Pay for College Without Taking on Student Loan Debt
Jason Braddock knew he had to foot the bill for his college education, so he went to work. His first job was with his mother and aunt, who worked as custodians. They paid him $5 a night to empty trash cans, pick up paperclips and wash windows. He was 7 years old.
When he was old enough to get a job on his own, Braddock worked a string of gigs that included Taco Bell, Home Depot and his local movie theater. In college, he tutored and worked as a computer tech on campus.
"I just worked my butt off, from 15 1/2 all the way through college, in order to pay for it," he says.
His hard work paid off in 2006 when he graduated from the University of Akron in Ohio with bachelor's degrees in math and education - and no student loan debt.
[Discover 10 ways to save on college costs.]
Braddock is among the few college graduates who managed to earn a degree without the help of student loans. Nearly 70 percent of 2011 graduates took out student loans, borrowing an average of $26,220 to finance their degrees, according to U.S. News data.
Undergrads who work their way through college can maximize their efforts by seeking out a job that offers tuition reimbursement. Target, Apple, Home Depot, Starbucks and Verizon Wireless are easy to spot in any college town, and all have tuition assistance programs.
Some companies only offer benefits to full-time employees. Others, such as UPS, extend them to part-time workers, as well. Students qualify for tuition assistance at UPS as soon as they start, and can earn up to $3,000 in assistance per calendar year - $4,000 if they are part-time management.
Another job that will pay your tuition: the military.
James Kendall, 30, financed his bachelor's in criminal justice using the GI Bill, which covers tuition, fees, books and housing. The Michigan native didn't know what he wanted to do after graduating from high school in May 2011, but quickly decided on a path.
"Shortly after I graduated, Sept. 11 happened, and I just felt it was my duty," Kendall says.
He logged five years of active duty service as a Navy Seabee. During that time Kendall served two tours in Iraq and aided relief efforts for two catastrophic natural disasters - the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
"When I got out of the military I said, you know, I put five hard years in the military, now I'm going to spend five years going to college and raise my child," he says.
Kendall returned to Michigan in 2006 and earned an associate degree from Muskegon Community College before transferring to Grand Valley State University. With his college and living expenses covered, he focused his attention on his school work and his daughter, who was in kindergarten at the time.
"Other people, they have to work a full-time job and they have to go home and do their studies and, if they have children, it's got to be extremely difficult," he says.
[Find tips and tools to help pay for college.]
Kendall volunteered in his daughter's classroom when he wasn't attending classes himself. He graduated last month completely debt-free. His experiences in the military gave him a perspective and knowledge that most college students don't have, but he acknowledges the military is not for everyone.
Those who enlist may have their patience tested when they try to use their GI benefits, he says, advising service members to contact their local Veterans Affairs office and the school's financial aid office as early as possible.
"It's not a call on Monday morning expecting to get some answers and then get them a couple hours later," Kendall says. "Don't wait to do things until the last minute because you will end up being disappointed."
Students don't need to enlist or log hours at a part-time job in order to avoid student loans. College choice can play an important role in achieving a debt-free education, too.
[See the 2014 U.S. News Best Value Schools.]
For Ashley Riser, 30, that meant turning down her dream school.
The South Carolina native's heart was set on the College of Charleston, but after comparing scholarship offers she chose the University of South Carolina--Aiken.
"The package I got from College of Charleston sounded really impressive - the dollar amount," she says. But when she plugged in all of the numbers into her spreadsheet - tuition and fees, room and board, meal plan and books - USC--Aiken was the clear winner.
"Aiken was money back in my pocket," she says. "Charleston was giving them money."
Deciphering the financial aid awards was not easy. Riser called each school's financial aid office - repeatedly.
"I was on a first-name basis with folks because I called so often," she jokes.
Riser is now a college admissions officer and uses her experience to help prospective students make an informed decision.
"Really go through and find out what the cost is," she says. "And don't let the rah-rah, feel-good emotions about the school that you want to attend get in the way of making a smart decision."
Trying to fund your education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for College center.
