by: Onnie Luk & Shirley Velasco
- Try to save some
money which you
would only use IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY (i.e. your roommate doesn't pay
rent and you're about to get evicted).
- Borrow wisely.
Borrow only what
you need. You wouldn't want this to happen to you: my old roommate
borrowed $10,000 because she wanted to live in an expensive apartment
by herself, and she maxed out all of her credit cards. To make up for
her financial irresponsibility, she had 3 jobs while being a full time
student and eventually declared bankruptcy- all this before she even
turned 20 because she was buried in debt.
- You could join the
US Military
or even take advantage of ROTC scholarships
- For students going
into the
medical field, there are public service programs that will provide
money to help pay for college
- Private education
loans have
lower interest rates than consumer loans
- Athletic
scholarships are not
that hard to obtain especially if you consider going for a less popular
sport
- Make sure to
carefully look at
your financial aid award, you don’t have to borrow the amount allotted
to you
- Don’t be afraid to meet with a counselor if you believe you require more aid because of personal circumstance
Federal Work Study and more…
- These jobs are
either on or off
campus. If your job is off campus you would probably be working for
public agencies or non-profit organizations. For example, you could
work for the Gear Up Program as a tutor.
- You
can get a job on campus that is not community service related. For
instance. You could be a cashier at the student store or manage one of
the restaurants on campus. These types of jobs have perks such as
getting free food and/or discounts. Or get a clerical position at
departments like the law school, the hospital, or the psychology
department. By taking a job like this, you can network with
professionals, professors, doctors, and other experienced individuals
who can give you great references.
- The amount you’re
awarded
depends on your level of need and the funds that your school has
available.
- One thing to keep in mind is you cannot exceed the amount that was granted to you. So choose a job wisely, pick one that you would not only enjoy but allows you to make enough money and gives you plenty of time to study and enjoy the college life experience.
- Find an employer
that put your
through college (and give you professional skills) this is called
cooperative education and not an internship. Visit http://www/co-op.edu/
- You can start your own business on the side, this isn’t impossible, for instance Michael Dell of Dell computers began selling computers while in college, some students sell lecture notes, tutoring is self employment, as well taking advantage of a skill you have of yours (i.e. be a dj, repair cars, write freelance articles) and putting that to work
