When you think of going to college, most people think that you need a student loan and this couldn’t be further from the truth.  If you plan early enough, you can avoid student loans altogether and all it takes is a little bit of action and you can avoid student loans.  If you manage to avoid student loans, you’re not only going to save a boatload of money, you’ll also graduate out of college without any debt, a feat most students can’t accomplish.

If you want to go to college without any student loans, here are some tips you can follow in order to start getting on the right path:

Start early in high school - If you’re reading this and you’re still in high school, talk with your guidance counselor and see if you’re able to take any classes during high school that will apply toward your college classes.  You’ll be surprised how many classes your high school may offer that give you college credits.  Even if it’s one class, you’re going to save a few hundred dollars.

Start with a community college - A community college is a lot cheaper than a university.  Community college will allow you to go the first two years and then apply those credits toward a university in your area.  Make sure that you meet with your counselor ahead of time to set up a plan, so that the classes you take don’t go to waste.  By going to community college, you’re going to save a lot more money.

Find a job that helps- There are a lot of jobs out there believe it or not that will assist you with your schooling.  Companies like UPS and others will give you money for college just for working there!  Do some research and find some jobs in your area that will help with your schooling.  Even if it’s a little, it all helps!

Get a scholarship- Scholarships are probably the most important part of your funding.  You’re going to want to treat scholarships like a full-time job.  You’re going to want to find every avenue possible and see what you’re eligible for.  There’s a scholarship out there for anyone!  Use services like FastWeb that will help you find scholarships.

Pay in cash - If you don’t mind taking a little longer with college, I would recommend you go to school part time and work full time.  Try and apply as much money as possible toward your tuition.  Sure, it’s going to take longer to finish school but think on the bright side, you’re going to be able to avoid all of those pesky interest rates that student loans come with.

If you do plan on attending college without a loan, make sure you’re cheap on campus as well.  Buy your text books used, try and eat as cheap as possible, and think of other ways to save money as well.  Going to college without a loan isn’t all that hard.  It just takes time and effort.  If you can accomplish this, graduating without a loan isn’t hard at all!

When you apply for a student loan for the first time, it’s like anything in life, it can be quite confusing.  Like anything, you’re not expected to know what to do the first time you actually do something.  Since a student loan is a pretty big thing when you’re looking to finance your education, it’s important that you know how the process works, so that you can get the best interest rate. 

Here’s how the process works –

Step One - Once you find a loan that looks good to you, you’re going to want to apply for it.  Make sure that you know all of the information that will be on the application such as your school name, references, etc.  Be aware that most of the time, you’re going to a co-signer, so make sure you know who you’re going to use.  If you can show that you’re responsible, it shouldn’t be hard to find someone such as your parents, relatives, etc.

Step Two - Once you submit your loan application, there’s a few things that you’re going to have to wait for before you get approved.  The first thing the loan company will do is verify your student loan.  What I mean by this is that they will contact your school and make sure that you’re actually going to be a student there.  This will avoid people from filling out fraudulent applications.

Step Three - After the loan company verifies your eligibility with the school, they will take it to the next level where they will consider other factors to see if you’re eligible for the loan.  Whether you’re approved or denied, the loan company will let you know.

Usually you will find that the loan will go directly to the school and it will credit your account.  Sometimes it will take up to 10 weeks for the loan to become available to you.  This is why it’s important to apply early.  Before you apply for your loans, make sure that you look and get rates from as many companies as possible because they all vary.  If you accomplish this, you should be able to find the best loan.

TIP:  I recommend you use a website like SimpleTution where they do all the dirty work for you when it comes to finding a student loan.

Applying for a student loan, especially if it’s your first time is going to be a chore in itself.  From calling to getting information from all of the companies online, there’s so much to the process.  The thing that every potential college student wants is the greatest interest rate possible and while this may be hard to find, there are a few steps you can take to find and compare all of the student loans that you come across.

Use the internet - The first thing you’re going to want to do is take advantage of the Internet.  The Internet is a wonderful tool to find all the information you need.  My word of advice is to use tools like SimpleTuition that allows you to put in all the information and they will do the dirty work.  Websites like this will contact the loan companies and they will contact you to give you a quote.  This is a lot easier than finding a company by yourself.

Know the averages- A good way to know you’re not getting ripped off is by checking the national averages.  If you can get a loan under that average rate, you’re on the right path.  If the company you’re going to get your school loan with seems a little fishy, they probably are.  Check out Bankrate.com’s student loan average chart.  You can get a lot of information from this chart alone.

Know what loan you want - Don’t just apply for the first loan you come across.  There are so many type of loans out there that you can be eligible for.  If you’re looking to apply for a private loan, you may find that a PLUS loan may be more beneficial for you and your school.  We did a feature on the different types of student loans out there.  Be sure to compare more than one type of loan, you’ll be surprised at the results.

In the end, my rule of thumb is that you check out the averages on what kind of loan you want.  If your rate falls below the average, you’re getting a good loan.  If not, be sure to keep shopping until you’re happy.  Finding a school loan shouldn’t be a two hour process.  Instead, you should set some time aside and really work at it.  You’re going to be living with this loan for a while, so make some use out of it!

Financial Aid can be a confusing process with many questions that go unanswered.  The purpose of this post is to inform you on how financial aid works and what you should be prepared for. 

Know what you can afford - Before you even start applying for financial aid, know what you can afford.  If your parents are going to help you, see what they are going to contribute.  If you’re going to put some money toward your college classes, put that into consideration.  After you figure out how much you’re going to get personally, see what the difference is and this is what you’ll need for financial aid money.

Don’t wait - If you know what school you’re going to, that’s great.  See what the deadline is for your school to submit all of your financial aid information.  Every school will differ, they all aren’t the same.  If you wait til the last second, you may find out that you were too late for the school year.

Know when to file - Financial Aid is available online on different dates according to the state you’re applying in.  Refer to the FAFSA schedule if you’re confused about an issue.  99% of the time you’re going to have to use the state your parents live in.  You’ll find that it’s near impossible to become an independent resident.  It’s worth a shot but you’ll most likely get denied.

Check with your college - Some colleges will require that you apply with them as well as the government.  Make sure you ask your college admissions office to see what the requirements are when you apply.

Save all paperwork- Everything you fill out that’s financial aid related, make sure that you save all of the information just in case something goes bad.  You’ll also need all of this for tax reasons as well.  A great way to organize it is to simply throw it in a manila folder and put it in a filing cabinet.

Know your payments - Some students make the mistake of applying for aid and find out later that they can’t afford the payments.  Use calculators online that can give you an idea on how much you’re going to pay, so that when your bills start rolling in, you won’t be surprised.

Financial Aid is just a stepping stone when it comes to financing your college classes.   Make sure you know what you’re going to pay in the future and what you can afford today.  Follow a few of these steps and it should help guide your financial aid process a little easier.

When in the hunt for a college student loan that requires no credit check, it may seem like there would be no company out there that does so.  While most reputable companies demand some sort of credit check, some companies may not require one and these are the companies you need to look out for.

Where do I find a loan like this?

There are a few companies out there that are legit and offer no credit check student loans.  One company that I highly recommend that deals with these type of loans is NextStudent.  NextStudent isn’t the only company online that offers these type of loans.  Ask your college advisor for suggestions on who they prefer.  You may find another company that is more to your liking.  In the meantime, it never hurts to apply to see if you’re approved or not.

What do I look out for?

As I already mentioned above, sometimes you have to be weary of companies that require no credit check at all.  Sometimes you may find that you may not get the full initial amount required or it may be a scam artist looking to steal your informatin.  To make sure that the company is legit, make sure you check with the BBB or do a simple review check on the web.

How to apply?

Once you find a loan that you want to apply for, simply fill out an application form.  From there, you’ll be contact by a representative or they will send you an e-mail.  This will all depend on the company.  From there, you’ll be given a status.  You’ll either be approved or denied.  If you’re approved, they will guide you through the next steps.  If you were denied, don’t be discouraged.  Instead, try another company and see what happens.

If you find yourself having a hard time getting approved for a college loan and you really want to attend school, try and find a reputable co-signer and see if they will assist you with the loan.  Make sure you let them know how responsible you’re going to be.  If you do find someone that will assist you, make sure you take care of them for doing a kind gesture.

TIP: Try NextStudent for a No Credit Check Student Loan