by Debra Menager

Created on: September 09, 2009

Luck, determination, persistence, and a creative out-of-the-box attitudes offer clues towards cutting costs and saving significantly as you pursue your college degree.

Rich parents or grandparents helping pay is luck, but not what most people count on. Scholarships and financial aid requires persistent searches, essays and applications, and winning interview styles. Bright enthusiasm and dogged determination combine with luck while looking for opportunities.

Creative college cost-cutting approaches help pay tuition, room and board (a place to sleep and food to eat), books and school supplies, transportation, and clothing. Balance requires easing off a bit, relaxing with friends or going out for fun. Those costs can be creatively cut to fit your needs.

Following are examples on how people I've met save money during college.

1. Tuition:

Community college may be less initially, but if you can add applications to the places you hope to go after. Scholarships, awards, and tuition-remission can lower costs for the higher fee university or college.

Tuition-remission:

Similar to an employee discount, free or significantly reduced tuition to children and spouses of full time employees. Usually discount start at a set percentage discount, then increases with years employed, reaching a maximum (sometimes free).

If you aren't related to someone working at a university you want to attend, don't despair. During grad school one of my classmates received a 50% reduction when his wife started working at the university health center. Parents may provide similar benefits (check the employee benefits, they vary) until you pass the dependent age limit.

Work-study and other temporary, part-time college jobs only receive pay (but they are more flexible generally on hours, and time off for exams and projects), which can help pay other living costs. However, graduate students may receive research or teaching assistant awards that also include free or reduced tuition and associated student fees.

Scholarships and Awards:

Talk to others, search online (reputable clearing-house sites exist), and delve into details from any groups you or your parents are affiliated with. Follow links from online applications (admission and financial aid) at the colleges you are considering.

University-specific awards and scholarships require multiple essays and applications. Read deadlines carefully. Earlier deadlines may be required for general admission applications to the school (to verify that students

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