(Part – One)
Investing in your education is vital for your survival, although there people who have made it in life without a formal education (we will talk about rich vs wealthy another day). Even without statistics, it is unmistakable that one of the things that drive people into the road of debt in the United States is the student loans. On one side of the coin, there are many students who shy away from advancing their careers because of increasing cost of education and fear they will rack up huge debt by the time they graduate. This is now being complicated by the fact that the job market looks dark. There is fear instead of hope. 
However, this does not need to be the case if you love what you do, you know your passion, and you have a vision of what you want to do or be, i highly encourage you to wisely pursue your dream. On the other side of the coin there are some college students who have no understanding of money debt or finances. They get student loans to pay off their cars; they max out their subsidized loans and unsubsidized loans and even borrow from private lenders. Not because they are taking any specialized course, as a matter of fact some of them are usually taking the famous “undecided” college major, and want to enjoy the college life.
Avoiding student loans
As noted earlier, there are instances where these loans cannot be avoided but we will talk about that in our student loans part two tomorrow as i share my student loan experience.
7 tips to help you stay away from college debt
- Have a college plan before you begin, know you college major before you enroll in college. If unsure ask your, talk to career counselor, your parents and family.
- Start out in Community College; they are almost fifty percent cheaper than four year colleges.
- Be thrifty (the less you spend the more you save) by carrying lunch, getting a roommate, going to matinees or rent videos.
- Increase your resources by working part time and during holidays.
- Search for and apply for scholarships. Do not disregard low amounts like $250 or $500 because these are great for books
- Buy second hand books or go to the library, consider using half.com or craigslist to buy books.
- If you are in graduate school, check for graduate assistance jobs available in department. Most schools will pay for your tuition if you work as a graduate assistant.
Will appreciate your thoughts.