The main reason I resigned from my full time job, was to go back to college and acquire my life long dream, to earn my bachelor’s degree.
Attending College: Keeping Your Finances in Check
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Not getting hired countless times for a higher paying position was my motivation in resigning from my full time job and pursuing my long life dream of acquiring my bachelor’s degree. Of course, my college journey came with budgeting challenges. We would be transitioning from a steady by-weekly salary, to an uncertain one. My wife’s job generated income, but it was uncertain how much would be coming in and when. Trust me, neither myself, my wife nor our parents come from money, therefore, making this changeover was not taken lightly. The first step was to start by lowering our bills while keeping the basic amenities at home. Secondly, and the most crucial part of this process was to assure that financial aid would cover all of the core classes for the bachelor’s program, books and materials. Lastly, lessons I learned throughout my college journey.
Attending College: Keeping Your Finances in Check
We first started by paying off the big ticket items, our mortgage and the car loan. This may have left us in the poor house, believe it or not, we had enough savings to cover both. We also did not have credit card debt, which made perusing my dream smoother. We also made a few calls to inquire about lowering our internet bill, canceled the house land line, reconfigured our cellular phone contracts, changed our cable plan, lowered all the insurance plans, and stuck to purchasing the minimum necessities. This was surely no easy task, while at the same time maintaining and providing all of the conveniences and a secure and stable environment for our kids.
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Secondly, it’s no secret that attending college is an enormous financial expense (for new or returning students) in any household regardless of income bracket. This is why I strategically returned to college instead of a university. The tuition fees are much lower, and I would have a better chance of acquiring tuition coverage. Personally, upon receiving confirmation that financial aid via grants would be covering all core classes tuition including any applicable fees for the bachelor’s program, we were immensely relieved. Succeeding classes tuition, I also secured a book advance grant, which as you know, is the second highest college expense, after tuition. These specific type of financial aid per semester encompass grants, which are awarded to qualified students and do not have to be paid back. These grants are extremely beneficial providing relief of staying away from taking out student loans, which have to be paid back and avoided us from using our limited income for any college expense.
Finally, I picked up a few gimmicks along the way and to creatively stretch and spend each penny. Applying on line is faster and easier than filling out an application on campus. Furthermore, if there were any hiccups holding tuition payment, I resolved it immediately on campus. In the aspect of stretching every penny, I usually waited for the each semester’s on campus bookstore sale or online discounted items, where I purchase my current laptop, a roomy book bag, and all school supplies. Another way I stretched every penny’s was to rent textbooks, instead of purchasing used or new ones that cost more. Moreover, I ate a quick snack at home prior to classes and usually took something to drink while in class to avert the overpriced campus cafeteria and soda machines. These tricks were very useful in my college journey, and you can use them.
Are you thinking of going back to college or went back later in life? If so, I would like to hear about your own college journey. Please drop me a note in the comment section below.