How do you pay for a college education? Easy. You don’t.

By Grecia Gonzalez

One of the things I find amazing about college is that for some reason there is some grand misconception that it is very expensive and beyond the means of your mid to low income person. I have to say this isn’t true. Money for college is up for grabs at virtually every level of government, private sector, and schools.

In terms of government aid, you automatically apply when you fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Depending on your or family’s income, you receive government aid potentially in the thousands and your eventual school of choice is informed of the rest of the money that they should help you out in getting, either in terms of school grants (money you never have to return) or loans (money you eventually pay back, though usually with low interest and usually not until you graduate).

The private sector is also your friend. There are thousands of organizations that have money for students of all types of backgrounds and abilities and they’re just dying to give it away in the form of scholarships. An obvious example of this would be the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, but it isn’t the only one. Quite honestly there’s a scholarship for any person so long as they can apply. If you don’t believe me, go to FastWEB.com, a scholarship search engine that personalizes its vast catalog of scholarships just for you when you sign up (which I encourage you to do since it’s very effective, very attentive, and, most importantly, free).

Finally, contrary to popular belief, most schools are really great about giving you money if you demonstrate financial need or academic merit. When people first found out I was going to Harvard, the first thing out of their mouths after the obligatory, “Congratulations!” tended to be, “Wow. That must be expensive. How are you going to pay?” Half absolutely could not believe that Harvard was admitting me for free. How? Harvard, like most schools in the Ivy League, has established a huge financial aid initiative that makes getting an “Ivy education” not only affordable but sometimes even more convenient than most state schools. This isn’t to say state schools are expensive. In fact, they’re very affordable. Since they’re subsidized by their respective state governments, they usually only cost half of regular tuition to state residents and they usually throw in some state grants into your final financial aid packet.

Deciding not to further your education is a very serious decision that involves a lot of different factors, but one of them should never be money. If you really want to go to college, do it. Do your FAFSA, look up scholarships, and start deciding what kind of school fits you and your needs (i.e. private or public?). Also, never forget to seek out help if you need it. Rest assured there is bound to be a counselor at your school dying for you to ask about college and how you can get there.