2 answers
Alex
Student
Vernon, VT
1
Question
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How can I pay for college with no financial aid ?
I’m a high school senior wanting to attend college and play on their D3 baseball team (so no athletic scholarships).
What can I do if I didn’t receive any financial aid and my parents can’t afford the loan I would need? I also have one sibling that will be going to college the year after me, and another sibling, but a few years younger. I’m applying to scholarships but it feels like such a shot in the dark.
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2 answers
Jazhel Honrado
Academic Svcs Administrator
52
Answers
Updated
Jazhel’s Answer
Hi Alex,
I'm glad you're considering the cost of a college education. I didn’t receive financial aid and didn’t want the burden of debt, so I worked part-time and attended school part-time. I also went to a community college and was eligible for in-state tuition, which made it more affordable. It was extremely difficult since a large portion of my earnings went toward tuition, but it made me more conscious of my spending. I opted for a payment plan, which divided the payments throughout the semester and made things a bit more manageable.
I continued with this plan when I transferred to a university. Having an associate degree made a difference, as it made me eligible for more positions with higher pay. You may also want to consider working for a college or university—many institutions offer tuition assistance to employees who attend their programs.
Overall, it took me longer to complete my bachelor's degree, but I earned it debt-free, and it was absolutely worth it.
I hope you enjoy college and wish you all the best!
I'm glad you're considering the cost of a college education. I didn’t receive financial aid and didn’t want the burden of debt, so I worked part-time and attended school part-time. I also went to a community college and was eligible for in-state tuition, which made it more affordable. It was extremely difficult since a large portion of my earnings went toward tuition, but it made me more conscious of my spending. I opted for a payment plan, which divided the payments throughout the semester and made things a bit more manageable.
I continued with this plan when I transferred to a university. Having an associate degree made a difference, as it made me eligible for more positions with higher pay. You may also want to consider working for a college or university—many institutions offer tuition assistance to employees who attend their programs.
Overall, it took me longer to complete my bachelor's degree, but I earned it debt-free, and it was absolutely worth it.
I hope you enjoy college and wish you all the best!
Tiffanie Rand (Lampasona), CDR, CIR
Recruiter
100
Answers
Washington, Washington
Updated
Tiffanie’s Answer
Hi Alex,
What a great question, and such an important one.
I have 5 siblings and I did not receive any scholarships for college, I got loans and I deferred them while I was taking classes. By deferring my loans, that meant I didn't have to pay them until I finished school - HOWEVER, they did incur interest during that time so please be mindful of that.
My advice in the worst case senario would be that you get a student loan at a super low interest rate and defer it, pay what you can while you're in school or nothing and then we you get out of school find a job and call the loan company and let them know your monthly salary - they'll work with you on a payment plan because the reality is that once you have your degree they can't take it away, even if you never pay for your student loan. I'm not recommending that you don't pay I'm just saying that they'll work with you.
Once I finished my bachelor's degree I went back to school part-time while I worked so I could continue deferring my loans but I was making payments at this time, I was able to pay whatever I wanted/was able to pay while they were deferred.
I would definitely reach out to your local Rotary and Ruritan, those places always give scholarships that aren't advertised online.
What a great question, and such an important one.
I have 5 siblings and I did not receive any scholarships for college, I got loans and I deferred them while I was taking classes. By deferring my loans, that meant I didn't have to pay them until I finished school - HOWEVER, they did incur interest during that time so please be mindful of that.
My advice in the worst case senario would be that you get a student loan at a super low interest rate and defer it, pay what you can while you're in school or nothing and then we you get out of school find a job and call the loan company and let them know your monthly salary - they'll work with you on a payment plan because the reality is that once you have your degree they can't take it away, even if you never pay for your student loan. I'm not recommending that you don't pay I'm just saying that they'll work with you.
Once I finished my bachelor's degree I went back to school part-time while I worked so I could continue deferring my loans but I was making payments at this time, I was able to pay whatever I wanted/was able to pay while they were deferred.
I would definitely reach out to your local Rotary and Ruritan, those places always give scholarships that aren't advertised online.