When you graduate from high school, you can follow three main paths in life: go to school, get a job or enlist in the military. (I guess you could be a mooch too, but… ewww.)
I decided to continue my education by going to college. And I did it without going into debt. In fact, the school ended up paying me to attend. 
No, I didn’t get a full-ride scholarship. I just utilized a lot of different resources and kept a determined mindset. Gotta stay focused!
I’m not saying this to brag. I went to school too long ago to really pat myself on the back about this years later. LOL! I just want to help out a student or parent who is reading this wanting to do the same thing. 
Here we go!
1. Find Your Talent
Just like in a career, people pay for talent. Discover what you do remarkably well and focus on that. Maybe it’s academics, athletics, fine arts or technology — whatever it is, keep getting better at it. 💪🏾 Raise your grades. Practice your sport. Perfect your skills. You’ll either get scouted or be able to sell yourself to universities based on whatever skills and awards you’ve acquired.
2. Research Schools
You have to shop around for the right school for you. What school matches your talents and career goals? Once you find the right fit, shop around for the right price. 
When you have a specific tuition amount, you’ll know how much you need to raise. (Plus, the school might automatically give you a scholarship or financial help based on your capabilities and/or choice of major.) And then the real grind begins…
3. Apply for Scholarships
Look high and low for scholarships. Most of the ones available will be for high school juniors and seniors. The “low hanging fruit” 
are the local ones that are provided by your church organizations and other foundations with which you may be affiliated. Don’t stop there. Look at state and national scholarships too.
There are plenty of scholarship websites, like FastWeb and Scholarships360, dedicated to matching students to scholarships across the country. Check those sites daily. Some don’t require an essay. 
Go for every one you can. Don’t get turned off if the award amount is not in the thousands of dollars. Smaller ones add up too!
4. Apply for Grants
For people in the low-income family bracket, like I was, this is the time it will pay off — literally. Federal grants are funds provided by the government to help pay for college or career school. The best part is you don’t have to pay it back! 
Simply fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see the grants for which you qualify. Be one of the first to apply to get the good stuff. If you file FAFSA early, you’ll have a better chance of being awarded the money, based on availability. (FYI: The application opens on Oct. 1, 2020 for the 2021-22 school year, so hop to it! 
)
With the amount I received in grants, I actually received refund money. I used the refund for books and to pay my rent money in advance.
5. Get a Job (or Two)
Although scholarships and grants paid for all things related to school, a girl’s gotta live, right? 💁🏾♀️ To make sure I had spending money, a little extra to help others and enough to pay about a semester’s worth of rent at a time, I got a job.
One job turned into two then three. I made sure my classes were in the morning and ended around 1:30 p.m. Then, I’d go home, take a nap and go to my job(s). For about two of those years, I was working from 4:30 to 9 p.m. and clocked in at my other job from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. I had yet another job on the weekends. 
If you don’t need that many jobs, cool. But stacking up money can help you any time your grants or scholarships award are a little less than you expected. 
6. Have a Solid Support System
Things happen, and that usually comes at a cost. I had an old vehicle that needed occasional repairs. If the bill was more than I budgeted, I would need a little help buying some Ramen noodles. 
That’s where my family came in. Being the youngest of four, I had older siblings who could slide me some entry-level career money when need be. It was a last resort, but I’m glad I had that safety net when necessary. 🙌🏾
I’m blessed that God was able to provide in the ways I listed. It wasn’t always easy getting up to go to the next activity while all the fun was still happening on campus, but you have to work with the end goal in mind.
Stay on your grind, and you’ll do fine. I have no regrets… or debt. HA! 
In this week’s video, I’ll go into way more detail, with more personal stories, about each of the resources. Here’s to going to college without spending a fortune! See you this weekend.
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