How to save money getting to college May 8, 2008

College can be a pretty expensive undertaking for anyone especially if you are a non-traditional student with a mortgage, daycare, and everyday expenses. I have found a few ways to save money I thought I would share with you.

First off, look to see if you can use a local transit system. In my situation, I live in a rural area and driving to school would take over an hour. However, I can park about a 1/4 mile away from my house and take the bus to the college. I save over $150 in fuel costs per week. Clallam transit also offers a college student discount. I can buy a quarter pass for $54.00 and ride the bus in all their zones, an unlimited number of time. Most transit systems offer student discounts. It absolutely worth checking into. If you are unable to make us of a transit system check with your college about carpooling opportunities.

I take my daughter with me on the bus everyday and It works out great. I have a friend who watches her pick her up at the college in the morning and drop her off in the afternoon for our ride home.

If the cost of getting to a college is too prohibitive, consider bringing college to you. Online classes are a great option for motivated learners. Many people have heard of Phoenix University Online and several other online only colleges. But keep in mind that most community colleges also offer online classes but for much lower cost per credit. Students can even take many science lab classes and math classes online these days, instead of the more traditional English and social classes. Online classes have come a long way over tha past few years.

If you plan on challenging a class, or would just like to audit. You may check into open source classrooms. Many colleges now offer their curriculum online for free. MIT is one example of this. They have provided ALL their classes online for no charge. Students don’t get credit or any instructor interaction. but you do get access to all the course materials online and the opportunity to teach yourself. You can find out more from http://www.ocwconsortium.org/