Funding Your Education 1997-98

Reducing the Cost of School

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There are several ways to reduce the amount that going to a college or career school will cost you so that you can avoid borrowing too much. If you plan on working toward a bachelor's degree, you might want to consider starting out at a two-year community college and then transferring to a four-year school. Community colleges are partially funded by local and state tax revenue and are therefore usually less expensive than four-year schools. Also, you can save money by living at home and commuting to your local community college. You'll want to make sure that the courses you take during your first two years will transfer to the four-year school you want to attend and that they will count toward your bachelor's degree.

Whether you choose a college or a career school, you can work part time to pay for some of your costs. If you do this, you should make sure that you save enough time for studying and that your work and school schedules do not conflict.

AmeriCorps is a program that allows participants to earn education awards in return for national service. For more information, contact the Corporation for National and Community Service:

The Corporation for National and Community Service
1201 New York Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20525

1-800/94-ACORPS (1-800/942-2677)

The U.S. Armed Forces also offer educational programs and ways to pay for school or to reduce your school costs:

• You can attend one of the military academies. These are four-year colleges that are tuition-free and offer bachelor's degrees and a commission in the military after graduation. You can attend a college or career school and enroll in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Program, which will pay for your tuition, fees, and books and provide you with a monthly allowance.
  
• You can join the Armed Forces before you go to a college or career school and take advantage of the Montgomery GI Bill, which provides financial support to those who attend school after serving in the military.
  
• You can also earn college credit for some military training, possibly reducing the number of classes you'll have to take.
  
• As an active member of the military, you can take courses at a college or career school during your off-duty hours.

Contact your local military recruiter for more information on these programs.

If one of your parents is a veteran, you might want to get a copy of an American Legion publication called Need a Lift? This publication is a good source of information on student assistance for children of veterans. For a copy, send a $3.00 check or money order to

ATTN: Emblem Sales
The American Legion
P.O. Box 1050
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206

1-317/630-1207

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