by Penny Nama

Created on: July 16, 2009

All you need to do is open a newspaper to read about the exponential growth in the cost of a college education. Many universities now charge up to $40,000 a year in tuition and books, room and board, and other supplies are thousands of dollars more. Almost no one can afford to spend that kind of money out of pocket, leaving many students thinking they have only two choices, rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans, or don't go to college.

On average, college graduates will earn $900,000 more over their lifetimes than someone with just a high school diploma. Even if you factor in the cost of many of the most expensive schools, plus interest on student loans, getting a college education will still put you ahead in the long run.

The even better news is that your choices are not crushing debt or no college education; there are hundreds of affordable college options out there just waiting to be explored.

Attending a community college is a great way to save money and attend college. California's community college system offers classes with tuition as low as $20 per unit. This means you could take a full course load of 18 credits for $360! Even when you add in fees for various student services, a semester of classes could be less than $500. Books will add several hundred more dollars to the bill, but buying your books used and searching online retailers can save you lots of money. Many other states have community college systems that are equally inexpensive. These schools will prepare you to transfer to a university, where you will only have two more years of school.

Community colleges are also flexible when it comes to working students. They know many of their students have to hold down full or part-time jobs to pay for school and make ends meet so they offer classes that meet at a variety of times, including online courses.

Every year millions of dollars in scholarship money goes unclaimed because no one asked for it. Apply for scholarships. Many of these scholarships can be used for all of your college expenses including tuition, room and board, books, and other fees and supplies. There are also grants available to student whose family's have lower incomes. You don't have to shell out thousands of dollars for college, let someone else pay for your dreams!

Finally, you don't have to go to an expensive school. There are hundreds of schools that have worked hard to keep their costs low and to provide opportunities for their students to work to help pay for school. Often, these schools are located in areas that have a lower cost of living, which also helps to keep your college costs down.

A college education is cost effective. It is priceless. It will change how employers think about you and it will open doors to you that you could never have imagined. At first glance, the costs can seem daunting. But with careful planning, some hard work, and a can-do attitude, a college education is within your grasp. So make the most of it!

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