What is the best way to pay for college?

What helped me is working at a company that helps with tuition reimbursement or tuition assistance at the same time working. There’s different companies that offer tuition reimbursement, but great way to pay for school. I was able to get accounting degree while working for Verizon!

There are basically 3 ways you can get financial aid for college (other than getting a job): Scholarships, Grants, and Loans

Scholarships: The best way to earn free money!!! There is a HUGE variety of scholarship out there for you. A simple google search can take you to so many sites with the scholarships that best fit your needs. Scholarships are broken down into either by financial necessities (if you or your family have a low income for example) or by merit (things you have done in high school such as extra curricular activities, volunteering, etc.) They can be based off your GPA, class ranking, and many more details, all depending on what the scholarship is asking as part of the application. One tip on scholarships: Search LOCAL! Many students apply for big nationwide scholarships, but fail to realize that the local Mom and Pop shop down the street is giving away a scholarship as well. Although the money may not be as big as the nationwide scholarships, every little bit helps!

Grants: This is FREE money that the government gives you just for going to college. Grants can also vary on a variety of factors, but mainly in what state you live in and what school you are attending. Every state may have different amounts they can give you, so I can't speak for all of them. And as I mentioned, it also depends on your family's income. It usually goes that the less money your family makes, the more you can receive in grants. They usually find this out through your family's tax returns. You figure out how much money you are able to receive by filling out the FASFA form (https://fafsa.ed.gov/). This is something you have to do YEARLY or else you won't get money for every year you're in school. The application opens every January 1st (you would fill out the first one in the spring of your senior year in high school). In order to get the most money possible, you should submit everything by MARCH 15TH. Once you submit the form, the different colleges you applied to will calculate everything and will let you know how much the government/school is able to give you in grants.

Loans: Probably the way most students do NOT want to get money, mainly because you have to pay this money back at some point (usually 6 months after you graduate from college). Schools and the government will let you know how much you are able to take out in loans by filling out the FAFSA form as well. Most of the time the schools will give you a financial aid packet telling you how much of either grants/loans they can give you. Sometimes they may offer two separate packages, one for loans and one for grants. It all just depends on the school. Like I mentioned, this is money you have to pay back. Loans can be broken into 2 different types: Subsidized, unsubsidized, Subsidized means that you do not have to pay the interests that you have accumulated over time (if you borrow $100, then you only pay $100) and Unsubsidized menas you have to pay that interest back (if you borrow $100, then you pay back those 100 PLUS whatever the interest rate percentage is.)

I know it's a lot of information at once, but I hope this helps! Please let me know if you would like me to go more in detail about any of this, or if you have just any questions in general!

Hi,
Good question...cash is always best but unfortunately we rarely have that much cash to pay. You mention 2 ways, get a job and scholarships...both are good ways, you can always apply for financial aid which includes grants, scholarships and loans...remember that there are scholarships for pretty much everything that you can think of so do a lot of online research and apply for any scholarship you can, ask your parents if there are scholarships or financial aid available through their employers, ex-employers like the military. Loans are a last resort but good way to pay for college if you have tried every other alternative out there.
One piece of advice..if you are going to take out loans, try to pick the least expensive public college or university that you can so you do not have to pay back as much...I was limited in choices when I went to school where I lived and I had to attend a private university which was very expensive and I am still paying back the loans! You can always do you first 2 years of college at a 2 year community college and take all your basic courses, just make sure they transfer to the 4 year college that you are planning on attending.
Good luck! :)