The one expense that most parents dread is college. We work ourselves up into a sweat and wonder how on earth we will pay for it all, and we start worrying in some cases before our children even take their first steps.
Reducing the expense of college is a worthy goal. Here are some ideas that may work for you.
Go Local
Choosing a local school can have many advantages in terms of saving money for college. For one thing, most state schools will be less expensive than private colleges and universities.
For another, going to a local school means that you may be able to cut the expense of room and board. If your student lives at home, you can save on those costs.
Books and Supplies
In my day we bought used text books to save money and then sold them back to the store at the end of the year. Today there is yet another option. Students can actually rent textbooks for school. Search online for companies that do this. As a bonus, most sites give you free return shipping.
Don’t forget to search for online coupon codes to lower the expense even more. Freecoupons.com is our goto site.
Get creative when it comes to college expenses. If you can afford it, take the money that you set aside for housing and purchase or lease a local house. Rent or sublet rooms to other students, who will be essentially paying the mortgage or rent.
Find other ways to be an entrepreneur to help reduce your college costs. Perhaps you can arrange to house sit, provide a unique service, become an RA for free room and board or any number of other things. Find a need and then trade it for some of your college expenses.