Get Through College Without Going Broke

Credit: Anna Gutermuth (Flickr)

It’s always worth going to college to get a degree that’ll help you in later life. But it can be financially stressful! With tuition costs rising, and living expenses on top of that, your bank balance is likely to take a hit. It can be hard to make it through a four-year degree without going broke!

But there are ways to make the costs of college less concerning. Some simple adjustments to your lifestyle and the way you manage your money can make a significant difference. Here are some useful pointers. Perhaps you’re attending college yourself. But if you’re a parent with a child in college, you can also give them this advice!

Consider Another Loan

Both federal and private student loans are there to help you pay your way through college. Some students may also get grants and scholarships to help out. But if you’re deep into your college degree and struggling with tuition costs, you might need a little extra.

It’s often worth taking out another loan if you have a lot of expenses. It can be stressful to deal with more debts, but it’s worth it to graduate rather than leave with no degree and a pile of debt. To handle loan repayments, you can always refinance or consolidate them for lower payments in the long run. Make sure you find the best choices for student loan refinancing.

Remember that student loans aren’t the only option. You can also find personal bank loans which can help you with your costs.

Find Cheap Textbooks

All students will know how the cost of textbooks can be crippling. Checking off your reading list for a course can take a chunk out of your funds. If you have books to buy, find the cheapest way to get them.

Colleges often try and encourage students to pay full price for new textbooks. But you can often find them used online on sites like eBay. There are also sites purely for the purpose of getting college textbooks cheaper. Of course, you could also borrow books from your college library. But you might need a permanent copy.

If you search for textbooks on Google, you may be able to find free PDFs. You should also look into some of the best sites for finding college textbooks online.

Cut Your Living Costs

Living out on your own for the first time is a lot of fun. But the financial aspects can catch up to you fast! Make sure you’re handling your money wisely- it’ll make getting through college much easier.

Watch that you’re not spending too much week by week. You can cut down your food bill by buying meat frozen and going for cheap staples such as rice and pasta. You can avoid paying too much for entertainment by using cheap subscription services like Spotify and NetFlix. There are all kinds of student discounts available for utilities and products all you need to do is ask. Many companies offer student wifi deals to help cut costs, all they require is a copy of your student ID or enrolment information and they will apply your discount.

College is the best time to look into ways to save on everyday expenses. Learning how to be frugal now will help you throughout your life.

Get A Part-Time Job

Many students avoid working during college. After all, it takes time away from your studying. Or maybe it just takes time away from partying. Either way, you should consider part-time or casual work. Every extra dollar in your pocket helps you with your education.

Bars and restaurants often offer casual shifts for students. They’ll be understanding of your needs to take less work when finals are coming up. Retail jobs are also useful for students. You can ask for evening and weekend shifts and still have time to study. You could also get an on-campus job to build experience and gain extra cash.

Here is another great guide for more information on making it through college without losing everything.