I was born in the 1970’s and graduated from high school in 1989.  Things were a lot different then.  I’m sure all you Gen Xers can relate.  Most of us were very independent kids.  A lot of us were “latchkey kids”.  Both of our parents worked.  We would come home, get the house key from under the doormat and essentially take care of ourselves until our parents came home from work.  I have a younger brother and was in charge of taking care of him as well as myself.  I would open a can of Chef Boyardee PAC Man pasta with meatballs or make us little pizzas using toast or English muffins as the crust.

This was way before we had the internet, cell phones, Facebook and Instagram to get instant information.  With less information available a lot of us wanted to go to college even though many of us could not afford it.  To be honest I don’t remember anyone at my school even discussing how to get scholarships or grants.  I asked some of my former classmates and most said they do not recall any such discussions either.  So, most of the choices I made were not the best.

I went to pharmacy school which was a smart choice.  I knew since the age of 12 that I wanted to be a pharmacist and all through junior and high school that never wavered.  But I happened to choose one of the most expensive colleges to go to.  It was in-state but also a private university.  I applied early decision and got accepted. So, since it was my first choice, I didn’t even bother applying to any others.  I also chose to live on campus, so I had to pay for room and board.  The school was only an hour away from my home, but I really wanted that college experience and did not have a car to drive back and forth every day.  I could have chosen to work but since I knew pharmacy school was going to include a lot of studying and dedication, I chose not to.

So how did I end up going to a private 5-year university with room and board?  Well with student loans of course!  Like I said I did not know I should have been applying for tons of scholarships and grants.  I did receive a few through applying for financial aid.  At first, I was embarrassed that my fellow classmates would see me in that federal aid line waiting to sign my loans for the semester.  About the third time though, I was just happy to be able to continue getting the aid to continue my education.

I wish I would have known that you can go to college debt-free, and this is how you can do it.

• For children 12 and under:  parents can start saving in a 529 (money grows tax free) or educational savings account (ESA).
• Help your children find motivation:  volunteering, doing chores to instill hard work and have kids participate in finances.
• For older students 12 and up:  parents should talk with their children about the decision for their career path.  Take into consideration the cost and what that return on investment will be, the completion rate, and if your child can see themselves doing the same career 10, 20 years down the road.
• Have them apply for 100 to 1000 scholarships: check out studentaid.gov, fastweb.com, myscholly.com, cappex.com and careeronestop.org. They can also apply for grants and work study.
• Be strategic about college choice:  in-state and community colleges are a great choice to begin with.  They can transfer to another school in 2 years.
• Begin taking college courses while in high school to start with credits.
• Attend a trade school.  They have lower tuition costs and shorter degree pathways.
• Ask about pay-in-full discount for tuition.
• Watch out for scams.  Stay away from websites that ask for banking information, money, or unnecessary personal information.  Also avoid sites that appear unprofessional (misspelled words, etc.).

My experience had a happy ending. Through hard work and dedication, I was able to pay off my student loans in 8 years.  Since I chose a good career path, I got my return on investment.  I can’t change my story but hopefully it can help others prepare for their college experience and maybe even go to college debt free.