Don't Overpay for your Education: Split your College Years and Save

Figuring out how to pay for college can put a lot ofChoice
stress on a family budget. And for those studentsOnce you’ve found your niche, you can move
who can’t rely on financial support from momon to a four-year university and take the
and dad, the pressure can be even greater.upper-division courses that apply directly to your
But by rethinking your college experience andmajor.
breaking it down into two differentBy this point you’ll typically be more focused
phases—the first two years at communityand should be able to get through your classes
college and the second two at the four-yearwithout the indecision and course-dropping that can
university of your choice—you could potentiallyplague you during your first two years of college.
save yourself thousands of dollars, saysBy finishing up the second half of your college career
NextStudent, a leading Phoenix-based educationat a four-year institution, you’ll graduate with
funding company.your diploma from that four-year school, just like
Phase One: Get Your Basics out of the Way at ayour classmates, but you’ll likely have paid
Community Collegemuch less than those students who paid for all four
Sometimes it’s hard to detach yourself fromyears there.
the education you want versus the one you canIf you can graduate with less student loan debt,
reasonably afford. Student loans might cover anyyou’ll be starting off on more solid financial
amount of tuition now, but will you be able to handleground when you hit the workforce after graduation.
your student loan payments once you graduate?No Matter Where You Start or Finish, NextStudent
By spending your first two years of school at yourCan Help Finance Your Education
local community college, you could save yourselfWhether you begin your college years at a
years’ worth of student loan debt. Find outcommunity college or at a four-year institution,
which courses have credits that would beNextStudent has a variety of student loans available
transferable to the four-year school you’d liketo you that can help you pay for school. Federal
your diploma from. You can usually take classes at astudent loans and parent loans offer low, fixed
community college that satisfy all or most of yourinterest rates, and there’s no fee to apply. If
core requirements and generally pay less per classyou still have education-related costs to cover, even
than at a public or private four-year institution. At aafter you’ve used all your federal financial aid
lower cost-per-class, you have greater freedom tooptions, private student loans may be the answer
experiment with fields of study and try out classesyou’re looking for.
you might not otherwise have been able to afford.NextStudent believes that getting an education is the
The more you see what’s out there, thebest investment you can make, and we’re
more likely you are to hone in on the field ordedicated to helping you pursue your education
profession that truly suits you.dreams by making college funding simple.
Phase Two: Finish Strong at the University of Your