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Is it possible to graduate from college with $0 in student loan debt?

I want to be able to pay for college as I go. I want to go to this one university but it costs about $25,000 a year. I want some advice to achieve this goal. #debtfree #scholarships

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Jeff’s Answer

There are lots of great companies that offer tuition reimbursement and its always good to have experience to go with your degree.
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Estelle’s Answer

Yes, but it will be very challenging. You need to go to colleges that will give you scholarships not only for your tuition, but also for living expenses. This is a tough road, but a very fulfilling one too.
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Heather’s Answer

That is a great goal! Student loan debt can hang over your head for a long time if you let it. You can do student work programs as well as having a job that pays for you to get your degree. A lot of jobs have tuition reimbursement. I was able to get my Master's degree without incurring any more student loan debt through tuition reimbursement. Good luck!
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D'Anna’s Answer

It is very possible to go to college and not have to pay a thing. However, it takes a lot of work to be able to achieve it.

Scholarships and financial aid are your bestfriends when it come to wanting to have a full ride. Most college offer a packet of scholarships to first year students. For example, the college I went had the packet on their website. They categorized them specific to the degree you're seeking and provided descriptions of the qualifications needed for the scholarship. You then filled out a cover page that was provided and attached it to the other documents need for the scholarship being applied for. Then you sent in all of the scholarships you wanted to apply for into the financial aid department of the college. They then sent them to appropriate businesses. One thing to remember though is don't feel like you can't apply for a scholarship because you feel like you don't meet the requirements. A lot of scholarships aren't given out because people don't apply for them. It never hurts to try.

D'Anna recommends the following next steps:

Apply for TONS of scholorships!
See if the college you're interested in offers a Scholarship Packet
Ask local busniesses and banks if they offer scholarships
Participate in extracurricular activities (Key Club, FBLA, FFA, etc.)
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Ella’s Answer

It is, but you will have to work hard and use your network to find the money. Nothing is free, especially college. You'll need to have an organized plan of attack and stick to your schedule. Don't let application dates pass without you acting on them.


  • Sites such as scholarships.com and fastweb seem like scams but I have actually received money for meeting and completing scholarship requirements. Use the internet and search terms like "Local college scholarships."
  • If you are part of a community service organization such as Kiwanis then reach out to programs that you may have volunteered for in the past. They will usually have a scholarship that they give out every year that you may qualify for!
  • Using your high school guidance counselor as a guide is literally what they are there for! Reach out them monthly or bi-monthly to see if they have received any scholarship information. Big companies will send out their scholarship applications to the guidance counselors who will give them to you if they know you are looking!


Keep in mind the average cost of tuition while you look at colleges as well. Everyone has a dream college, but sometimes it doesn't make sense just to go to a school for the name. You can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars by choosing a smaller or state college VS a huge institution. Think about what you really want out of your college experience and find the RIGHT college VS the popular one. Being picky is important! If what you really want is to get out of college with 0 debt then this should be a factor when you are choosing your college.

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Scott’s Answer

It is possible, but harder than most people think. The cost of college continues to rise. There are a few ways to go to college for free in the United States, such as: military service, tuition free college, and lots of scholarships.

Scott recommends the following next steps:

Talk to your high school student services department.
Look into tuition free or tuition forgiveness college options.
Look for scholarships.
Look at community college for core classes first. This keeps costs down in the long run.
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