Angelina
How can I get free money for off campus housing for college?
I will have a part-time job to help pay for housing and have a little help from my family but it would really be helpful to have some type of cushion. What can I do to get free money particularly for house rent? Is there any special programs? I've applied to many scholarships already and will continue to do so but are there any other options? Everything helps. I will be attending college in New York in the Manhattan area. I've searched pricing and roommate options. I am keeping rent under $900. There were a lot of good choices but I want to make sure I won't be struggling with money. #money #rent #offcampus #housing #college #job #scholarships #help
2 answers
Elizabeth Riezinger
Elizabeth’s Answer
This may not be applicable but I thought I'd suggest it anyway. If there's on-campus housing, you could apply to be a Residential Assistant (RA) who lives in the dorms as a resource for other college students. RAs typically get most (if not all) their housing paid for (granted it's a dorm room they usually don't have to share) and it's also usually a paid job. Your college's website should have some information on how to become an RA, although at my university it was pretty competitive because of the benefits.
Unfortunately, there's no great way to get 'free money' towards off-campus housing so I'd recommend a part-time job and potentially a roommate to help with costs.
Good luck!
Austin L.
Austin’s Answer
Angelina, good question. So to answer your question, there is no such thing as free money sadly (unless you rob a bank, which you should not do). It is good that you have a part time job as that will definitely help you out. You seem to be proactive about your situation by applying to scholarships which is also a really good thing to do. If you can, try and pick up extra shifts/extra hours at your job. While not the easiest thing to do when you are a full time student, you will earn more money and will end up in a better financial situation.
Also, see if you can cut unnecessary costs. If you have spending that you can cut out, then definitely do so. Budgeting is by no means fun, but it is something that we all have to do in order to be on track with everything. Try to cook more meals, limit Starbucks (it is surprisingly expensive ), and cut any other expense that isn't necessary.
Your school may have additional resources to help students offset housing costs so I would definitely suggest going to the student finance office and explore options there.
I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!!
Best,
Austin
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