- Maintain good grades and develop extracurricular activities that will help secure scholarship funds. Many colleges grant merit aid to students with strong grades, community service, or a particular talent such as music, athletics, writing, debate, etc.
- Search aggressively for scholarships. Seek funds from colleges; employers; community, civic, professional, or religious groups; and private foundations. Ask for help from high school and college counselors, librarians, acquaintances, local merchants, etc., when locating sources of aid. Conduct a free online search at www.CollegeAnswer.com. (Avoid scholarship services that charge you a fee.)
- Save on tuition by attending a less expensive community college for two years and then transferring to a four-year school.
- Take Advanced Placement courses and exams while in high school. A grade of 4–5 or higher can earn you college credit (instead of taking the actual course); passing scores on several AP exams can save you up to a year in college tuition (or 15 or so credit hours).
- Enroll in a college that offers a co-operative education program that alternates academic and paid work semesters.
- Apply to one of the United States service academies. (Applicants must be nominated, usually by a senator or member of congress.) Students usually pay only a $1,500 entrance fee; tuition, room, board, and a stipend are covered by the government in exchange for your service commitment.
- Talk with high school guidance counselors or local recruiting offices about Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) that pay partial college costs in exchange for active duty after graduation.
- Enroll in either an accelerated college program (three years or less) or take four to six years to finish with time off to work.
- Apply for a Resident Assistant position in your dormitory (free room and board), administrative support positions (reduced expenses) at your college, or seek out private employers offering room and board in exchange for babysitting or maintenance work.
- Volunteer with AmeriCorps, the federal community service program. Volunteers receive living allowances and contributions toward college costs for 1,700 hours of annual service. Call (800) 942-2677 for more information.
Still need to fill a financial aid gap? See our Applying for financial aid page.
