Many people who want to go to college are concerned about the high cost of college. They may be discouraged by the thought of having to take a lot of student loans for school. While student loan debt can be manageable, there are ways to go to college for FREE. Read on to learn about the opportunities available for a free college education. A bachelor’s degree has been shown to cut your chances of unemployment in half and lead to an average of 1.2 million dollars in increased earnings versus just having a high school diploma!
States that Offer Free College
To get a bachelor’s degree, you don’t need to get all your credits at a four-year university. You can instead go to a much less expensive community college for the first two years, then transfer the credits to a four-year university. Many successful and wealthy people have done this! Notorious examples of community college graduates are Steve Jobs, one of the world’s most successful businessmen, and Morgan Freeman, one of the highest-earning actors ever.
Several states offer free community college or help you pay for it significantly. These are Maryland, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Missouri, Oklahoma, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Tennessee. Also, states like Arkansas, Kentucky, South Dakota, and West Virginia offer free but to a limited number of spots. If you live in one of these states and want to go to college, be sure to research how they help people pay for community college!
Federal Pell Grant + Community College
The U.S. federal government offers an income-based grant as student aid, called the Pell Grant. The Pell Grant is offered to those who qualify as having the financial need for it. More is explained here, and I encourage you to do research to fully understand whether you qualify: studentaid.gov Wait, isn’t this article about free ways to go to college? How does the Pell Grant apply?
The Pell grant, especially if you go to a community college in your local area, can often amount to as much or MORE than your total tuition. I myself have benefited from this for four semesters– each semester, Pell Grant totaled more than my tuition costs, so I got money BACK, I earned several hundred dollars for each successful semester of college.
The Pell Grant does not cover the full cost of a four-year university, where tuition is higher, but it may reduce tuition costs, even by about half. If you qualify for the Pell Grant, you definitely can afford community college. An associate’s degree on its own is a big deal. It will increasing your earning power greatly, and make it more likely for you to get hired.
You can apply for federal student aid, both the Pell Grant and loans, at studentaid.gov.
Free College With Military Service
There are major educational benefits for military service in the United States. This includes during active duty, during which college can be attended while off-duty. The military will pay up to $250 per credit hour, to a maximum of $4,000 annually for classes in your degree program. These tuition assistance rules also apply to men and women serving in the National Guard. The National Guard is a workable option for many students looking to decrease their tuition costs.
A much bigger benefit, however, is from the GI Bill, for time served on active duty. They will pay all of your tuition if you have served over three years on active duty, and still very large percentages for less, starting at 50% of tuition costs at 90 days of active duty. Active duty means serving in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, or Coast Guard, or any time in the National Guard that is done on orders from the federal government.
Joining the military or the National Guard is a huge commitment. However, it can have huge benefits in terms of helping you pay your college tuition, so you can get that very valuable college degree and increase your earning power.
There’s No Free Lunch, But There Can Be Free College
Getting a college degree is one of the most financially rewarding decisions you can make. It increases your earning potential and makes you far more likely to get hired. Using any one of these options, free college can become a reality for you. The initiative and willingness to seek higher education could be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make.
