10 Years of College for $200 Dollars
I wrote this article/blog/brochure thing in 2011 after graduating with my Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies from Indiana University. Recently, someone asked me about it, and I could only find one print out of it, so I figured I would rewrite it and post it here, as going to college without a boat-load of debt is something important to me.
Associates in Child and Youth Character Development
When I graduated high school, I was pretty clueless about what I wanted. My parents offered to pay for a year-long program called EQUIP, which was half of an associate’s degree. I figured, why not? After EQUIP (2001), I paid for the second part of the program, working 30+ hours a week while taking 12-15 credits. I tried to stay one semester ahead of my bills: work all spring/summer to pay for the fall semester, work all fall/winter to pay for the spring semester. I paid about $2500 for that program (less than $100 a credit) which was online, and received my first associates degree in Child and Youth Character development. I didn’t know about accreditation at that point—this was not accredited.
Crossroads Bible College
Then I started going to Crossroads Bible College, a local accredited college. I took 22 credits there, and paid around $2500 for them (They were a bit over $100 each). Unfortunately, they then raised their prices to around $300 a credit, and I couldn’t afford that, so I stopped before graduating with a degree in counseling.
CLEP
While at Crossroads, I found out about CLEPPING: where you take a test (most of them are 1.5 hours) with mostly multiple choice questions (Math might not be, and one English test had an essay), and you can get 3-6 credits for each test! At the time, the tests were $75 each. I set a goal of taking one per month, studying with a study guide you buy online. These are general education classes that you might already know the information for. I am good at taking tests, and passed all but one. All of my English, History, Literature, Science, Biology, and Sociology classes (27 credits) were taken care of for $700.
Ivy Tech Community College
Crossroads was too expensive for me, and by now I had started teaching in Brazil, so I wanted to take teaching classes, and started at my local community college (transferring all my CLEP classes, and some of my Crossroads classes). It was about $90 a credit, and I paid about $1500 until I turned 23. Once I turned 23 I didn’t need to claim my parents (who own land) on FAFSA, and I was able to get the PELL grant. From here on out, I was basically paid to go to college. in 2005 I received a $1000 refund, after paying for classes. In 2006 I had $4000 in refunds, in 2007, $2000 (depending on if I took full-time or part time classes). I couldn’t keep up the grueling schedule of teaching 35+ classes a week to 5 grades in Brazil while taking a full load of classes online, so in 2008, my refund was only $1000. By this time, I had over 120 credits from Ivy Tech, a degree in Early Childhood Education, and almost a second degree in Communications.
College in Brazil (FALUB)
Fall of 2008 I started attending college in Brazil, all in Portuguese. This was so that I could finally stay in Brazil for more than 6 months a year with a student visa, instead of a tourist visa. College in Brazil cost me about $80 a month, which I continued in 2009, for a total of around $1000. I was the first American to attend this college, and it was my first taste of being in a place where everyone knew me, but I knew hardly anyone.
IUPUI
By this time, I’d had lots of experiences, taken lots of classes that helped me grow, and generally really enjoyed college—online and in person. I used it for what served me best in each phase of my life. I also wanted to finish a Bachelors Degree. I took all my credits (they didn’t take any from the unaccredited place or Brazil) and presented them to a counselor at IUPUI. They said they could transfer 90 credits, give me quite a lot of freedom choosing my last 30 credits, and I could graduate with a degree in General Studies. Credits were $300 each, and I did not have much money, but I applied for every single grant and scholarship that I could. With what I received, for 30 credits I paid nothing and got a $1000 refund.
Totals
2001 EQUIP (parents paid)
2002 Child and Youth Character Development Associate’s degree ($2500)
2003-4 Crossroads Bible College ($2500) and CLEP ($700) for about 50 credits
2004-5 Ivy Tech Community College ($1500)
2005-8 Ivy Tech refund ($8000) Early Childhood Education Associate’s degree
2008-9 FALUB in Brazil ($1000)
2010 IUPUI refund ($1000) General Studies Bachelor’s degree
BOOKS over 10 years of college: around $1000 since I bought them used and online, and returned them after the semester (this is always an added cost you need to think about)
The total costs paid out was $9,200, but I received $9,000 in refunds, meaning by the end I spent $200 for three degrees and 10 years of college experience.
College 101 Tips
Think for yourself. Make college work for you, rather than make yourself fit into the traditional college experience. Most people don’t know what they want when they are 18, and that is okay! Travel, work, see what you like and don’t like. If you want to go to college but are not sure what for—take random classes at a community college and see what sparks your excitement: don’t get yourself into horrible debt by taking classes you will never use. There are only certain tracks that a four-year college is going to actually make a difference, and the price is very steep.
Work at the same time (take less credits if you need to) at a job you really like. This helps you know what you want to take classes in, and hopefully, lets you apply what you are learning WHILE you are learning it! Once I knew I wanted to teach in Brazil, I took teaching classes: I was using each day what I studied the night before. I think that paying for your education not only makes you take more responsibility, but also makes you appreciate it more. I didn’t get to class on time because I loved it, I got there because I paid for it and wasn’t going to waste a minute (same thing for good grades).
Always fill out FAFSA and apply for all the scholarships you can.
CLEP out of as many general education classes as you can. Get right to the classes that really challenge you and that you are interested in.
Live at home. It saves SO MUCH MONEY. If that is not an option, live off campus. If you are wanting the “typical college experience” it isn’t about learning, it is about partying. You can party without going to college and not put yourself into debt.
Try out Community College first. They are great with working with you in ways many larger institutions are not. They also are wonderful at helping you CLEP and transfer as many classes as possible when you are ready to transfer to a four year university. It is so much cheaper, and helps you hone in on what you want, without draining the bank and setting yourself up for years of debt.
Buy your books used. Most of the time it doesn’t matter if you get the newest edition.
Check out State Universities before private ones. They are normally cheaper, and have a lot more scholarships available. They also are normally better known than private universities, which can help with getting a job and qualifications. They also often have great study abroad options, which is a wonderful way to travel without breaking the bank.
Get to know your teachers. They are the ones that are going to make or break your experience. They also are the ones who can write letters of recommendations and nominate you for awards and scholarships. Teachers also have lots of more tips—so go ask them.