteria in some way. Some matches pertain more closely than others. You do not receive spam e-mail or annoying advertisements as a result of signing up with them.

Buy used textbooks throughout your education.
Sometimes you have no choice but to buy your texts from the college bookstore at exorbitant prices. You have an assignment due on the second day of class, for instance, and no one you know has taken the class before. However, when you know you have some wiggle room before an assignment is due, you can save money by buying used textbooks online.

For cutting costs on required reading, check amazon.com and half.com for used textbooks, sometimes at highly reduced prices. Also, check bulletin boards around campus or in your department. Students may post announcements for textbooks they wish to sell from classes they have previously taken.

Borrow books throughout your education.
Depending on material covered in the class, you may be able to obtain some selections from your public or school library. For instance, if you take an English class that covers Gulliver's Travels, you may likely find a copy of the classic on your local library's shelf. If your instructor doesn't care which edition you use, search the library before buying the book. Cutting costs of several textbooks throughout your education will add up.

You may even be able to borrow the textbook from a friend who's taken the class but wants to keep the book as a reference. If you get this chance, take it too. If you look for opportunities, you'll find that cutting costs, especially on textbooks, isn't hard.

Sometimes big changes, such as choosing a different college, may provide the key to cutting your education costs. But more often, you may find that the little adjustments, combined with one another, add up to big college savings.