By: Nate J.
One of the biggest things that I struggled with for my last year of high school was trying to deal with the financial situation that I was going to have to take on for the next four years of my education while going to college. According to EducationData.org, the average cost of a single year is $25,864! That is unreal. That number looks very scary and that was the first thing that I thought when I saw it to. But there are many ways that you can be ready for the financial slump you will be in while earning your degree. In this blog post I will give you many ways to help get ready for the financials that come with going to college.
Here are some of those ways:
1. Scholarships
When you are a senior, this is something that your school counselors are going to be pushing on you a lot because you may not realize it, but scholarships are FREE MONEY! There is nothing better than getting free money, especially when it can help you pay for your education down the road as well. Another way to look at these scholarships is that it gives you more time to actually focus on your education and not worry about paying off your college debt.
2. FAFSA
You need to fill out your FAFSA form to get financial aid for college. If you receive aid (which you most likely will) you are going to receive aid that will help you pay off that huge college debt. They also provide you with grants as well, and they even give you some work study opportunities that can help you as well. This is almost, if not even more important than filling out scholarships.
3. Work Study Program
I talked about this a little bit in the FAFSA section but it is really a great idea if you can qualify for it because you are earning money to pay off your college debt, but you are also getting real world experience as well and you can also make connections. This is a great way that you can pay off the aid that you received from FAFSA.
I really hope that this blog post helped you. I know when I was starting to get ready for the process of choosing my college I was very stressed about the money situation, and if I would have read this blog it would have given me some incentive on why to not be worried about what is upcoming.
Works Cited
“Average Cost of College [2021]: Yearly Tuition Expenses.” EducationData, 11 Mar. 2021, educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college.
Nykiel, Teddy. “How To Pay For College: 8 Expert-Approved Tips.” NerdWallet, 5 Feb. 2021, www.nerdwallet.com/article/loans/student-loans/how-to-pay-for-college.
“Wondering Why Scholarships Are Important?” Post University, 19 Feb. 2021, post.edu/blog/wondering-why-scholarships-are-important/.
I thought that your post was a good topic to write about since many kids are not getting full rides to school and have to think about how they are going to pay for it. I’ve had all 3 of these things mentioned to me but I’m glad that you went more in depth with each one so that when the time comes I’m better prepared to start to pay for school.
ReplyDeleteNate, you're definitely not alone when you wrote about feeling overwhelmed and a little intimidated and anxious. I really enjoyed reading your piece, but especially the portion on work study programs. I had no idea what they were. I like the idea of making money and also getting applicable experiences, like you mentioned. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThere is some excellent information here for those who know nothing about financial opportunities coming in to college. Scholarships and Pell grants are great because they are quite literally free money (and scholarships are stackable). One thing that is important to remember, though, is that scholarships and Pell Grants go through an application process, and you aren't guaranteed one once you apply. Though Student Loans need to get repaid (with interest), they're a great option when you aren't able to cover your entire tuition with scholarships and grants. I think it's important to share information about all financial options, even the less ideal ones. $25,864 per year is really a tough price to beat, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI chose to read this article because it is a very relevant topic. I was unfamiliar with the details of scholarships and FASFA but after reading your article I feel more informed. I also like the organization and structure of the post!
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome information, as a senior this year it is super relevant to me as well. College can be super expensive and difficult to manage if you aren't careful but it's great to hear about some of the different options. I had the best luck while applying for scholarships, I found that there are SO many different ones available you just have to look around a little to find ones that you can apply for.
ReplyDeleteThis piece was so great. So many times it’s scary or overwhelming to hear about how much college will cost, and how I’m going to pay off all that debt. You did a great job however of casually delivering amazing information that will really help! I love that you mentioned that when you started the process the money aspect worried you because now that I am begging the college application process I feel the same way, and your blog really helped ease some nerves. Overall, great structure, word choice, and information. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI liked the topic you chose because it pertains to our age group. I wish I read this when I was a sophomore or even a junior because I could’ve been more prepared or on top of what I needed to do for college. You definitely chose 3 really important topics that are relative to college too. It was good to read up more on work study programs because that is something I’m no as familiar with as FASFA or scholarships.
ReplyDeleteI liked that you covered a large variety of methods for covering college costs because it makes your methods apply to more people. I also think that you used a lot of specific terms and mentioned several specific applications which made what you said more credible.
ReplyDeleteNate I really appreciated how relevant this topic is, because many people our age are going to have to look into things like this, and it putting it into a blog post like this is a really good way for us to better understand the financial options we have going into college.
ReplyDeleteI chose to read this article because it is a very relevant topic. I was unfamiliar with the details of scholarships and FASFA but after reading your article I feel more informed. I also like the organization and structure of the post!
ReplyDelete