College is definitely one of those time periods where we’ve all got to make sure that we’re staying focused. Interestingly enough, it’s also one of those time periods where we can feel the most tempted to remain completely unfocused. No matter what your situation is, college is a lot of fun for a lot of people. One of the things that most college students don’t really get to enjoy a lot of, however, is money. Many times, college students can find themselves struggling financially. There are not really enough hours in the week to work a job full-time while you’re pursuing your studies in a serious way. There are, however, some pretty clever ways to come up with the cash you will need to pay for your school. The following five ideas are some pretty innovative ways that you might be able to pay for a college education.
1. Find a Free College! Did you know there were free colleges? There are! Not only is the MOOC becoming very popular, but there are free universities in the country, as well. MOOC stands for “Massive Open Online Course” and are offered by some of the best educators in the world. You can get pro-level knowledge completely for free. Other schools, like the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art will let you attend for free!
2. Cut Some Costs. When you’re in college, it’s usually smart to do everything you can to make sure you’re living the most frugal lifestyle you can possibly manage. This doesn’t mean that you should eat unhealthy things like ramen all the time, but it does mean you might want to cut some costs that are unnecessary. Maybe that Netflix subscription isn’t quite worth $10 a month if you’re really worried about your finances.
3. Look for Offbeat or Interesting Scholarships. There are a lot of scholarships to choose from, especially when you use a tool like Google to search for them. Even still, there are a bunch of other scholarships for odd, off-beat, or niche interests. See if you can dig something up that works for you, and you might be able to win some cash to pay for school. Some of these scholarships are even creativity-based, as well.
4. Start a Little Business. There are a ton of ways that you can bring in some money while you’re at school. A couple of enterprising students once started a service where they would clean up the morning after a large party. Ideas like that can help you pay for school when you’ve used GetaRealDegree.com to find the best university around.
5. Work on Campus! You can work on campus in a lot of different capacities, whether you work in the bookstore or act as an RA (resident advisor). The latter job will even have the school paying for your food and your dorm situation. There are a ton of ways to earn some money and pay for college while you’re working on your degree.