by Khristeena Lute

Created on: May 06, 2008   Last Updated: September 10, 2009

In today's fast paced society, a college education is becoming more and more important in order to obtain a good job and reliable employment. But with those soaring tuition payments, how are you supposed to afford that degree in the first place? Financing a college education doesn't have to be quite so stressful. With a little planning and some effort, you can finance your college education yourself and earn that diploma!

So- you've received that hard earned acceptance letter, right? And, by now, you've taken a look at those estimated tuition costs and your stomach is now a tight ball of nerves, right? But don't worry yet- there are plenty of things you can do to get that tuition paid for!

Your first step in any tuition fund quest should be to fafsa.ed.gov to apply for student financial aid. Make sure you have your tax return handy- you'll need that information to help to fill out those forms! The fastest way to process these forms are to apply for a PIN, which can mailed or even emailed, for an even faster completion. Don't be fooled by some of those sites out there- you DO NOT need to pay a fee in order to apply for financial aid! You'll have the option when filling out this form to apply for grants, such as the Federal Pell Grant if earning your undergrad, for Work Study Programs, and even for student loans, both subsidized and unsubsidized. Work Study Programs can be quite beneficial if you plan to continue your education at a higher level- working side by side with professors and other university professionals can give you experience and know how that no other position can.

Your next stop should be your universities scholarship web page. How do you find it? You can either search the university's financial aid office web page, or give them a call- a representative can direct you to possible scholarships from the university. You can earn scholarships for all types of things- your major, your gender, your age, your background, your culture- anything goes! But you'll never know if you don't check first!

Okay, so you've gotten that FAFSA in, applied for scholarships, are still some do-ra-me to top off that tuition payment? Well, time to pull out the big guns! Search sites such as Fastweb.com for other scholarships and check out local community scholarships, such as Wal-Mart's Sam Walton Scholarships. Often, community organizations, such as Kiwanis, local churches, or even local businesses. Are you employed in a full time job? And does you intended major have any relation to your current field? If so, then your employer may even pay for you to go school! Many employers in the medical field allow their employees to continue their education and support them financially in doing so!

And if all other routes fail, there are more "old fashioned" ways to get where you want to go: good ol' honest and gainful employment. But don't waste your time doing menial jobs if you can get around it! Check your university's human resource department- did you know that university employees often receive HUGE tuition discounts? Sometimes, this can be as much as 75 to 100% of your tuition!

No matter which route you choose, a college education IS possible for anyone with the desire to get one. And remember, if they were handing out college diplomas to just anyone, then everyone would have one! Anything truly worth having is worth the work to get it!

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