Hey, guys! We've discussed it before, and if you take a spin around Google, you will see that the talk around the internet focuses on the best ways to obtain college money. There's good reason for this, you know. For one, we are smack in the middle of financial aid season, which means that money is on the brains of everyone concerned about college. More importantly, perhaps, is the fact that higher education is hard on the wallet--higher tuition, cuts in some aid programs; these all affect what students become responsible for in funding their education.
Back in December we talked about how some schools are decreasing the amount of money that families must contribute to university. The great news is that even more initiatives have been brought to public attention, and should greatly help students and their families in attaining or saving college money.
1. Guaranteed Tuition.
Maybe you've already been in school a few years, and have seen your college costs fluctuate. It's true--tuition is mostly on the rise. The idea behind guaranteed tuition is to eliminate this increase, and to make things easier for students. Such new programs are promising students that the tuition they start with in year 1 will be the very same amount until the day they grab that diploma (Note: typically applies to standard 4-year course of study). Schools that have adopted such a policy include:
- Eastern Illinois University
- University of Texas at Dallas & UT-Austin
- University of Colorado Boulder
- Augusta State University
Remember that in some cases, locked tuition rates apply only to in-state residents, however schools like University of Colorado Boulder have designated their program specifically to help the out-of-staters. Other bonuses exist with programs such as that for Texas, which bills for up to 15 credits only and gives any additional (say you're taking an 18-credit semester) for free.
Housing Discounts.
In either case, be it on-campus living or off-campus apartments, living near school has become more affordable to students. Many apartment complexes offer student discounts, such as those near Macon State College in Georgia. For discount consideration, students need only to present a college ID.
Another way of reducing housing costs has been implemented at Cleveland State University. Here, the school is essentially providing scholarship money to be applied toward housing. They call it their Freshman Scholars Program, and students maintaining 3.0+ GPAs who live on campus are eligible to receive up to $5,100 (approximately what one would spend annually on housing anyway).
We know that families are constantly on the hunt for better ways to deal with financing college. The natural starting point is to look for various education loans and grants, and sometimes scholarships. But isn't it a comfort to know that there is more out there? College teaches you to think outside of the box--so why not do that when you think of funding such an education?
Go Financial Aid is always here to help you in your search for financial aid. Stop by our solutions center to learn how we can best serve you.
