Student loans are expensive, and if you absolutely need one, it’s going to feel as if you’re going to be paying this loan back forever.  Thankfully, not all of us college students have to go out, and get a student loan.  If you’re one of the many potential students out there that’s getting ready to fund your education, let me point you in the right direction on how you can go to college without student loans.

• Know your limits: When I say know your limits, I mean know your budget.  You’re going to be a college kid.  This means stay away from the $25,000 car, the fancy clothes, and the fancy dinners.  It’s time to step back, live like a poor person, and apply 99% of your money toward your degree.  Having this mindset alone can get you a far way.
• A job is a necessity: Unless you’re going to mooch off of Mom and Dad, I highly recommend you get a job.  Retail jobs are always out there, and as long as you can run a computer, or learn how to stock, you won’t have a problem getting one.  Use services like SnagAJob that are 100% free, and hook you up with hourly wage based jobs only.
• Research your colleges: A college is just like any other purchase you make in life.  Don’t just choose a college because your girlfriend is going, or because you think it’s “cool”.  You will want a great education, but you will also want to make sure that you’re getting a good deal as well.
• Commute from home: Dorm rooms are expensive, and if you can stay at home, and commute to school, you will be able to save a ton of money.  In fact, this can normally almost cut your bill in half.
• Consider community college: There’s nothing wrong with community colleges, and once you finish up the 2 years, and head to a university, you can save money, as well as get the degree from the major university at a lesser price.
• Find a job that pays: Did you know that there are jobs out there that will pay for your college education?  A while back, I wrote about jobs that help with college tuition.  These companies always change their policy, but make sure you look into some of these, if you can get hired.

Going to college without student loans is very possible, but you just have to have determination, and you have to make it your goal to go without loans.  If you can accomplish this, you will be one of the few that doesn’t have debt straight out of school.