by Tori Morrison

Created on: February 23, 2010

Everyone knows that there are scholarships, grants and loans available to students. What most students do not realize is that there are other ways of paying for their higher education than just these traditional methods. If you are tight on funds and did not receive enough aid from your school or government, consider these nontraditional methods to get you through college without drowning in debt:

Take CLEP and AP Exams

If you are still in high school, consider taking an Advanced Placement (AP) course. These courses are designed to teach students at an accelerated rate, allowing them to learn college material while receiving both credit for high school and college. In order to receive the college credit, students must sign up for the AP exam, held at the end of the course. Most higher education institutions will offer students at least three semester credit hours for those who score three, four or five points on the exam.

CLEP exams can be taken at anytime during your college career, and they often allow you to receive credit for introductory courses. These exams cost approximately $72 and are widely accepted by colleges and universities. Currently, there are 34 exams available for students to take. Be sure to check with schools you are interested in to make sure you will get credit for any CLEP exams you take.

Take Summer Courses

Summer courses are usually offered at a reduced rate, and are also completed in a shorter period of time. You could find yourself saving hundreds or thousands of dollars in tuition money by taking advantage of your school’s summer courses. If you learn better in a smaller class, then summer courses are also good options for you.

Not only will you save money on tuition, you can potentially graduate early, depending on the amount of coursework you complete each summer. Graduating early has many perks, including saving money and entering the workforce earlier.

Consider Community College

If you are unsure as to what you want to study, consider going to a community college first to get your general courses out of the way. Community colleges allow you to go to school for much cheaper than four-year colleges and universities.

Before you enroll with a two-year school, be sure to research what courses will transfer, and to where. Most community colleges have programs set up with four-year institutions, so transferring coursework is much easier.

Get a Technical Degree First

This option is not for everyone, but could help those who are

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>