You can save for it before you even enroll, but it probably won’t be long before you’re contacting student loan lenders and contemplating selling your car. The simple fact is, college is expensive. Most people have a fairly relaxed attitude about borrowing tens of thousands of dollars at a time to finance each individual semester of school, thinking that the loans will be manageable on a full-time salary once repayment time arrives. The completion of criminal justice masters programs creates various new windows of opportunity for graduates, but having a significant debt that has to be repaid immediately can be a negative when you’re trying to plot out your financial future. Try these four ways to creatively finance your online masters in criminal justice degree and see yourself graduating without any debt.
1. Freelance Your Way Through School
Suggesting that someone work full time in order to afford college is simply not being realistic. Even with a good paying job, the total cost for attending an institution of higher education far exceeds what one would be able take out of a full time income. If you are paying your own way, expenses such as rent or mortgage, food, auto maintenance and health insurance are not going to be cheap, and they really can’t be avoided to any degree. To earn money that you can use toward your online criminal justice masters degree, research freelancing. Full time secretaries can work as virtual assistants in their off time, while musicians can record jingles, lease beats, or compose full arrangements for extra money. There’s pretty much a way to freelance no matter what you’re good at.
2. Live Off the Land
Have you ever had an interest in gardening or living in an RV? If not, developing a taste for free range chicken and the manager’s special department of the bakery is suggested. Everyday expenses tend to be high because consumers rarely find out how they can get the same products by taking a bare bones approach. Bread can be baked at home, laundry detergent can be made from scratch and clothing can be stitched together by hand. If you can deal with couch surfing for a couple of years, you may be able to earn your criminal justice masters program online without you needing to open several student loan accounts.
3. Donate Plasma
If you’re squeamish or have an illness that won’t allot you to have blood drawn on a regular basis, this next option is probably not for you. Everyone else can earn at least a few thousand dollars to help pay for school. No, you can’t sell blood and get financially compensated for it, but you can cash in on a variation of this infamous money making trick. There are a lot of medical companies that dole out financial rewards to those willing to sit still long enough to have their blood drawn. Payment amounts vary, but each cash redeemable gift card, check and gift certificate can help you get out of college without any debt.
4. Don’t Throw it Away – Sell it Instead
You might not have a habit of wearing certain clothes once they have gone out of style, but there’s probably a lot of people waiting to get their hands on what you don’t want anymore. Consignment shops and thrift stores will pay consumers for their unwanted and played out threads. You can sell everything from your old toaster to a pair of heels from last season, and get cash in return.
If you calculate the total cost of attending college on a full time schedule, there’s pretty much no way most people are going to have the cash needed to pay for it all at once. Student loans are convenient, but they lock you into a repayment schedule that’s usually slated to last for several decades. Going to school and paying for it while you’re actively taking classes means that you won’t have as much time for fun activities, but it will put you in a much better financial position.