Hey Y’all! Greetings from the South!
I am so thrilled to be given the opportunity to write for my fiancé’s amazing blog. I thought I would begin my first post by explaining how I am graduating from college debt free. December 1st is my last day and I will graduate with a major in English and minor in Sociology. It was hard and not without sacrifice, but I am doing it! It is with the help from the Lord, my parents, and the realization that college is too short to go into thousands of dollars of debt over.
I have comprised five tips that I think every college student should adhere to. I believe that, had I diverted my attention from these key factors, I would be entering the marriage covenant laden down with unmanageable tuition loans and credit card debt. Thankfully, by God’s grace and wisdom, I am not, and will graduate with money in my savings.
So, here we go!
Tip #1: Go to a community college the first two years
I cannot stress this enough. What student knows what they want to major in when they’re 18? Not many. Even if they do, college prerequisites have to be completed nevertheless, so why not do it at a place that charges a fraction of the cost? **Just make sure that your community college credits can be transferred to the future University you are aspiring to go to. I cannot tell you how much I saved by doing this AND by living at home…which brings me to my second tip.
Tip #2: Live at home all four years
Many argue that they won’t be able to have the “college experience” if they live at home. They say they’re independence will not be fostered. I say that is a bunch of hogwash. How many years do you attend college? Four. Five if you’re a fifth year senior. Okay, then how many years do you have after college to “foster” this independence? The rest of your life. I say sacrificing a few years in order to live rent free, with free food, and in state tuition is nothing when you look at the big picture.
Personally, I would rather graduate with $0.00 in debt than to have mounds of bills and an inflated view of independence. I have plenty of independence at home. If independence comes in the form of drinking or partying for you then you may want to revaluate your priorities in the first place. I have many friends – my social life thrives and I have traveled more than most of my fellow college students. I would say my independence has thrived even within the confines of my parent’s home.
Tip #3: Get a job
I was a full time student. Most of the time I took the bare minimum to maintain a full-time status, however, I also worked. I pay for everything beside rent and food and car maintenance (it’s my dad’s car). I also paid for books. If you have a full ride to school and don’t need the money then awesome, but it is always a plus to have a job in order to save for the future. I have been able to put money away and tithe to the Lord with my job. I also have been able to buy the things I want, and save for our wedding!
Tip #4: Never underestimate the power of scholarships
I applied for a few and never thought anything of them. However, lo and behold, I was selected to participate as a Student Ambassador. I also got scholarships for academic excellence for several semesters. You have to search for them and it does take a bit of leg work. You just have to determine how much saving money is worth to you. I had to write several essays and search for scholarships applicable to me. It took hours, but I am here to testify that it literally paid off in the end.
I would also suggest applying for financial aid if your family is not in a substantial financial bracket. I was able to pay for my school some semesters without ever taking money out of my pocket. I often put money in my savings every semester from the extra that was left even after paying tuition and book fees.
Tip #5: Be wary of the credit card companies
Credit cards are not your friend. They may seem tempting to use at the first moment of desperation, but they are NOT. Only buy something you know you will pay off quickly – if not immediately. If you don’t have the money in your account, it is not a wise decision to make the purchase.
Living within your means is essential to graduating debt free. There were times when money was extremely tight and I didn’t know how I was going to make it. Those times have been a growing experience and my faith in the Lord flourished. Honor the Lord with your finances, live within your means, and ask Him to provide. He loves showing up at the 11th hour – it gives Him joy to bless His kids and He LOVES getting the glory!
You may decide after reading this article that going into debt isn’t a big deal to you. However, I leave you with this question: If you are married (or wanting to be married) do you really want to place the burden on your spouse to pay off the debts YOU incurred? I didn’t, instead I chose to sacrifice a little now in order to have a burgeoning future later.
Great tips. I went to a community college the first two years and got a scholarship so it was all paid for. However, I did go away to school the last two years, and ended up with student loans. If there is a good university near your home, you are absolutely right, live at home. Too many college students worry they will lose out on the “experience” of college, but they may also avoid the “experience” of student loan debt. There is plenty of time to experience living on your own when you graduate.
I am also a fellow English major. Do you plan to go on to graduate school later?
Thanks, Melissa! I don’t feel like I have missed out at all. Sometimes I wished I could live with girlfriends — just for the fun of it, but then I realize we may or may not still be friends at the end of living together. Haha
And graduate school is still up in the air. I love English and I love school, however, I don’t know what I would get my master’s in. It just depends. I will definitely be taking a year off before considering it though! 
Congratulations on graduating soon, that’s an awesome accomplishment. These are some great tips, and you’ve definitely gone about being a student in a smart and financially responsible way. I especially agree with going to a community college at first, and taking advantage of scholarships. Good luck in the future.
Thanks Carrie for your encouragement! Sometimes saving money isn’t always fun, but it DOES pay off in the end. And good luck to you!
Your future husband is very proud of your frugal ways:).
Great first post! It was also very important for my husband and I to have all of our non-mortgage debt paid off before we married in 2010. We married on April 17, 2010, and were out of debt on September 1, 2010! Not bad.
Fantastic! My story is similar, and these tips are amazing! I hope millions read this and take note!
Congratulations. Like you mentioned, scholarships are great. When my brother went to school he applied for any opportunity he came across. He didn’t get them all but every little bit added up. You never close doors. You never know what might work out. For him, his effort paid off.
Amanda, Alex, and Miss T — Thank you for y’alls encouragement!! Good luck to you all. And thank you for reading!!
Just found a typo in there….wow, that looks bad-I’m an English major and I totally used the wrong form of “there” (Tip #2) Haha….hope y’all don’t hold it against me
My excuse: I was just seeing if the English majors out there would catch my mistake….;)
I understand living at home while attending community college but living at home all 4 years would really restrict where you transfer to.
Aside from #2, great tips.
I disagree. I don’t understand how that would limit your choices. If you go to a local college-like I did-Ole Miss-and graduate from there, you are still able to continue your education (Masters…etc) out of state. If you misread and thought I meant going to a community college all four years then yes, that would be stupid. You can’t graduate with a bachelor’s from a community college anyway. However, I am encouraging that one gets their gen. eds. at a community college and THEN transfers to a more elite University. So my question would be, how would transferring be restricted if you follow my tip?
Hannah-I can testify to all of these (except the scholarship). I came out with minimal, incidental debt which I paid off in months, not years. There are ways to work around the cost of college, but I’m afraid that most people have bought into the TV version that requires living at school, going out of state and attending “the best” school. Student loans grease the wheels and that’s how so many come out of school with one massive strike against them.
Excellent suggestions!
These are excellent tips! I actually didn’t have the luxury of taking out student loans until I was able to claim independent (because according to the government my mom made enough money to pay for school, which she absolutely did not) at 24. I lived with my parents until now, which is when I’m starting my BA in Marketing after graduating with an excellent GPA and an AA in English Literature. I have never been a “party girl” so since I was 17 I started working and never looked back, but working and studying took a damper on my availability to actually apply for scholarships. I missed out on that, though I’m diligently searching for something I can apply for as BA student. I paid for all my schooling and at one point made the dumb decision to pay for 2 semesters and supplies with a credit card. All was well until I fell on hard times and lost my job, then I was left with no money and credit card bills pilling up. I’m working on paying off that debt, but life is pretty difficult when you don’t have the opportunities or money available to help out. I have never given up, and never will. I’m on my way to finishing my first semester at NOVA southeastern and I am working hard to be on the dean’s list. If I could stress one piece of advice to all college/university students, it would be to not rely on credit cards. They may seem like a good idea and maybe you think you’ll be building up credit, but when unexpected situations happen you can easily go from a extremely high credit score to $h*t, like myself. By June of next year I would like to have paid off most of my credit card debt and will start paying off my student loans before they pile up too high. I really enjoy reading blogs and blog entries like these because in the end of the day knowledge is power and had I known what I know now back then I wouldn’t have struggled so much. Thanks again!