4 Ways to Hack Your College Tuition

We’re not going to lie to you and act like college is cheap, but there is more to the story than a lot of people think.

First of all, Saint Rose awards 98 percent of undergraduate students financial aid. In other words, we go out of our way to make sure your investment is smart and affordable.

Still, most people leave college with some debt, so it’s a good idea to be prepared for that. (And if the prospect of debt freaks you out, remember that college grads earn about $1 million more on average over the course of their lifetime than non-college grads. So: school pays.)

Here are a few ways to hack your tuition.

Get your AP courses in when you can.
Taking college-level courses in high school will help you take a couple of bites into your course load once you get to college. That’s basically free credits transferring in from high school. So you start off a few steps ahead. Not bad.

Go scholarship crazy.
There’s a surprising number of people out there with a lot of money and they’re just giving it away. There are all kinds of scholarships for all kinds of backgrounds, interests and achievements. Make sure you search thoroughly for opportunities. Start here.

Pay a little if you can.
Payments on your loans won’t be due until you’ve left school. But interest starts accruing the second your loan is dispersed. So working a 5- or 10-hour job every week could net you enough for pizza on Saturday and a small monthly payment toward your loans, too. Remember: Every penny counts, and future you will thank present you for giving yourself a boost when you graduate.

Make buds with the financial aid advisers.
These are your people. They’re there to help you navigate the sometimes-tricky process of paying for college, so take advantage of their good advice. Nobody knows better than them what options are available to you. So cozy up, and ask lots of questions.

Get in touch here.