How to Get a Good College Education with Minimal Debt.

The last thing you want to be worrying about after receiving your diploma is paying off the mountain of debt you accumulated over four years, so why not minimize or eliminate that debt altogether? It’s not easy, but it doesn’t have to be backbreaking, either, and it most certainly can be done.

1. If you’re still in high school, look for college credit resources like taking AP classes and tests, CLEP exams, and others. Some will cost you money (like the CLEP exam, which costs $65), but I can guarantee that these fees will be much cheaper than that of a class at the average college.
2. Look for scholarships and financial aid resources. The more you apply for, the more you’ll get back, and there’s no limit to how many you can get. Go to http://www.collegedegrees.com/blog/2008/05/22/100-resources-to-go-to-college-on-the-cheap/ for a huge list of both and more.
3. Accelerate your degree. While your workload will be more intensive, you can get out of college a semester or even a year early, saving you literally thousands of dollars.
4. Choose a tuition-free school. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but there’s a catch: some schools will require you to work up to 15 hours a week on campus and in jobs related to your major. Still, if you don’t have to worry about tuition. . . . If you’re interested, look up The Cooper Union in New York, N.Y.; Webb Institute in Glen Cove, N.Y.; Berea College in Berea, Ky.; College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo.; and Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, Ky.
5. If you’re beginning with a particular school in mind, remember that nobody said you had to spend all four (or three) years there; you can transfer. By starting your college career at a community or tech college (which generally have lower tuitions), you can save as well as make a little money by having a part-time job. Moreover, if the school is close to home, you can (gulp) live in your parents’ basement for a year or two. No sweat, it’s only for a year or two, and afterward, you’ll have more money and half a college degree by the time you transfer to your dream college. The diploma from there won’t say a thing about your history as a transfer student. Just make sure before you begin your education that the credits you’ll earn at community college will transfer to your dream school; some don’t, depending on both campuses.
6. Don’t bring your car to school. You’ll use it rather than the communal bus that goes through campus and rack up gas money and mileage. Instead, bring your bicycle or skateboard, anything to keep you from spending money on gas.
7. Mind your cell phone bill. Call when it’s free, and watch your number of text messages. Use free apps rather than paid ones. You get the picture.
8. Get discount textbooks; sell them back at the end of the semester. Check around campus if anyone already has a copy of the book that you can share (I wouldn’t recommend this except for a low-key class) or if they’re looking to give it away or sell it for cheaper than the campus store. Amazon.com often has the cheapest, used, hardcover books. If you’re selling, go online and make yourself some much-needed cash. Your campus bookstore will try to mark the value of your books down, so avoid them like the plague.
9. Get your hands on a cheap laptop—from a friend, a neighbor, eBay, Amazon. . . . You can also try a refurbished laptop directly from major manufacturers, or snag a coupons or rebates (just don’t forget to actually use them).
10. While we’re tech-talking, don’t dish out your month’s pay on software—there are plenty of freewares online if you know where to look. You can get antivirus, firewall, and spyware removal programs for free from places like www.cnet.com. Linux is a good alternative to over-priced Windows software, and Apple’s Education store offers discounted rates for students. Just make sure to get your stuff from legitimate sources, or you’ll have a nasty virus on your hands.
11. Let’s say you’re already at school. Mind your dorm room and make sure you’re getting by on bare necessities. Go to http://www.suite101.com/content/college-dorm-room-necessities-a18169 to get an idea of what you need and don’t need in your room.
12. What you do need, however, is most definitely food. Use your cafeteria since you’ll already have paid for it, and even try getting extra food to go for evening snacks. Some places won’t let you do that, so it’s a good idea to invest in staple food products for when you get hungry so you don’t get peer pressured into making a midnight McDonalds run and continually waste pocket cash. Oatmeal, bread, peanut butter and jelly, trail mix, a Brita filter and reusable bottle, cheese, and yogurt are basics that you’ll be glad you have.
13. Don’t be ashamed to use coupons. When everyone else is working to pay off their loans, you’ll be working on your savings account.
14. Avoid restaurants, especially in large groups. Splitting the bill usually means the salad-eater gets screwed, and restaurant meals are overpriced, anyway. If you’re looking to impress a date, try candles and movie or TV via your laptop in the dorm room—just be sure to tell your roommate to take a few extra hours at the library.
15. Sell your talents as a writer, a musician, whatever—be a tutor.
16. After you’ve graduated and you still find yourself paying off loans, think about doing what a lot of graduates are doing these days: canceling all or part of their federal-education debt by working in public-service jobs or through a volunteer organization. Check out loan-forgiveness programs and volunteer organizations, even the Peace Corps, which will take out 30% of a Perkins loan and defer student loan payments. Americorps and Volunteers in Service to America members receive educational awards of almost $5,000 for a year of service; you can apply that to existing loans or to financing future education. If you’re a teacher, consider working in low-income elementary or secondary schools, which may cancel up to $5,000 off your federal Stafford loan debt. Similar programs exist for lawyers, physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, therapists, and more.

If in doubt, there are innumerable resources online that can help you—in big ways and small—further minimize college debt.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education and performs research surrounding online schools. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

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