Freshman Year at College for $1000 or Less?

With annual college costs soaring past $50,000, you probably think it’s impossible to pay for your first year of college for $1,000 or less.  

But if you think it’s impossible, think again. More students are slashing their college costs dramatically by applying some or all of these strategies:

• Strategy one: Get college credit for life experiences. Speak with admissions representatives of colleges you are considering to see whether you can get college credit for experiences you have had in professional life.

• Strategy two: Turn your specialized knowledge into credit hours. Did you grow up speaking a second language? Did you excel in an advanced placement test (AP Tests) in high school – but one that never granted you college-level credits? The solution can be to take a standardized test that’s administered by Educational Testing Service (the same company that offers the SAT, GMAT and other standardized tests). Called the CLEP (College Credit for Life Experience) Test, this exam is offered in more than 30 subject areas that include languages, history, mathematics and science. The cost is currently $72 per test. (A whole lot less than the cost of most college courses.) So be sure to ask the colleges where you are applying if you can utilize the CLEP to earn credits.

• Strategy three: Don’t overlook Veterans benefits. If you are a vet or a current member of the military, be sure to investigate the sources of funding available to you. The Post-911 GI Bill is designed to help pay educational costs – even the cost of housing and textbooks  – for soldiers, veterans, and reservists. To learn more, visit The Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill Website or call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551).

• Strategy four: Take reasonably priced college courses online to front-load your college process. StraighterLine.com provides online college courses that are transferable for college credit, allows you to fulfill your required curricular courses for a very attractive price indeed – as little as $39 per course in the monthly college plan. 

And one more strategy . . .

Buy and read the book Free $ for College for Dummies. It offers great suggestions on funding sources that many people overlook. One example? Get your employer to help pay your college costs. It used to happen more often than it does today. But if you will be learning skills that can apply on your job, why not ask?

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