[Cara Reynolds – SUM180 Community Manager]

A college degree from a prestigious private university doesn’t have to result in over $100K of student debt. Attending a typical private university can cost about $144,000 – but the following strategy can cut that cost down to about $35,000.

1. Attend a community college for the first two years.
2. Work part time, save about $700 per month, and live as simply as possible while paying for school and student loans.
3. Transfer to a private university for the third and fourth years. Keep working part time and paying off $500-$800 worth of student loans every month.

Have you or your children attended community college to minimize student loans? Share your experience!

[Christen Maurer]

Community college has been a huge savings for my daughter! She has saved thousands of dollars by attending a community college her first two years and by keeping her GPA high. She was admitted to the honor society of community colleges which offered her a lot of scholarship opportunities. She ended up paying zero out of pocket her first two years (includes the Pell Grant) and has not paid a penny of her junior year at a larger university due to the scholarships received for being a transfer student with a high GPA.
My son will be going that route as well. If you apply yourself and search, search, search for scholarships, you can save so much money! We’ve been told that there are scholarships that no one even applies for! That is crazy! Do your research and you and your children can get a great education for less than half of the cost of a university just by beginning at a community college!

[Kayla Buell – Ambassador]

Such a smart move, Christen! I did the same. I attended a public university where I received a scholarship, and today I’m 26 with a Master’s degree and $0 in student loans.

[Christen Maurer]

That is amazing, Kayla! I wish that students graduating high school would realize that college debt is no way to start their careers!