Everyone knows that college costs crazy money these days, right? I am so saddened whenever I hear in the media about how the cost of college is rising dramatically or how college grads cannot find jobs. Thankfully with the improving economy at least we are now hearing less about the poor job market, but I still hear an awful lot about the terrible burden of student loans that many college grads now face. I think this is truly sad; entering the work world with a massive burden of debt on your back is daunting and can impact many decisions such as buying a home, getting married, and having children.
I was fortunate enough to make it through college without loans. To this day I am very grateful for the fact that I did not accrue any student loan debt in undergraduate school (loans did not come along until grad school, but that’s another story).
How did I do it?
Well, first of all, the plan to complete college without student loans was years in the making. I knew for years leading up to college that my single mother would not be able to provide me any sort of substantial help in paying for college- after all, I knew she had her own debt, AND she had my younger sister to support. That fact alone was extremely motivating to me. I knew that I was going to be on my own in the payment department, and even as a relatively sheltered teenager I knew that student loan debt did not sound like fun.
What I did
I worked my butt off for my grades in high school. Throughout four years of high school I only got one B, in computer science (hilarious that I’m now a blogger, right?) All the rest of my grades were As. I don’t think that this is because I’m particularly smart. I work hard, period. Even in kindergarten I received the end-of-the-year kindergarten award for being “The Hardest Worker” (true story- I still have the award!)
What Good Grades Did For Me
Good grades opened some serious doors for me when it came time to apply for college scholarships, folks. And being such a hard worker, I applied for every scholarship that I heard of that sounded even remotely applicable to me. I must have applied for over 50 college scholarships throughout the course of my senior year of high school (and this was before the days when there were cool websites like Scholarship Owl to help you find and apply for scholarships in way less time). And guess what? I won a lot of them. There was even a community service organization whose award I won at the local level… and then my file went automatically to the state level and I won there too.
Scholarships helped me a LOT
The benefit of scholarships was huge for me. I did not have to pay a dime for my first year of college. Unfortunately many of my scholarships were only one time deals (well, I shouldn’t say “unfortunately” since I was very grateful to receive them, but it would have been nice if some of them would have been recurring), so I still had to do a lot of scholarship hunting in college. It’s just harder to get scholarships in college in my opinion. My college was a lot bigger than my hometown, so in order to win scholarships at the college level I had to compete with a lot more people. I therefore did not have as many scholarships in my last three years of college, although I did have some.
Extra credits
I should mention that I was able to “test out” of some college classes. I had taken four years of Spanish in high school, so at college I called up the Spanish department and they informed me that I could take a test to determine my placement in college Spanish classes. Whichever classes I could skip I could just “buy” the credits for in order to get them put on my transcript, but I would not have to take them. I tested straight into Spanish 202 and was able to simply buy the credits for Spanish 101, 102, and 201, which saved me a ton of time and money! I also managed to test out of an English class. In total I tested out of 17 credits worth of material my freshman year.
And then I worked some more…
As my second year of college approached, it was becoming clear to me that I was not going to have enough money from scholarships to cover my entire second year of college. I had a job working at a movie theater, which was a fun minimum wage pastime, but I knew it was not going to be enough to cover tuition for my sophomore year. I needed a higher-paying job.
Enter door-to-door sales
In the spring of my freshman year of college I was walking through campus and came across an intriguing sign posted in the library. It promised a lucrative job opportunity for those willing to work hard the coming summer. The sign was cryptic enough that I could not tell exactly what the job was, but I knew I was a hard worker so I made it a point to show up at the informational meeting for the job.
And within short order I found out that the job involved door-to-door sales. In a suburb of a large city 1000 miles away, no less. As a lifelong introvert and self-proclaimed “small town girl,” this did not even seem remotely the job for me.
And yet somehow I found myself driving to Nashville, TN for sales training a few short months later. I think that both the promise of potentially earning enough money to pay for my sophomore year as well as the promise of a new adventure did it for me.
My life as a door-to-door salesperson
I’ll spare you all the details (that’s another post entirely!), but suffice it to say that door-to-door sales is one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had. I worked long hours in the hot sun that summer, walking from house to house six days a week for thirteen weeks. But my hard work paid off, and at the end of the summer I drove back to my college town with enough money in my pocket to pay for my second year of college.
Junior year?
And so another year of college was paid for. However, there again arose the problem of how to pay for my junior (third) year of college. While door-to-door sales were an experience I’m glad that I had, I knew I could never do it again. So in my junior year I decided that the movie theater alone was not going to cut it as my sole college job.
More jobs for me
I worked lots of different jobs in college. Starting my junior year, I worked several jobs at a time. In college alone, I worked as a receptionist at a high school, mascot at a radio station, nursing assistant at a hospital, lab assistant on campus, babysitter, and staff member at a group home. And of course I worked at the movie theater (who can give up free popcorn?) At one point in my senior year of college I had four jobs simultaneously.
Between the earnings from my various jobs and a few final scholarships (including some funds from a family friend who was impressed with my drive and wanted to help me), I managed to cover the costs of my third and fourth years of college, including all of my living expenses.
Maybe it’s not for everyone
I often hear people talk about the fact that for them college was the time in their life to really let loose and have fun before entering “the real world.” I have to admit, having fun was not usually my prime focus in college. But do I regret all my studying and all my crazy jobs? Nope. Not for one second. It was especially helpful for me to be able to enter grad school without any undergraduate student loan debt.
Would I do it again?
I would absolutely do college this way all over again. I did not go out to the bars much in college, but that was never really my scene anyway. I was very happy to work hard and make it out of college without a dime of student loan debt.
Do you think I’m crazy? Should I have partied more in college and succumbed to student loans? Looking back, which do you wish you would have done more of in college- party or work/study?
Suggested Reading: A great book to check out for more information and ideas on paying for college is How to REALLY Pay “Wholesale” for College: College cost-cutting tips and strategies for “Forgotten Middle Class” parents who think, Why Bother, I’ll never qualify for ANYTHING!
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Second Photo: chachar/Depositphotos.com
Wow Dee, you were so disciplined! Good for you!! I worked almost 40 hours a week while I was in school so I didn’t have to get in credit card debt and I definitely missed parties and social events because of it; however, I gave myself a gift of financial health and that feels better than any regret I may have over missing social events. Good for you!
I know, I really don’t regret it at all. At the time I think some of my friends thought I was a little nuts, but I didn’t care! Getting out of undergrad without student loans was important to me.
Great story, a testament to what hard work and determination can accomplish. Good for you! I could not quite make it through undergrad without loans. I always worked full-time during summers, but I found my Chem Eng curriculum too demanding (I’m not very bright :-)) to take a job during school, until my senior year when I did work 15 hours per week. In graduate (MBA) school, I worked about 30 hours a week making pizza. I made it through 6.5 years of higher education with $15k in loans–nothing to sneeze at, but I know pretty modest by modern standards.
Wow, I think 6.5 years of school with only $15k in loans isn’t too bad! I had to take out loans once I got to grad school (couldn’t keep up the crazy work pace I’d had in undergrad), and my total came to more than that!
Thank you SO much for sharing this story. I had tremendous student loan debt and I wish so much I knew what you knew! I’m okay now, but I will keep this post in mind for anyone I know who is thinking about college. It sounds like the key is planning ahead and really putting yourself in the best possible position to receive aid that doesn’t need to be repaid. Great job!
Thanks Natalie! I didn’t necessarily think about it at the time, but I guess I did do a lot of planning ahead (which is sort of funny to think about, because these days I’m pretty sure my hubby would say I’m not a planner at all!)
“…I must have applied for over 50 college scholarships…” You really had a plan and focused on this years earlier than most high school students. It’s funny…the idea of applying for 50 scholarships turns a lot of high school students off – too much work.
There were days that I didn’t really feel like doing it either! I wrote essays, answered crazy questions, and had to create a resume for myself. It was a lot of work! I think it definitely paid off though!
I didn’t even know door-to-door sales people were still a thing! I just worked my tail off for about 4 years saving to go to college. I worked every day of every weekend at a restaurant making as many tips as I possibly could. It stunk, but I got into the college I wanted and paid for it myself!
I had a lot of friends in college who worked at restaurants or bars- they made a LOT in tip money! I think that’s a great job for someone in school.
Way to go having such a great work ethic in college! I regret not looking into scholarships more. My school district was huge, and I kept telling myself it was a waste of time to apply, as I wouldn’t be able to compete with everyone. I got good grades, but I was far from being in the top 10 (out of 500) of my graduating class. I tried working through college, but when it came time to buckle down and take 18 credits, I didn’t want to sacrifice my grades for money. If I went back I’d likely change that and continue working, considering getting straight A’s doesn’t really mean much after you get your diploma.
So true- everyone gets to have the same letters after their name regardless if they got As or Cs.
Dee, there is a fine line between crazy and determined, you’re determined. Great job!
Ha! Thanks! Although I’m pretty sure the day I packed my car up and drove off to start my summer of selling books door-to-door, my friends and family were saying the former!
That really is determination! I went the opposite route in that I had a small workstudy job on the side, but focused on getting out of school as fast as possible. Unfortunately ,there were still loans, but not as many as there could have been.
Anything you can do to decrease your debt load helps! I’m sure that work study job was worth its weight in gold since it helped keep you from acquiring more debt.
Love this, Dee! Your story is amazing and you obviously worked your tail off to get through college with student debt or help from your Mom. So many people immediately to student loans and while it’s certainly a viable option, I think people forget to consider other options first – like applying for scholarships. My husband did the same thing (and this was pre-internet days) and minus $5,000 he was able to fund his college education purely through scholarships. It took a lot of work to find and apply for all them, but obviously was worth it. Thank you for sharing your story.
That’s awesome that your husband almost got his whole college education covered with scholarships! It definitely IS a lot of work to apply for them, but it can be so worth it!
That’s great for you! Honestly I’m not a huge fan of these posts, though, because I already incurred my student debt and I’m more focused on paying it down. I just end up being jealous of others for not having debt 😉 You definitely earned it, though. I would probably work more in college, though I didn’t go out that often and would have enjoyed that more as well.
Well, like I said, grad school was a different story and I ended up having to take out loans then- and probably too many! But I was glad I was able to make it out of undergrad without loans.
Holy cow you are Superwoman you know that? I absolutely do NOT think you should have partied harder/ worked less in college. I felt like an absolute failure when I graduated because some of my peers already had 2-3 years work experience while in college and were hired easily, whereas I hardly got any nibbles because I hardly had anything on my resume.
I definitely wished I had done more of what you did and less “yeah dudes let’s party before entering the real world!”
Oh wow, I don’t think I’m Superwoman! Plenty of flaws here for sure. But I was definitely determined to get out of college without debt!
Sounds like your kindergarten award was prophetic! I’d love to see a picture of it. This is such an amazing story of dedication, hard-work and being able to accomplish something you set your mind to. Paying for college without the bank of Mom & Dad is really tough and the fact you managed to graduated undergrad without any debt is incredibly impressive.
I didn’t even think of posting a picture of it! I’ll have to dig it out the next time I’m at my mother’s house.
I think you are incredibly smart. I’d love to hear more about how you were so opposed to debt from an early age. I worked my butt off too and got an academic scholarship that covered my undergrad degree, but I had to borrow money for optometry school. I worked when my school schedule allowed and in the summers, but didn’t use that money wisely. I bet I could have saved an extra $10K to $20K in loans if I’d been smarter with money in college, but I just didn’t have that instinct yet. My kiddo will be very aware of how much student loans really cost after the years of interest in paying them off, and I hope she will be just like you!
That’s so excellent that you can now share your knowledge with your daughter- I’m sure she will benefit enormously from your influence and experience!
True, college nowadays would really cost us too much money. My younger sister is only second year college in Nursing supposedly she would turn third year college taking up Mass Communication. She was a full scholar before but our aunt contacted us that she would pay my sister’s full tuition fees if she would shift to Nursing. So my sister shift to that course but after one year our aunt told us that she can’t afford to pay my sister’s tuition because she got sick. That was totally a nightmare to us! So I need to work hard as well as my eldest brother to help my younger sister to continue her Nursing course.
Oh no- your poor sister! That’s wonderful that you and your brother are able to help your sister out.
I was able to graduate a semester early with my AP credits and I got some scholarships, but otherwise I was super fortunate to have my schooling paid for by mom and dad.
That’s awesome. I think we will be saving for our children’s education. Even though I think paying my own way through college was a valuable experience, as long as we can afford to pay for our children’s education I think we will (and should) do it.
That is awesome! I wish I would have thought like you when I was in high school. I didn’t get the best grades, so I didn’t get any scholarships. However, I did work while I was in college and that helped offset the cost. Your story is very inspiring especially since student loans are at an all time high.
Thanks! It was really out of necessity- I’m not sure I would have been so driven to get good grades were it not for the fact that I knew my mother would not be able to provide me with much assistance in paying for my education.
Dee- you are an inspiration! Hard work and determination let you to where you are now. Keep plugging away – financial hope and stability will be yours. Thanks for sharing your journey. I wish that more parents would not help their kids sign up for loans. And I wish more college aged young adults were motivated to avoid debt like you did! Even when you’re broke after college your net worth is far ahead of those who graduate with the average amount of student loans ($27000).
Keep leading the way!!!
Thanks Steve. I wish that more college students were educated and knowledgeable about student loans prior to getting them. It makes me so sad when I hear about individuals taking out thousands of dollars in student loans with little knowledge about how they work and little thought given to how they will be paid back.
I think it’s great that you paid your way without going into too much debt or relying on your parents. Too many people borrow too much these days and end up paying for it down the line.
I did end up having to take out loans for grad school, which is part of the reason why I was so determined to make it out of undergrad without loans!
It’s great that you had the smarts to go through college without having loans. I wasn’t so smart =(
I know is cliche but I really wish I knew then what I know now. I was a good student but since I came to the U.S. during sophomore year of high school without knowing a word of English, I had to spend a lot of time taking E.S.L. classes, which don’t count as much towards scholarships. I also didn’t put enough time applying for scholarships, so I blame myself for that.
I should’ve worked more to pay for school but I thought going out and going into debt was more fun. Silly me.
I’m almost done paying my student loans though, so I have that going for me, which is nice.
I think the hardest and most unfair thing about student loans is that they are often obtained by young people who have little experience with money, and often know nothing about compound interest and how it can work against you in the form of student loans. It just stinks to know that it’s totally possible to make big mistakes with money at age 18 or 19 that could have a major impact on your life for decades to come.
Wow, I never could’ve done the door to door salesperson job. I considered it once and went to an informational meeting too, but I’m sure I just would’ve sucked at it. I was lucky that the school I went to charged a flat tuition rate for anything between 12-21 credits (full time), so I just made sure to take 21 credits each semester. That plus a community college course 1 winter break and a few online courses while I worked in the summer got me done a year early. And the savings were totally worth the extra work.
That’s so great that your school charged a flat tuition rate! THAT would have been pretty awesome! That would totally allow you to “get the most bang for your buck.” Great move!
The one thing I kinda regret about uni was not doing an overseas exchange. That said, none of the destinations that were an option really appealed to me. Also, finances!
I am so glad I got a full tuition scholarship. My friends paying off their loans have such a huge burden every month.
That’s excellent that you got a full tuition scholarship! Wow, that would have been my dream- it was such a hassle to be constantly applying for more scholarships. Kudos to you! I never did an overseas exchange either, but I would have liked to.
I hope to pass the message to my children that they do not have to go to an out of state school or the best school in the state with the highest tuition. There is nothing wrong with going to a community college.
I completely agree!
Needless to say I am very impressed with your article! I graduated high school having no idea what I wanted to major in and thought about taking a year off before starting college. The best advice came from my dad who recommended I go to the local tech college and get a simple administrative asst certification so I was atleast doing something. I did just that. And by the time I left that school with paper in hand, I knew what I wanted to go to college for and I was anxious to move on. With that simple certification, I was able to get a M-F evening secretary job at a University that gave me a paycheck and paid for my classes! 100% for an A, 90% for a B, etc. I was still able to have a life and enjoy the college experience. I wasn’t a fan of doing clerk work but it was the best advice I ever took!
I love that your job paid for your classes based on your grades! What an excellent incentive to work hard on your studies! There were a lot of jobs that I had in college that I wasn’t the biggest fan of either, but you have to start somewhere, especially when you are broke and young!
Wow, this is such a great post! I’m just now looking into how to fund my way through college beginning next fall, and I’ve been scrounging around Pinterest the last few days looking for tips and advice. This post gives me so much encouragement and practical hope that I can fund these next 4 years, even if it means being an introvert AND a door-to-door salesman.:) Thank you for sharing!
I think that getting through college without student loans takes a lot of creativity and hard work- but keeping the debt to a minimum will be totally worth it 🙂
Thank you so much for making this post. I’m 16, paying for college by myself, and I just finished my first year of college. Going into my sophomore year in college this fall, I’ve been extremely stressed about how I am going to pay for it. Your post reminded me that I’m a hard worker like you and I can make it through! Thank you!
I firmly believe that anything is possible if you put your mind to it:-) Best of luck to you!
Great article! I wish more students chose to attend college in this manner. I know I did and I can’t say it was fun, but I don’t think that anyone’s initial thought of college should be fun. Hopefully information like this becomes more common knowledge, so that more people don’t get weighed down by their debt. It’s “crazy” how many adults I know that still have student loans they’re paying on.
I know, I have encountered many of those same adults. What is even crazier is that many of them have given me what they feel are “good” reasons for drawing out the payoff period (usually because they feel they have a good interest rate). Ugh.
Wonderful story, thanks for sharing your experience paying your way through undergraduate school. Many students think they don’t have a chance to win scholarships, but you’ve shown that it can be done.
Yes it can!