After spending some time on Scholarships.com or other college funding
resources, you are probably familiar with basic ways to make a college education more affordable. You can start saving early, consider attending a
community college, search for scholarships, and apply for
federal student financial aid. You might be lucky enough to come across a school willing to give you a significant need-based or merit-based
academic scholarship. You may even have heard of certain Ivy League schools with mammoth endowments providing generous
financial aid packages to their student bodies, which while impressive, probably doesn't help the
average student.
We've recently come across news of three colleges that are committed to making an education extremely affordable to every one of their students. While these schools offer unique and interesting money-saving programs, this is by no means an exhaustive list of innovative and affordable schools. Conduct your own research, including a free
college search on Scholarships.com to find out more about affordable colleges.
The New York Times ran an article recently about
Berea College in Kentucky, a private four-year college that offers every student a 10 hour per week on-campus job, hand-made dorm furniture, and, oh yeah, free tuition. While Berea doesn't have a football team or a multi-million dollar wellness center, the prospect of graduating debt-free is enough to attract a high-quality student body. Unlike many colleges that select students based mainly on minimum GPA or SAT scores, Berea's students have to meet a maximum family income requirement, roughly equivalent to eligibility for
Federal Pell Grants.
Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, TN recently
announced a different plan to make a college education more affordable for its students. Implementing a program similar to the one
piloted by
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond, VA, Volunteer State will now be offering its students an opportunity to take a full courseload of classes while only attending school one day a week. Their "Full Time Friday" program will allow students to save on gas, daycare, and other expenses by only commuting to school one day a week, and can potentially afford students the chance to work a full-time job while also taking classes full-time. While spending a 14-hour day on campus is not for everyone, it can be an attractive option for students who are looking to save time and money and to consolidate their class schedule as much as possible.
So if you think
attending college is out of your grasp for reasons of time or money, look around first to see what's out there! You might be pleasantly surprised!
Get instantly matched to scholarships that meet your skillset, strengths and unique talents. Our search algorithms match you to scholarships that fit your profile. Access a complete list of college scholarships now by conducting a free college scholarship search at Scholarships.com.
