Paying off College

by Troy
(Laurelton, NY USA)

I am a senior currently in college. This should be a happy time for me because I am almost finished with my major which is bachelor's of health sciences nutrition. The only problem that is hindering me from continuing my courses is due to my financial situation that I owe to the school.

The reason why I owe the school money is because my financial aid & student loans are very low to cover my tuition payments. I also have a Pell Grant from my school, but it can only cover $3,200 dollars for this semester. This semester I owe my school $4,300 dollars, so I am currently on a leave of absence from school until October 9th, 2012.

Here is my advice to any student or high school student that is heading into college so they won't be in the same situation as I am in. One advice is to apply for grants & scholarships online. Each student must read the rules and regulations before they apply to them so they won't get scammed. They are scholarships for different majors, scholarships for women , and scholarships for different races as well. If a student can't find a scholarship that is good for them, applying for a student grant will be easier as well.

There are times where it is not easy to find a good scholarship, therefore the student must be calm, and relaxed before you begin the scholarship process. I am not giving up on my dream to becoming a nutritionist, so I am advising each student to don't give up on their dreams also.

College is a blessing and an investment as well. This is my reason why scholarships and grants are important so all students will make payments to continue their educational goals. If any student does not find scholarships available, then applying to fafsa.edu is another good website for students to try out too. This is why it is very important that financial aid or scholarships is important so anyone can go to school without any financial worries in the long run.

Read more College Financial Aid Tips from other students and parents who have been through process.

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Comment from your friendly team at College Financial Aid Advice

Thanks for your advice Troy on paying off college expenses. There are many college scholarships and grants available as financial aid, if students will only get out there and apply. Check out our list of scholarships too. Best of luck to you as you finish school and continue with your career.

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More Tips for Paying College Expenses and Applying for Scholarships

Scholarship Money for College | FAFSA | Tuition Assistance Programs | Federal Student Loans | Consolidating Student Loans | College Tax Credit | Student Jobs | Scholarship Contests | Scholarships for High School Seniors | Scholarships for College Students | Merit Based Scholarships

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Only Take What You Need

by Zac Nicholson
(Evansville, Indiana, USA)

Paying back student loans - At the start of the 2011 year I decided that I wanted to do something with my life. The thing I decided to do was go to college to pursue a major in Sports Management. I wanted to get a Sports Management degree because, I have always love sports. So I applied to a few universities, most didn’t want me to attend their university. So I had to go to a community college.

So now that I knew what college I was going to, I had to figure out how I was going to pay for it. My parents wanted me to be independent, meaning they weren’t going to help me pay. I realized the only way I could pay for college was to get the government help. I did this by completing a FAFSA form online, then accepting my loans that the government offered me.

The first time I accepted all the money that they would offer me, this turned out to be a bad idea. See I didn’t realize that I had to pay this money back after I was done with college. I now realize that I will be paying back money that I shouldn’t have taken out.

While the government paid for all my college the first semester, they didn’t for my second one. This became a problem because I didn’t have a job, and my parents weren’t going to help me out. So I had to take out a private loan. I had to take this loan out because I decided to take all the money I was offered in my first semester. This money I took was to be used for my first and second semester.

What did I do with the extra money I had gotten from the first semester? I spent it on materialistic stuff that I didn’t need. So now I owe the government money, and this loan company money. If I had known that you do not have to take the whole amount the government offers you, I wouldn’t had done it. It would have saved me money now, and in the long run.

Read more tips on Paying back Student Loans from other students and parents who have been through the student loan process.

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Comment from your friendly team at College Financial Aid Advice

Thank you Zac for sharing your hard lesson learned – only take what you need. Student loans must be paid back, and they must be paid back with interest. If you use up all your money in a low interest federal student loan, you have to take out a more expensive private loan, and so it goes. Best of luck to you in college and paying back your student loans.

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More Information on Student Loans

FAFSA | Federal Student Loans | Federal Plus Loan | Federal Pell Grants | Perkins Student Loans | Paying off Student Loans

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Never give up on your goal!! Determination pays off!

by Michelle
(Lansing, Michigan)

I am extremely thankful for the availability of student loan programs to assist in my attaining the dream of a college degree. Without them I would not have been able to complete my Master’s Degree and be working in a job that I love! Although accruing debt is not the ideal, sometimes it is an ends to a means. I worked two jobs during college and still was not able to cover all the expenses. Now I have accomplished my goal and have more than DOUBLED my salary by attaining a Master’s Degree in Public Health. My current occupation is developing adolescent health programs across the state of Michigan, allowing me to help Michigan’s young people realize their dreams of an education and that a healthy, happy life is achievable! That makes it all worth it!!

My advice to current students is to make sure the degree you are pursuing is actually what you intend to do with your life. Also, remember that the cost of the degree will pay for itself in the long term. Many people I know never actually finish their degree, due to not only the expense but deciding to quit to get married or decide on another career path before completing their requirements. I have friends that are only 2-3 classes short of a Bachelor’s Degree and never finished. Now they are stuck with student loan debt with no diploma to show for it! If you don’t intend on sticking it out and completing your degree all of that investment is lost!! That is unbelievable to me to waste such an opportunity!!

Achieving your goal of a college education will require determination, courage, stamina and focus. Too often in our society today young people have an attitude that they are entitled to living the life their parents and grandparents spent their lives working hard to achieve. Attending a higher education institution is a privilege not an entitlement. My belief is that college is not as much about learning academics but learning the life skills it takes to be the best person you can be to succeed in life. Budgeting and the financial responsibility associated with student loan debt is one of those life skills that will serve you well if you are willing to learn!

Read more College Financial Aid Advice from other students and parents who have been through process.

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Comment from your friendly team at College Financial Aid Advice

Thank you Michelle for sharing your advice with other students. Student loan debt can be worth it when you get a good degree, but not when you end up with no degree. Good luck to you.

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