I was always at the top of my class so I was fortunate to get a 4-year scholarship to a private university here in California. I think the value of the scholarship was around 150k.
I was able to afford my kid’s BS and MS by setting up a savings plan with moderately aggressive investment for growth the week of birth and contributing to it regularly over a span of 23 years. There’s some left and we’re still making modest contributions, and we’re planning on using it to help out our nieces and nephews when/if they go to college.
I live in Australia and paid a bit less than 20k up front. Ended up with about a 10k HECs debt.
HECs debts are our student loans and they are interest free. We don't have to start paying them back until we are earning 55k or more per year and then a small percent comes out of our wages towards it. I paid it off faster than required.
It was 1987, $300 my first year (per semester) , and $850 my last year, I did it working in the mall. It is a sad today, this was a Cal State, and I paid for it all.
ROTC scholarship - only had to give up three years of my life following graduation as an Army officer (at the time, I thought it's what I wanted to do for a career, so I didn't look at it as such). No regrets - got like $100 bucks spending money each month too...covered everything except room and board. Went to a college I wouldn't have otherwise been able to afford!
My grandparents died and my parents held on to what they received from the inheritances for our college funds. That plus doing two years at a community college for comparatively cheap classes pretty much handled it
It was the 1980s. But I was attending a public school in another state, so my tuition was triple that of in-state folks. I spent a year taking only one class each semester, so I was there as not a full-time student. This allowed me to be reclassified as in-state, at the cost of graduating a little later than planned.
The University of Iowa: The finest 5 or 6 years of your life.
Without any help from family or government and without becoming a debt slave with loans it’s probably best to do as much as you can at a community college and then transfer to a state school with in state tuition.
I took a job with Americorps after I graduated. Didn't pay much, but it kept my loans in forbearance, and I got a $5,000 education award at the end of my term. Plus I lived with my folks for that year. That got me a couple years ahead on paying them off, then when I got a real job I just continued making payments every 2 weeks to keep the interest as low as I could. I eventually got them payed off early.
My dad set up a 529 prepaid plan when I was born so he locked in my 2017 tuition at year 2000 prices.
My living expenses were paid for by a separate 529 investment plan he set up when I was young - there ended up being more than enough to pay for my Master’s too. Pretty sweet.
I have no idea how anyone does, most I can even think of that do, their parents paid for it or most of it for them. Then they don't use their degree in their work either. So I think it's some combination of luck and timing.
Lived at home and went to the state university ten minutes down the road. I worked full time in the summers and part time during school, saved every penny, and paid for it all myself. My parents let me use a car, live at home, fed me, and provided health and dental insurance. I'm one of ten kids and all of us earned degrees. That was a long time ago. For my kids, they lived at home, attended the same university, but we paid tuition. Our youngest graduated four years ago, and it's still affordable if you skip the dorm and Greek life.
Borrowed money. I was lucky enough to get half my student loan debt forgiven after being in healthcare for five years. Last year, I got the remaining balance forgiven after ten years of payments.
You have to realize that the college experience you usually see depicted in movies and shows and popular media is expensive and not as common as you may think. If you are going for that depiciton of experience- plan to drop down some money. If you are going for the education that will in the end give you a license to compete in the bachelor-degreed world, then go to a local 2 year public community college and transfer to a public 4 year university that will accept your credits upon arrival for your final years and your degree. Live at home or with multiple roomates while working 1/2 time to fund your education. Is it ideal and what you think college should be? No. Is it worth it? Depends on your situation, your life goals, what you would like to do and see youself doing to sustain a life in the future 30, 40, 50 years of work ahead.
I'm a big fan of alternative paths besides college for people if the interests of your life long goals such as income level, travel, future partner, children, physical health, etc all align to that career/job path. Any certificate of completion from a legitimate and industry recognized program whether apprenticeship, military service, skill based training, will get you into a path. The bachelor's degree is just one of those certificates that show a level of committment and broad understanding of the field you endeavor.
The taxpayer paid for mine and even threw in a matainence grant the sound fucks. I as a taxpayer have also in turn paid for thousands more people to leave with at least a graduate degree and be debt free
Worked while I went to school. Did the first 2 for an AS. Then worked, got married, had kids, and then worked while going to night school, and some weekend classes, when I was in my 30s and got my BS.
Helped that I took challenge exams, received credit for work experience and such while doing that last 2 years. Its called non-traditional education. Allowed me to skip a bunch of classes. With my actual experience in the workplace and proven abilities, employers did not give a rip that I did not attend some big name school or that I earned some credits unconventionally. Those last equivalent to 2 years of college cost me about $2000.
Not an American. Our colleges have 'paid' spots and 'free' spots sponsored by the government and given to the students with the highest high-cool grades, so I was lucky enough to get a free spot. Around 10 top students also get a monthly financial scholarship to cover living expenses, which I was also able to get somewhere during my 2nd year.
Also some study areas have enormous government support like IT where there are like 40 free spots, and only 5 paid spots - so basically pretty much everyone gets a free spot there. In my area it was like 50/50%.
I was always at the top of my class so I was fortunate to get a 4-year scholarship to a private university here in California. I think the value of the scholarship was around 150k.
I was able to afford my kid’s BS and MS by setting up a savings plan with moderately aggressive investment for growth the week of birth and contributing to it regularly over a span of 23 years. There’s some left and we’re still making modest contributions, and we’re planning on using it to help out our nieces and nephews when/if they go to college.
I couldn’t, so I had to borrow it all.
I took out loans. I also got lucky because I locked in a ridiculously low interest rate.
I don't live in the US.
A combination of military service, work nearer school-time, and a low-interest loan. Brother had support from parents, maybe scholarships.
I guess that depends on your definition of “afford”.
The actual education part of college is not that bad, the college experience is quite expensive
Very simple. I don't
State school. Even now, in NY, state tuition is around $8-10k as opposed to the $40-60k of a midsized private college.
Through a government grant because of my household income, paid for all my fees and accommodation
By paying for it for the 12 years following college
I live in Australia and paid a bit less than 20k up front. Ended up with about a 10k HECs debt. HECs debts are our student loans and they are interest free. We don't have to start paying them back until we are earning 55k or more per year and then a small percent comes out of our wages towards it. I paid it off faster than required.
It was 1987, $300 my first year (per semester) , and $850 my last year, I did it working in the mall. It is a sad today, this was a Cal State, and I paid for it all.
ROTC scholarship - only had to give up three years of my life following graduation as an Army officer (at the time, I thought it's what I wanted to do for a career, so I didn't look at it as such). No regrets - got like $100 bucks spending money each month too...covered everything except room and board. Went to a college I wouldn't have otherwise been able to afford!
My grandparents died and my parents held on to what they received from the inheritances for our college funds. That plus doing two years at a community college for comparatively cheap classes pretty much handled it
It was the 1980s. But I was attending a public school in another state, so my tuition was triple that of in-state folks. I spent a year taking only one class each semester, so I was there as not a full-time student. This allowed me to be reclassified as in-state, at the cost of graduating a little later than planned. The University of Iowa: The finest 5 or 6 years of your life.
For my bachelors I’m gonna end up paying 23,460 total cost. Honestly got very lucky with scholarships.
Full ride scholarship because of all the charity work I had done in the previous two years. Go do good works.
Loans…
I'm in the UK :)
Saved for 20 years
Without any help from family or government and without becoming a debt slave with loans it’s probably best to do as much as you can at a community college and then transfer to a state school with in state tuition.
I took a job with Americorps after I graduated. Didn't pay much, but it kept my loans in forbearance, and I got a $5,000 education award at the end of my term. Plus I lived with my folks for that year. That got me a couple years ahead on paying them off, then when I got a real job I just continued making payments every 2 weeks to keep the interest as low as I could. I eventually got them payed off early.
loans
I live in Scotland. Its free
My dad set up a 529 prepaid plan when I was born so he locked in my 2017 tuition at year 2000 prices. My living expenses were paid for by a separate 529 investment plan he set up when I was young - there ended up being more than enough to pay for my Master’s too. Pretty sweet.
I'm french. Public university is less then 2k€ a year
Education is free in my country, from elementary school to college
I have no idea how anyone does, most I can even think of that do, their parents paid for it or most of it for them. Then they don't use their degree in their work either. So I think it's some combination of luck and timing.
Studied my ass off in high school and got really good at a sport (swim team) to get a near full ride scholarship.
Lived at home and went to the state university ten minutes down the road. I worked full time in the summers and part time during school, saved every penny, and paid for it all myself. My parents let me use a car, live at home, fed me, and provided health and dental insurance. I'm one of ten kids and all of us earned degrees. That was a long time ago. For my kids, they lived at home, attended the same university, but we paid tuition. Our youngest graduated four years ago, and it's still affordable if you skip the dorm and Greek life.
Borrowed money. I was lucky enough to get half my student loan debt forgiven after being in healthcare for five years. Last year, I got the remaining balance forgiven after ten years of payments.
You have to realize that the college experience you usually see depicted in movies and shows and popular media is expensive and not as common as you may think. If you are going for that depiciton of experience- plan to drop down some money. If you are going for the education that will in the end give you a license to compete in the bachelor-degreed world, then go to a local 2 year public community college and transfer to a public 4 year university that will accept your credits upon arrival for your final years and your degree. Live at home or with multiple roomates while working 1/2 time to fund your education. Is it ideal and what you think college should be? No. Is it worth it? Depends on your situation, your life goals, what you would like to do and see youself doing to sustain a life in the future 30, 40, 50 years of work ahead. I'm a big fan of alternative paths besides college for people if the interests of your life long goals such as income level, travel, future partner, children, physical health, etc all align to that career/job path. Any certificate of completion from a legitimate and industry recognized program whether apprenticeship, military service, skill based training, will get you into a path. The bachelor's degree is just one of those certificates that show a level of committment and broad understanding of the field you endeavor.
Mom and dad are from Eastern Europe. They always had a blank check for education.
I work part time on a couple of jobs and in weekend I spent the hours on a nanny job
I used my employer's tuition reimbursement program to get them to pay for most of my BS and every penny of my MS.
The taxpayer paid for mine and even threw in a matainence grant the sound fucks. I as a taxpayer have also in turn paid for thousands more people to leave with at least a graduate degree and be debt free
I’m Swedish so it was free and you get some state sponsored loans and a monthly stipend to help with living expenses.
Worked while I went to school. Did the first 2 for an AS. Then worked, got married, had kids, and then worked while going to night school, and some weekend classes, when I was in my 30s and got my BS. Helped that I took challenge exams, received credit for work experience and such while doing that last 2 years. Its called non-traditional education. Allowed me to skip a bunch of classes. With my actual experience in the workplace and proven abilities, employers did not give a rip that I did not attend some big name school or that I earned some credits unconventionally. Those last equivalent to 2 years of college cost me about $2000.
I have parents and they have jobs
Sucked dick for Uncle Sam. Opps I mean joined the army
Not an American. Our colleges have 'paid' spots and 'free' spots sponsored by the government and given to the students with the highest high-cool grades, so I was lucky enough to get a free spot. Around 10 top students also get a monthly financial scholarship to cover living expenses, which I was also able to get somewhere during my 2nd year. Also some study areas have enormous government support like IT where there are like 40 free spots, and only 5 paid spots - so basically pretty much everyone gets a free spot there. In my area it was like 50/50%.