How am I supposed to pay for tuition without going into debt?

My employer offered a tuition assistance program that allowed me to complete my degree while working. I had the money for the first year set aside. After the first semester, I paid for the second semester out of pocket while waiting for my employer to refund the tuition. The refund for the first semester, became the tuition for the third semester, the refund for the second semester paid for the fourth semester. This pattern cycled until I completed my degree.

This will be what I encourage my children to do for a couple of reasons.

1) It encourages savings, which is a great lifetime goal to have. At the end of your degree, you still have your initial investment.

2) It encourages hard work because you have much more invested, physically, and mentally when you earn the money yourself.

3) It makes you focus on your grades as most employers require you to make satisfactory progress to continue.

4) It shows your employer that you are a go-getter.

According to estudentloan.com Companies that offer Tuition Reimbursement-- UPS, Starbucks, Wells Fargo, AT&T and Bank of America.

Additionally, my brothers opted to go through the US Military and take advantage of the GI Bill which provided education benefits.

There are actually some colleges around the country that do not charge tuition (www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/slideshows/12-tuition-free-colleges). But make sure you read the fine print on what the expected trade-off will be. You might be expected to provide a service to the state or college after graduation. You can also search for grants (you do no have to pay back) that have not been applied for and remain unclaimed (put your Google search skills to work here). Lastly, you could find a job that has some tuition reimbursement benefits. But don't just focus on one of these suggestions. All of these things combined could be your ticket. Good luck.