Ah, a college degree. The ticket to a
better and more comfortable life. The answer to your parents’ prayers. The
ultimate achievement of a lifetime.
Getting a college degree insures anybody to
live a better life that is full of opportunities. However, no matter how nice
and fulfilling it is to get a college degree, the skyrocketing costs of such an
education somehow hinders many people to get it. If your parents can afford to
send you to college, then lucky you! However, the same cannot be said for
everybody.
Even so, there are a lot of ways to send
yourself to college, they may not be really the best choices out there but they
can really help you get a degree. Some of those financial sources you can tap
are:
1. Scholarships.
If you belong to the top ten of the class,
you can find a lot of organizations that are willing to fund your college
education. So if you are part of the cream of the crop, don’t waste that gift!
Use that to get a college scholarship.
If you are not academically inclined, but
you are into arts like dancing, singing or acting, you can still find a
scholarship to apply for in college. There are companies who are widely known
for supporting talented individuals.
If you are the athletic type, then you
might get a scholarship by being part of a school’s varsity team. However,
being a varsity player does not excuse you to maintain high grades. So still,
more pressure on you!
Nevertheless, if you are not part of the
cream of the crop, an artist or a player, you can still try to find
organizations or politicians that can offer you some financial assistance for
your college education. Just be ready to impress and do well with your grades!
2. Government Loans.
The government offers individuals who want
to pursue college with student loans. The only problem with this option is the
interest that you will be paying even after you graduate. There is a lot of
pressure if you choose this option because you need to push yourself to land a
well paying job after graduation just to pay off your debt. But if you are
willing to sacrifice, you can go with it.
3. Be a Working Student.
It’s not easy to work and study at the same
time, but if we gotta go for our dreams and reach the stars, then we really
need to work our butts off. A lot of successful people were also working
students before- working menial jobs such as waiting tables, dishwashing,
manning cashiers and the like, but they later rose to managerial positions and
better working environments after college. So if they made it, there’s no
reason that you can’t.
4.)
Ask Help from a Relative
If you have an aunt, uncle or any close
relative who is willing to finance your college education, then good for you! Grab
that opportunity immediately.
5.)
Find Cheaper Alternatives
There are colleges that do not really cost
that much. Community colleges for one are more affordable compared to bigger
universities. But if your dream is to really get in a very prestigious one, you
might have to wait a bit longer to make that dream come true. You can go on a
small, community college first and after getting your degree, get a nice job
and enter your dream school later on. By that time, you may have the financial
resources to afford it.
Financial woes are not just the kind of problem you will encounter in
getting a college degree, sleepless nights and brain racking exams await you
during your years of study. Well, we are not discouraging you, we’re just
telling the truth!
Nevertheless, nothing can stop anyone if he/she really wants to get that
degree. As the saying goes, “if there’s a will, there’s a way”. Indeed, a lot
of ways can be found if you are really adamant in pursuing.
Never say that financial challenges are a hindrance to your success,
money and funds can be gotten anywhere, but an education cannot be picked out
from anywhere. More so, such intelligence and skill is priceless- it may take
some money to acquire it formally, but the end is a most valuable thing.
If you are lucky and determined enough to push through a degree, then
there’s no telling about how high you can go with such success in hand. But
remember that the real challenge does not end after you graduate, it goes on
out onto the real world.
About the Author:
Gracezyl Blanco is a content writer and quality specialist at Gradshop- a leading manufacturer of Academic Regalia. As a working student, she
also had her fair share of ups and downs. Now that she is a full time employee,
she continues to give support to struggling students by giving tips and
advices.