College "On The Cheap"

Going To College

"On The Cheap"

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* CollegeDawg---What Does "ON THE CHEAP" Mean?

(Well, if you gotta ask, maybe this section isn't for you!)

We Mean Inexpensive. VERY INEXPENSIVE in most cases.

Simply Put--We're Talking:

The Lowest "Price" (the actual immediate dollar figure incurred), and

The Lowest "Overall Cost" (the total financial investment) --- CD's "Bread & Butter".

*Here We Give You About a Dozen of "The Cheapest Paths" to a Degree

(Regardless of whether you follow CollegeDawg's other Strategies)

*IMPORTANT:

This section has LITTLE-TO-NOTHING to do with your High School performance. Most of these options are great for EVERYONE. None are dependent on your Income, GPA, SAT, and almost all are automatic in the various scenarios listed.

**Of course, if you did decent in High School (typically 3.0 or better) you may be looking at an Automatic Scholarship--which of course is a great help.

OK, So Here's What We're Gonna Touch On:

1. Free or REALLY Close to it

2. Fairly Cheap (or options to make it that)

3. More expensive BUT WAY CHEAPER than On Campus Universities (All will be 50k-150k less than that option)

4. A Few Additional Ways to Make it Less Expensive Now (and some "costs" to be wary of)

Let's Get to It!

Below you'll find some of the cheapest routes to earn degrees (or Careers) available to almost everyone. Some are 2-year, some are 4-year---but we'll stick with Colleges and leave the "Career Schools" and "Certificate Programs" near the bottom for clarity.

*KEEP IN MIND, if you're going in order on our site, you may not fully grasp everything a few of these "School Types" offer. So, bookmark this to come back to after you review the "8 Types of Schools" (The options below will include most Categories in one form or another--but they're kinda self-explanatory).

#1 Free or Really Close to it

* Community College - 2-year Applied Associate Degree straight to a Career (Applied = Specialized or Focused). There are typically up to 100 Career Field options to choose from with most Community Colleges (or "Technical Colleges" in some states). Many regions/states have options for "Fully Covered". If you're in the Greenville or Charleston parts of SC----this is often the case for many "Associate in Applied Science" Degrees. Note: In the State of SC we have 2 basic programs, but those regions have 1 additional, for a total of 3.

You can find more info under our Automatic Scholarship section.

* Tuition Assistance with a Major Company that is "partnered" with a Group of Colleges allowing you to pursue your Degree Online for free. And yeah, many will work with Part Time employees. There's a lot of detail on those in our Tuition Assistance section under 5 Random Cost Strategies.

* 100% Free---US Armed Forces - Lots of College choices both in the classroom and online. These are usually available within the first year of service. (Plus, the possibility of passing on $125k-$150k for your kids or spouse to attend College later on)

There will be a good bit of info on this in the 8 Types of Schools section.

*Important Note # 1: All the options on this page typically reflect basic situations, using the average to above-average student ----Parent/Student Income Levels (FAFSA & SAI results) do not come into play. Great news for A LOT OF PEOPLE. However, if you are Pell Grant & FSEOG qualified you might actually MAKE MONEY with these options.

*Important Note # 2: "Service-Obligation Degrees" (Committing to work in a Certain Role in return for a completely or partially paid for degree) are not included here due to either their specificity, limited spots, high acceptance standards, or inconsistent availability throughout the US.

#2 Fairly Cheap Options (relatively speaking)

* ROTC - at a Campus-Based University. Usually either Tuition or Room/Board is covered. Also earn about a $300 Stipend monthly & free books. It can become nearly FREE with SOME schools adding even more scholarships/grants. ARMY & NAVY have higher acceptance rates (around 30%).

* Community College/State Technical College 2-year Career Degree followed up by several well-known Professional Certifications.

Ex. Information Tech (IT) Degree (then Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Cybersecurity etc.. certifications online)

Ex. Construction Management (then Electrician, Plumbing, HVAC, Project Mgt, General Contractor etc... live certifications)

* Online Bachelor's Degree with one of the Major "Online Driven" Universities (those that typically operate 90-100% online and have done so 20+ years). Most run very accelerated programs and they're almost all PRIVATE---meaning potential "free money" for those without Federal Grants (Pell/FSEOG etc..). These are the Colleges that are often the most Student Friendly when it comes to all of your CD "Speed to Degree" credits. They're also willing to revisit any initial award "offer" regarding FA, Cost, Initial Life Experience Reviews, & Credit by Examination acceptance (or course substitution) if in a competitive situation with another College.

* THIS ONE IS A COMBO (Employer Tuition Assistance, Full Time Employment, and Accelerated Program).

Some Companies listed in our Tuition Assistance section (for both part time & full time employees) offer $2500-$5000 annually to be applied at the school of your choice--usually in the form of Tuition "Reimbursement". If you work at one of those companies (or find a similar type position elsewhere), you get several more benefits.

1. If you choose the "Accelerated Program" type of College you can work FULL TIME & go to college 1-2 days a week and be considered "Full Time".

2. By working full time, earning promotions, and/or cross-training while going to college; you are setting yourself up for a more competitive entry into your degree related field when you graduate. Obviously, this depends on the Major of course...

Two examples FOR "THE COMBO"

(*NOTE: These don't consider which option of TA the individual company offers---we're just war-gaming):

*If you worked at Best Buy or Home Depot & were an IT major---you'd have an inside route to any entry level IT position with that major company.

*If you worked at Amazon and earned a degree in Mechatronics (Robotics, Automation, & Logistics), that would certainly put you a few legs up on your competition. At a bare minimum, it really makes you attractive to similar companies looking for your experience and education.

REMEMBER: Your Specific "In Demand" Degree, Your Experience, Contacts, Ability to Land an Interview, & Performance in the Interview, is what will set YOU apart going forward. With this scenario you should have 4 of the 5 already covered at your PRESENT COMPANY.

Now you just have to Nail that Interview.

Obviously in the 2 examples above YOUR NEW DEGREE (and major) is going to be a KEY REASON you land that INTERNAL INTERVIEW. As someone who has helped hire HUNDREDS of individuals (w/ most positions requiring degrees), it is so much easier for me to grab someone who's been working with us for 2-4 years and earned a couple promotions. And now that you have the "official piece of paper" & SPECIFIC TRAINING, you're likely ready to join our upper-level teams.

*PS: After working there for a while----you are usually SET moving forward for new opportunities with other companies within that field.

* Community College FIRST - then onto a Public Regional/Branch University. Many have used this option. It involves getting the first 1-2 years toward a Bachelor's completed MUCH cheaper and typically with less rigor. Often if you do well year one or two (3.25-3.5 GPA), you'll get a nice "Transfer Scholarship" for a Regional/Branch University and can earn State Based Automatic scholarships you missed out on after HS. (Transfer Scholarships in the 3.25-3.5 GPA can be $2000-$4000 annually). South Carolina's "Life Scholarship" can provide another $5000-$7500 annually AUTOMATICALLY if you earn a 3.0 and meet certain Semester Hour requirements---more on that in our "Automatic Scholarships" section.

#3 More Expensive But...

WAY Cheaper than Standard "On Campus"

* Online Bachelor's with the Big "Football" or "Well-Known" School you desire. Good news---out-of-state Students often pay the same tuition as

in-state, and in some cases the entrance standards are less demanding than normal!

Ex. Colleges: Florida, LSU, Cal State, Arizona, Alabama, Penn State, Arizona State

*Added Bonus: THE DIPLOMAS ARE IDENTICAL (in most cases)

* Accelerated-Career Private Universities (You live off site---but some are often nearby). The cost-savings reasons are similar to those related to Colleges "Specializing" in Online Degrees. These Schools are often very Accelerated, Student Friendly regarding all your "Speed to Degree" stuff, & they're often willing to compete with other Colleges for your business. Additionally, some offer some convenient Evening Classes for several of their Majors. Once again, this can allow you to work full time, thus making school more "affordable" (especially when the employer is providing some Tuition Reimbursement!). Their prices are usually similar to the base tuition you'll encounter at Public Regional and Branch Universities.

* Private Campus-Based Universities can become very cost effective for those with Full Fed & State Grants, High GPAs or test scores, Partial Athletic or Academic Scholarships, and/or Personal Characteristics/Affiliations that may open up even more Grants/Scholarships. Can cost LESS than Campus-Based Public Universities (in the right scenarios). More info on those in the Private Colleges & Universities section.

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#4 Career-Focused Diploma Programs or Certifications:

These can often be great investments for those with specific Career Goals. Typically, the Diploma or Certification Programs are affiliated with some sort of "Hands On" Profession (i.e. Healthcare, Tech, Trades etc..). Additionally, you do have some REALLY short-term "Specialized"

License-Only Careers as well (ex. Real Estate Professional, Investment Advisor, Private Investigator, Home Appraiser etc...).

Either way---most of these Programs are pretty fast, and they don't deal with all those General Education type classes most of us really love (not).

Since the length of training is anywhere from 6-18 months on average (for the Diploma and Certificate Programs),

that obviously helps the COST IMMENSELY.

Just know with these, you've gotta be cautious. You are looking for programs with official Certifications or Licensing if that's what is required or preferred for the Career. If those aren't necessary for the Field, (where only the "Diploma" is)---just make sure the School can show you really solid Official Job Placement numbers & the Employers associated. But we'll have a lot more info on that in the "8 Types of Schools" section...

So, What Else Can You Do to Keep it "On the Cheap"?

*Make sure you are aware of all the standard fees, undisclosed or unexpected costs, & "junk fees" when making your COLLEGE decision.

It's crazy, we just had a student that went to a school who's cost info shown during the Tours, in handouts at College Fairs, and in Online examples was on a chart that clearly (and simply) outlined THE ESTIMATED COSTS for their College. It sorta looked like this as an annual estimate:

Tuition:

Housing:

Food:

Books & Fees:

So, roughly 30k right? Pretty Simple. Nice and Neat.

Yeah, NOT EVEN CLOSE at a lot of the "Football Schools" and Well-Known Universities. You will be shocked. The "extra costs" were about 5k more annually at a College when it came down to it recently. Seriously---It was worse than what you would expect from a Cellular or Cable company!

****Note: These are just examples from a Well-Known College or Two. These follow your Application Fee once accepted.

* Enrollment Fee: $300

* Orientation Fee: $350

* Housing Application Fee: $100

* Security Network Fee (on Campus): $100

* Athletic Fee: $300 (yeah, that's everyone)

* Housing Activity Fee $100

* Technology Fee: $400

* Specific Major Fee: $3000 ---TYPICALLY a sub-college within a University. Could include Lab fees, but if not:

* Lab Fees $500 (+$500 additional with the actual 1 Semester Hour these classes require---4 vs 3 hours)

* Rental Insurance Costs: $300

* Parking Fee: $500

* Mail & Package Fee: $100

* Student Loan Origination Fee: 1%(ish). Let's say $100

* MATRICULATION Fee: $100 - Our Personal Favorite (a fee to go to College---at a College which you are already paying to go to College)!

PLUS: You'll need Health Insurance up to certain standards. What's the cost for that?

*Obviously MANY schools will have a few of these---but you better be ready to tack on a couple thousand in some cases.

Worst case---you might be looking at $5k-$6k extra (which is often more than FULL TUITION at a Community College!).

PS: The 5k extra in our example was after the original Books & Fees estimate

*When we asked about these undisclosed (unmentioned) fees, and the big difference between the REFERENCE LITERATURE,

the Financial Aid and Bursar Reps just kinda said "it is what it is" (but for the most part did it nicely though).

These Big Schools seem to pretty much have a "take it or leave it" mentality.

*Food for Thought: When a BIG UNIVERSITY adds a $200 "fee" (and has 40,000 students)

that equals $8 MILLION in additional revenue. Nice.

***Side-Bar***

YES---It's OK to be Frustrated. "These Fees" are charged by Universities

that already have Crazy-High Tuition Costs and 5-10 Additional Revenue Streams such as:

1. Large sums of money from Taxpayers in the form of Grants (which became a huge deal in the news in 2025)

PS: These Grants typically have ZERO to do with Student Grants like Pell, FSEOG etc...

2. Large sums of money from WEALTHY DONORS

3. Major Investment Income from their Endowments (Not quite this simple---but these are like their Investment Account or Portfolio)

4. HUGE Income from their major Sports Teams (Football & Basketball mainly) & Product Licensing

5. (Our Personal Favorite): Regarding those "Governmental Grants" above--many of them are related to RESEARCH. Now get this: they might research Diseases, Green Energy, Different Pharmaceuticals, Chemical/Biological categories, Technology etc... WITH YOUR MONEY. If they make a breakthrough, THEY CAN PATENT IT, then license or sell it to the highest bidder (ex. Private or Public Corporations). Just the Licensing can be worth $100's of Millions for significant innovations---and guess who keeps it. It's like Wall Street in the mid 2000's----No Risk, All Reward.

***Interesting Note---We're associated with Two Private Start-Ups that bought or licensed significant "Green Technology" breakthroughs that were developed at Major

U.S. Universities. These companies got the technology without R&D costs & the Colleges will make serious money when those products go to market. So, thx---I guess.

6. AND LASTLY, believe it or not--the Colleges still send out "Opportunities to Donate" for Parents/Guardians of current Students (almost weekly)!

KEY: Remember when we mentioned these Colleges are Businesses?

Yeah, we've brought it up a few times. But this takes it to a-whole-nother level. They make money via a VERY high-priced product and

are EVEN GIVEN MONEY from at least 4-5 different sources. Non-Profit does not mean Charitable---not even close. Now you know.

Anyway, before we wrap this section up, here are a few strategies for those "extra fees" you weren't expecting:

1. Ask Admissions to lay it out for you in writing or via email months out (or perhaps even a year)---just tell them you had a friend/relative that had an issue and couldn't attend.

2. Anytime they ask for fees BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS. See if you can get a "waiver"---sometimes that's a yes. But typically, it's more effective to ask them to take it out of your Financial Aid (later) or add it to your overall bill.

Who knows? You may not even start there---and they might forget!

3. If you are eligible for Student Loans---you might consider getting a little extra to help with these and other surprises.

I know a lot of you will say "Oh no, we don't want those!" Just review our Student Loan Benefits & "Payback Secrets".

At least you'll know the angles!

To Summarize--- as you can see College can be done WAY CHEAPER than what is often publicized. There are truly options for pretty much everyone. Within the 6 boxes of this "Cost Cutting Tricks" section you should definitely find a few things that will work for YOU.

But standby, we'll have several more really good ones under

Student Loans & Repayment & 5 More Random Strategies (if you're going in order).

We promise, you'll find some of our best stuff there!

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