You’re probably reading this post, and right away, you’re thinking, “It’s way easier said that done”, and while I agree with you on that standpoint, you’re going to find that nothing comes easy in life.  You don’t have to be 15, or 42 years old to understand that concept.  Today, I wanted to give you some awesome pointers that you can use to get through college, without having any debt at the end of your college years.

Why should I leave college without debt?

It’s a no brainer!  When you apply for student loans, you’re going to have that burden on your shoulders for years to come.  We all know that loans aren’t free, and when you rack up $30,000+ in student debt, there’s going to be some sort of interest rate tacked on top of it.  By leaving college with no debt, you will be able to save $1,000s in interest alone.

Steps to take to get through college without debt…

#1 Start with your college

If you’re already in college, you don’t have to skip this step, but instead, you should really look into your tuition bills.  Every college out there varies in tuition rates, and what I highly recommend is that you compare the colleges in your area.  It’s absolutely essential that you go to community college for your first 2 years, and head onto a University.  It doesn’t’ make sense to go to a University for 4 years.   By attending a community college for 2 years, this can save you $1,000s right there to cut down your bills.

#2 Search for scholarships and grants

Who said that you had to pay your bills with 100% cash to stay debt free?  What a lot of people don’t realize is that there is a scholarship out there for everyone.  Many people think that you have to be unique to receive some sort of grant, or scholarship.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Instead of thinking that way, start searching online, and treating like a job.  If you find the right grant, or scholarship, you can potentially get 1000s of dollars in college fees knocked off.

#3 Flat out work

Yes, I know it sounds obvious, but again, many people skip over this.  You don’t have to follow the stereotype and party hardy every night until 3AM.  Instead, find a part time job, and work your butt off.  You’ll be thanking yourself after you get out of school, and you watch your friends pay off their college bills for the next 20 years.  You can start up your own business, work at a local pizza joint, or even work for the college, in exchange for bill credits.

#4 Use cash only

When people get into debt, they cut up the credit cards.  You should really get into the habit of either using a prepaid debit card, or cash.  This way, you’re only going to spend what you can afford.  This is a great habit to get a hold of, and you will find that it can help you a lot later in life as well.

In the end, the system is fairly simple.  You will want to consider community college, and head to a public university.  Afterwards, apply for scholarships, use cash, work, work, and work.  As long as you’re motivated, and you want this to be done, it truly can happen.  Good luck!