Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Whether your goal for "college" is to take college-level classes or to earn a degree, there are several strategies to use to reduce or eliminate the financial burden on college. If applied correctly, college will be where you get what you want without putting pressure on your wallet.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Get financial assistance on demand

1. 

   Calculate financial needs. If you feel that your family cannot afford to pay for your education, fortunately you still have the opportunity to attend a number of schools. Financial need is a calculation of information based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).It is calculated based on your family's income (usually parents and will vary for single parents), the number of children in the family, especially those of an adult age. school, investments or other household assets. These factors are used to determine how much your family can afford to pay for your education - How much Family Expect to Pay.
   • Use the FAFSA4caster (your need estimate tool, which can be found on the FAFSA website, to estimate your family's financial needs.

2. 

   
   
   Fill out the form FAFSA. This stands for Federal Student Aid Application and is the standard financial aid application form for colleges and universities in the United States. Fill out this form and send it to each school you are enrolled in on time. Make sure all information is as accurate as possible, and provide any other documents or certificates if needed.
   • This does not mean that you have been received and that you have to accept anything - you simply show your interest and quote. It is a standard procedure.

3. 

   
   
   Send tax receipts and many other documents. Each school has its own application process, so check with each school you're applying to to find out exactly what needs to be submitted and when.
   • Most schools will ask for a copy of your recent tax documents, and other documents or forms. Check each school's requirements, and contact their financial aid staff with questions about applying for financial aid on demand.
   • The process for applying for financial aid can be different for transactions or for international students. Make sure you follow the correct education process and family background.

4. 

   
   
   Consider your grant and make a decision. If you have been accepted to several schools, you may have received a variety of financial aid. Don't just choose the place with the biggest aid. Instead, look at and compare the costs payable at each school against their aid amount. Many schools promise to offer the same aid as other schools offer, so negotiate with a school's financial aid office to try to get a better deal.
   • Think about the kind of support you receive. Loans may be helpful for now, but they leave you in debt after you graduate. The work-study program will help you pay for your studies, but may distract you from your studies. Determine which aid modality you like best, or choose a combination that reduces your risk.

5. 

   During college, please maintain the scholarship. Submit FAFSA application and tax receipts updated annually. Make sure to notify the school's financial aid office regarding changes in your financial situation, and pay attention to deadlines.
   • The school can even give you more money later if you get good grades and prove potential. Sometimes the "remaining" scholarship money will still be received if you keep up your academic performance.
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Part 2 of 4: Looking for less expensive alternatives

1. 

   Consider choosing a community college. Most people think of college as going to public or private universities. In fact, you have a wider variety of options, like a community college - and it costs much less. You can study at your local school to avoid traveling costs.
   • Furthermore, most if not all of your credit accounts will be transferred. You can enter a community college for a cheap first year or two and then transfer to a public or national university. If your grades are really good, you can get even more scholarships.

2. 

   Consider choosing a vocational school. Nowadays, having a bachelor's degree in a certain field is not a big deal. Many people graduate from college and return to work as restaurant waitresses. You don't have to go to a formal college to get an education and get a good salary - vocational schools can do that too.
   • Check out the following figure: 50% of college graduates are unemployed or underemployed. Meanwhile, highly skilled trade workers are in great demand. 40% of business owners surveyed in a recent survey complained that they are short of workers in this group. Going to trade school or vocational school can be a much better transition.

3. 

   Consider part-time employment. There is no reason you should spend all your time and money on only studying. Take multiple classes at the same time if that's all you can - and that way you can keep working too. Each school offers different levels of program. You can work part-time or just attend a class. It is your choice.
   • Classroom attendance is taught by a part-time teacher. Part-time teachers are paid less and therefore attending their classes usually costs less as well.

4. 

   Join online learning. While many online schools are a joke, there is a growing number of schools that are not among these. Cheaper tuition and save on travel costs. Plus, you can study at any time on your own, so you can still work while studying if needed. There is also a transition to full-time college as more credits will be transferred.
   • If you want to transfer money later, consider the policy. Make sure to have an accredited online organization before attending. Find out which colleges you want to study and check if your credit is transferable.

5. 

   Check out large online classes MOOCs. A growing trend in the fields of technology and education is MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) - a large-scale open online course. Some already have reputations or certificates and some don't, but it's popping up everywhere. It's a video or audio recording course at a university and 100% of the content is posted online. It's important to attend a whole host of different online universities.
   • For example, visit the Harvard and MIT websites. You can study many courses and study whichever course you like.
   • There are also sites like Coursera that have links with many schools to offer diverse and affiliated curriculum. You can take classes for free or classes without a certificate at the end.

6. 

   Try a "collaborative education program". This is where you spend full time for one semester and working full time in the next. It is not based on financial aid and is only applicable in certain places; If it is applied at the school you are looking forward to then it is a great thing, worth attending. On average, students who choose this path earn about $ 7,000 (more than 15.50 million VND) per academic year.
   • It also gives you more experience working in your field from the start. You are both making money while building a resume at the same time. In addition to perks, many colleges consider the work experience the prestige of the school. Experience saves you more time when you graduate, if your job is relevant to your study.

7. 

   Survey class. Find a local community college or college and find out its survey policy. Some schools will allow anyone interested to take classroom surveys, while others will only allow full-time students to take the survey. Find a school that allows you to survey, advise registry or other authorities with other needs.
   • Ask your professor for permission to survey the classroom. Email your professor before the first class and state your interests, situation, and learning history. Let your professor understand why you want to survey the class, and politely ask for permission.If they say no, respect their decision and don't take it personally - some professors are concerned about the level of all students involved, and let others survey classes. can interrupt it.
   • Join a class to get as much experience as possible. Examine the class the way you like it if you want to learn from it. Attend all classes and complete all your homework even if you aren't required to. Study the document, and discuss with the professor outside of the classroom if possible. This will help you to learn material and gain experience while in college.
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Part 3 of 4: Payment of costs

1. 

   Live at home. To put it bluntly, living at home is an easy way to save more than $ 10,000 (more than 20 million VND) while studying at university in the US. And of course also save money on food. Living in a dormitory can be expensive and will cause you to get low grades, and to live in a new environment, sometimes causing dropouts. If you stay at home, the change is easier.
   • Don't forget that this prolongs the time you can depend on for the family. House meals, family outings, and free stay in a beautiful house? It is like that.

2. 

   Buy old textbooks online. Are textbooks having a ridiculous price tag of $ 400 (over 8 million VND) for a pad of paper and ink? Don't think about buying new textbooks from bookstores - buy used textbooks that can be purchased online. They are much cheaper and are good enough for your classmates.
   • Currently you can even to rent textbook to learn. A quick online search will find the web pages with exactly what you need at the right price. It also means you don't need to keep any books.

3. 

   Take advantage of grants and loans. In addition to on-demand scholarships and financial aid, there are other grants and loans with the following details:
   • You do not need to pay back for the amounts you get sponsored. These are academic, gifted, and need-based. You are probably familiar with the name Pell Grant. It is a federal program. It is likely that it will be listed on the FAFSA but you can also apply for other private sources of funding.
   • Of course You need to pay the loans. This recommendation will be made by your school on the FAFSA if you qualify. You can also get a private loan if needed, and your parents get an extra loan if they want.

4. 

   Take the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or, Prevent Injury, Enhance Perfomance (PEP) outside of the classroom. Explore your school's policies when it comes to the Advance Placement Program (APP), the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), and the Examination Program. capacity (Provenience Examination Program or PEP). With these programs, you have an exam with 1 subject (or 2, 3 or 4 subjects) and if your score is high enough, you can receive enough college credit. Sounds too easy, doesn't it?
   • Each school has a different policy. Talk to your learning advisor about what to expect. Why was this helpful? Maybe it means you'll graduate at least a semester early and save you thousands of dollars.

5. 

   Working while studying. As a student, you may be suitable for a work-study program, one where certain students are allowed to work on certain campuses. If qualified, you will receive the selected message. Then you will receive a URL (URL: Uniform Resource Locator is used to refer to resources on the Internet) so you can check all available jobs to apply. Often less competitive than off-campus work.
   • It is usually a short-term job because you are above all a student. You will be paid attention to the best possible arrangement of your work in accordance with your schedule. If you're lucky, you'll get into a place where you can learn from work.

6. 

   Consider joining the military. In the US, you will need to take a test called ASVAB (the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is a mandatory exam to enter the US military) and that is a test to see if you are eligible to enlist or not. It is usually intended for high school students, but anyone wishing to enlist can attend. Different military armed forces require different scores for holders of the equivalent of a high school diploma (General Education Development) to score higher than those with a high school diploma. . You can then talk to the recruiter to enlist.
   • Why is this the right choice for you? In the US, for example, a soldier gets about $ 4,500 (more than 99 million VND) in tuition fees while they serve in the military while the military and many online universities have training time. consistent with your work schedule. Furthermore, after leaving the military, you will get to go to college free. Under GI Bill (A law passed in 1944 provides for the provision of education and other benefits to those who served in the armed forces during World War II. This benefit also applies to discharged persons) now, with the benefit of 100% tuition and fees at a public university and up to $ 19,198 (more than 42 million VND) for private schools. The bill also gives you a textbook grant and, in some cases, a one-time payment for your travel expenses.
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Part 4 of 4: Get a scholarship

1. 

   Apply for a study scholarship. Universities often offer grants or partial scholarships. Look for programs or scholarships from a variety of outside sources that can help pay the rest of the cost. Apply for as many scholarships as possible to reduce the cost of your studies.
   • Once you have entered university, it is advisable to maintain the academic performance needed to apply for a scholarship. Most grants or scholarships require you to maintain a certain grade point average or rank high in academic achievement. Continue to work hard and get good grades to keep the scholarship for as long as possible.

2. 

   Aim for sports scholarships. Sports scholarships are highly competitive, and award only to the best players in a region or state. If you're not the best player on your team, in your area, getting a sports scholarship is difficult. Practice and work hard to improve your sport. Contact coaches at the university that interests you.
   • The best sports schools may ignore the average student, but assuming a scholarship selects you or a student with similar athletic ability but with better scores, the chances will be given to you. that. So you also need to keep a high score as well. Taking the initiative to apply will put you in the coach's sights. Because you reached out and let them know that you are interested in their school and they will be more likely to consider you.
   • While this scholarship can get you a top education for free, it also comes with some costs. You will have to spend more than 20 hours a week practicing sports, which can hinder investment in college programs. These scholarships are awarded every year, so they can be taken away by others if your coach feels you are no longer worthy.
   • Consider lower-division schools. In the US, maybe you dream of playing for your favorite Division I sports school (first place), scholarships will be difficult to get there.

3. 

   Consider and select a ROTC reserve officer training program. ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps is an undergraduate program offered at more than 1,000 colleges and universities across the United States that train young people to become officers in the US military) also supports scholarships if you are looking to join the military.For most ROTC programs, you will have 4 years of active service and 4 years in the personal reserve position. During those 4 years you may be called back for duty. For certain positions this may be longer or shorter. For example, pilots typically spend 10 years in service. The ROTC program operates at more than 1,000 colleges and universities throughout the country in the US. Decide to attend one of these schools. If necessary, show that you are applying for the position as a ROTC student. You can then apply for more scholarships there.
   • To learn more about ROTC in the US, make sure you meet the basic requirements of the ROTC scholarship. For high school students, you must meet the requirement of being a US citizen between the ages of 17 and 26, with a GPA of at least 2.50, with a high school diploma or high school equivalent Commonly score a minimum of 920 points for math and speaking SAT (the Scholastic Aptitude Test is one of the standardized exams for admission to several universities in the United States) or 19 on the ACT (American College Testing is a standardized type of exam designed to help university admissions boards evaluate and compare applications (this does not include written exams), and meet certain physical requirements.
   • To keep the scholarship, you must maintain certain academic and physical standards throughout your college career. Make sure you have good health at all times, and the GPA is always above the minimum required (2.50 or 3, depending on the unit training the reserve officer). The scholarship can be taken away if you do not meet the required requirements, so be aware of your place in the program of study.
   • After college, make commitments on obligations. The reserve officer training organization gives you a free university education, so be sure to fulfill your commitment to serving the armed forces.

4. 

   Apply for many special scholarships. Do you have any unusual hobbies? Are you from an ethnic minority or have you served in the military? Are you a first generation college student? What are your talents and hobbies? Write down everything you can think of, and take note of anything that might help you get on a scholarship. There are many things that can help you meet the requirement.
   • Use a reputable website like CollegeScholarships.org, Fastweb, or Scholarships.com to search for the variety of scholarships available. Research everything you can think of to be eligible for a scholarship, or look through a list of scholarships that match your circumstances and interests.
   • If possible, bring together any portfolio, video introduction, or other material to demonstrate your accomplishments and skill diversity. Art scholarships often require proof of the quality of work you have. For writing, photography or painting, put together all the profiles that demonstrate your abilities and diversity of accomplishments. For dance, music, or other talent, create recordings of your best performance. They don't have to be pretty, but they have to show your talent as best they can.
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Advice

• If you are required to pay some of the costs for your studies, you can also take advantage of other financial aid opportunities such as federal grants and loans, work-study programs, and external scholarships. and cut costs by preparing your own meals, living with your parents or sharing a roommate, etc. If you're creative, you can find alternatives to pay for your expenses - you only need time and concentration to find and complete them.
• Take some time before you apply for a scholarship to understand the financial aid process at some colleges and universities.
• If you are preparing to study visual arts, attend an application counseling session not only during your college entrance year but the year before. You do not need to bring your work with you when attending previous years (unless you want to), but joining early will allow you to question some of the representatives from the university and to identify the school. which you like. It will also provide many of the best opportunities to discover what makes an ideal candidate.

Warning

• If you are one of the few people selected for a full scholarship, don't think getting it easy. Just because you don't have to pay for college doesn't mean you don't have to work hard or behave in the right way - and remember that scholarships can be taken away.
• Scholarships are extremely competitive, so be honest with yourself about your chances before trying wholeheartedly for a particular school or scholarship.