Reflection On How To Avoid Student Loan Debt

As I approach college, the biggest question for me is how to pay for it. I’ve spent hours planning and working to make college possible for me, to help me avoid my student loans. If I am able to graduate college, with either minimal, or no, student loans or excess debt, it could jump start me on my path to finding my career. Going into art as a career is tricky, and the more I am able to focus on applying for jobs, improving my skills, and networking with contacts, the easier it will be for me to start my post college life. My plan to avoid student loan debt is a simple one: save, scholarship, and student work.

The most proactive thing I can do for college now is to save money. Since I was very young, my parents and I have worked together to put as much money away as possible in an untouchable college fund. On top of that, any money I receive from relatives, I put half away into that account. I also work. I’ve been working on and off since the middle of my sophomore year, and this past summer I’ve had a steady job. Along with that, and little odd jobs that I pick up, I try and put a significant amount of that towards the college fund.

Not only is money saved important, but also money earned.

I have been and am going to apply for numerous scholarships. I have been searching through local, state, and national scholarships, networking my options, talking to my parents and counselor, and jumping on any opportunity I can find or hear about. Throughout my entire school career, I have kept up a rigorous academic, volunteer, work, and extracurricular schedule, which has now proven to be very handy when applying for character and merit based scholarships. These are wonderful opportunities not only to help pay for college, but to network and reach out to the community I live in, and know that I’m representing such great

people.
Finally, as a college student, I plan to work most of the time I am attending school. Many campuses offer great work study programs, wherein students work for the school on campus, and instead of receiving a paycheck, their “hours” come directly off their student debts. Work study programs are great, especially for newer college students, because they are scheduled around their class schedules, accommodating for them and studies. The hours are flexible, the work is honest, and the pay goes directly to helping the students. For most schools, the work goes straight to paying off debts, instead of simply receiving a check, which could lead to irresponsible spending. However, if I am not able to work on campus, I will apply anywhere close to campus, and continue to work. I am a fast learner, and have a lot of customer service experience, which will open up a lot of doorways for me when I apply to jobs in order to help pay for college.
College was never a dream for me, but always a hard reality. If I wanted to make it, I would need to attend. The deciding to go was never the hard part, the paying for it will prove to be a challenge. However, I believe that through hard work, and by following my three “S” rules -saving, scholarships, and student work- I should be able to make it just fine.