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How to Afford College. You can come up with college tuition -- even a six-figure one.
It just takes a little digging. You will need Research skills Scholarships and grants to
apply for A college savings fund A financial planner A college loan A campus job A full
or part-time job and an rotc membership. Step 1. Begin saving for college as soon as possible.
Assuming an 8% yearly return on your savings, socking away $100 a month for 18 years would
leave you with $48,000 -- more than double what you put in! Consult a financial planner—or
even just a friend who’s recently paid for college—about ways to maximize your college
savings fund. Step 2. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Download
it at "www.fafsa.ed.gov":http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Step 3. Apply for scholarships and grants.
In addition to rewards for academic and athletic achievement, plus funds set up for minorities,
there are all kinds of weird-but-true scholarships, like one for left-handed people and another
awarded to the couple who creates the best prom outfit out of duct tape. Search online
for "unusual scholarships." Step 4. Apply for scholarships and grants offered by the
college you will be attending. For example, David Letterman established a telecommunications
scholarship at his alma mater, Indiana's Ball State University. Contact your institution's
financial aid office to find out what's available. Apply early! You don't want to miss any entry
deadlines if a project or essay is involved. Step 5. Consider taking out a loan. The federal
government offers both subsidized and unsubsidized loans. The former are a better deal, but both
are better than loans from private lenders. Step 6. Ask about work-study opportunities
at your school. These are part-time campus jobs reserved for students. You will likely
pay less in taxes for a work-study position than you would for a normal job. Step 7. If
you can't afford a four-year school, consider attending a community college for two years
and then transferring to the university of your choice. Step 8. Work full or part time
while you attend school part time. It will take you longer to get your degree, but you
will have less debt. Some jobs will pay part of your tuition. Step 9. Consider joining
the ROTC -- the Army's Reserve Officers' Training Corps. Army ROTC is the single largest source
of scholarship money in the United States. Did you know Graduates of two-year colleges
make an average of $400,000 more over their lifetime than those who graduate only from
high school.