Joining the military is the sure-fire path to a free education.
You may have been told all your life that getting a higher education is the key to success. Yet the costs of going to college are staggering and continue to rise year after year, making it virtually impossible to attend without incurring a hefty amount of student loans. If you don't have scholarships, look to the federal government to help pay some or all of your tuition through grants and in exchange for your service to the country.
Instructions
1. Apply for federal grants. Depending on your financial situation, you might be eligible for some federal grants that will help reduce your tuition bill. The most common federal grant is the Pell Grant. This need-based grant is offered to students from low-income households and the specific amount you receive will depend on your tuition. A Pell Grant is typically automatically awarded based on the income information you included in your Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA). The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant is available for students with from extremely low-income households with little to no expected family contribution. If you plan on majoring in Education, you can apply for the TEACH Grant, which will pay for a portion of your education if you agree to teach in a high-needs area for four years once you graduate.
2. Join the military. One of the best ways to guarantee yourself a completely free education is by joining the military. For those willing to devote a few years to protecting their fellow Americans, the federal government will reward you with a free education provided you receive an honorable discharge from the military. As of August 2009, the Post-9/11 GI Bill will pay up to the maximum in-state tuition and fees for a public institution of higher learning. This includes housing and book costs. If you want to attend a private university, the government will pay up to $17,500 per year as of August 1, 2011. Some private universities also offer additional money to veterans which the military will match the their Yellow Ribbon Program.
3. Join a government volunteer program. After college, you can join one of the federal government volunteer programs that offer some student loan forgiveness to eligible students. Peace Corp volunteers must agree to work overseas for two years in a developing country. In exchange, if you took out a Federal Perkins loan, which is a low-interest student loan offered to financially needy students, you can have 15% of it cancelled and up to 70% cancelled if you volunteer for four years. If you join Americorps, a volunteer program which bases volunteers around the United States, they will repay back a small portion of your Stafford loans.
4. Be a public service employee. For those who choose to work in the public sector, become a federal, state, or local government employee, you might qualify to have the rest of your student loans forgiven after 10 years of service and 120 payments on your own. Known as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, it rewards eligible full-time public service employees, including public school teachers, police officers, public librarians, social works and non-profit private employees. You must apply for this program and any student loan payments made prior to being accepted into the program do not count toward the 120 payments you need to make.
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