Paying for college
It's no secret that the cost of Higher Education in America can give you sticker shock. As an example, RIT’s website summarizes the cost per year at $72K! Granted, this figure includes living expenses which everyone has to cover whether in college or not. But even just tuition and books is more than the annual takehome pay of most American households. Don't despair! With some effort and creativity, you can really bring the out of pocket amount down. Use loans to fund your college costs only as a last resort. Here are 4 other strategies to reduce your expenses rather than just delaying the payment.
Go public
Keep in mind that private colleges are likely to cost more than public schools, which receive some of their funding from the state government. Many state schools (Georgia, California, Texas, Illinois) are highly respected with a variety of great majors, and even might be in a lower-cost-of-living area than your hometown, so explore broadly not just the state where you currently live. Find out what the requirements are to qualify as a resident. For example, take a gap year working fulltime in that state with an address and utility bills in your name, and that may qualify you as an in-state resident for tuition. There are other qualifications that vary per school, such as working an on-campus job or being a scholarship recipient sometimes converts you to in-state tuition. Ask about those options.
Be Incremental
Some professions offer an Associates degree with a good pay boost, which may then allow recipients to start earning a higher pay while completing additional education. For instance, nurses can first complete an ASN , then BSN , for additional career progression.
Double Dip
If you're still in High School, see if your area lets you take courses that count both for high school credits and college, like this program for Massachusetts residents.
State-specific tuition reduction programs
Or forget tuition altogether and look for no cost training programs. Let’s use our home state Massachusetts as an example. Although the 4-year colleges in MA are some of the most expensive in the country (see this state-by-state comparison), Massachusetts has many programs to pay tuition.
| Eligibility | Highlights | More info |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester County residents | Variety of scholarships | https://greaterworcester.org/scholarships/scholarships-overview |
| Unemployment recipients | Receive free skills training when getting unemployment benefits | https://www.mass.gov/training-opportunities-program-top |
| Mass residents over 25 | Fully covers tuition for community college | https://www.mass.edu/osfa/programs/massreconnect.asp |
| Tax credit to offset college tuition | Info from Turbotax | |
| Recent high school graduates, or adult learners financial need | Scholarships for career college | Imagine America Foundation |
| Students in Foster Care | Covers up to $6,000/yr of college costs if the student signs an agreement to remain in care after age 18. | https://www.mass.edu/osfa/programs/foster.asp |
| Other Mass programs | https://www.mass.gov/info-details/financial-aid-for-job-training | |
| New England regional tuition reduction | https://nebhe.org/tuitionbreak/find-a-program/ |
See even more Massachusetts state programs
Let us know in the comments how you reduced college costs or otherwise avoided taking on loans.
