Finding College Cash: Proven Ideas to Find Scholarships, Grants, and Other Resources to Finish College Debt-Free or Better!: The Simple Pathways Series

Chapter 1

A Rude Awakening

What do you mean Dad can’t keep his promise to pay for school? a surprised Justin asked his mom on the phone.

I know that this is hard to hear, she replied, but we aren’t going to be able to pay for your college expenses—including tuition—like we said we would.

What happened? I mean, when I left home yesterday, Dad reassured me that he would pay for college and I didn’t need to worry. What changed? Is Dad hurt?

No, he’s fine physically, but this morning while you were at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, his company gave him the option of either taking a 60% pay cut or being laid off. They explained that the company had been losing money, and he chose the pay cut. He came home early and told me. We’re cutting every expense we can, and right now we simply can’t meet other financial obligations and pay for your schooling.

What are you going to do? Justin asked, hoping that there was another solution to the problem.

Dad is putting his résumé together and will stay on while he looks for a new job. I’m really sorry, honey, but we need to look out for our family and your brothers and sisters. We’re not going to be able to help you with paying for college.

The news hit Justin as if he were being run over by a truck. This was really hard to take. Justin was not prepared for what his mom had said. His stomach sank. He hadn’t planned on this and the news just made him feel sick.

Justin had left home in Saint George, Utah, the day before to attend Syracuse State University,¹ a state school. Before he left, his dad had reiterated the promise to pay for Justin’s schooling. After staying overnight with his grandparents in Payson, Utah, to break up the trip, Justin had set off again. However, now, he was stuck at the side of the freeway with a flat tire, near the off-ramp for Springfield, Utah. Even without the flat tire, he was about three hours away from his final destination.

Planning to ask for an advance of some of his college expense money to help with the tire, Justin had called his mom. That was when he received the news: We’re not going to be able to keep our promise to pay for your college.

What am I going to do? School starts in two days and if I don’t get my prerequisites finished this semester, I won’t be accepted for my major, Justin asked, pleading for a solution.

Justin, his mom responded in a tone that only mothers possess. You’re 20 years old. You’ve been away from home before. You worked in Alaska as a tour guide bus driver. You worked in Mexico on a humanitarian service project. You provided for yourself both of those times. Find a way.

At these words, Justin thought of what his grandfather had told him just hours before, while staying at his house. As Justin was heading out for a run, he had found his grandpa reading. Seeing Justin, Grandpa had read aloud: ‘For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?’ ² Many of the world’s problems, he added, "come from disregarding these two principles: taking a proper accounting of your money and living within your means.

You’re at an important time in your life, Justin. Learn everything you can about money and how it works. The habits you establish now will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Justin now felt he’d been handed a heavy burden as he realized that he was completely unprepared to pay for college. Grandpa’s advice now felt like condemnation for his lack of preparation. At the time, it had just seemed like unsought advice from an old man that Justin would soon forget, but now he felt bitter about the situation and angry with his dad’s company. However, Justin heard himself say: It’ll be fine, Mom. I can find a way. I’ll get a student loan or something.

Make wise decisions, honey. We love you.

I’ll try to, and I love you too, Justin said. He had the sense not to mention the flat tire again.

You might want to call Dave and Susan and tell them you’re going to be late, his mother reminded him.

Justin’s older cousin Dave and his wife Susan had agreed to let him stay at their home a few miles from school for a week or until he found a place to stay—whichever came first.

‘Kay, I’ll give them a call.

Wherever you go to get your tire fixed, ask if they have discounts for students—remember to get the price first, then ask for the discount in order to prevent being bid up.

Thanks, Justin said dispiritedly. They said their goodbyes and he went to work on changing the tire.

For a long time, Justin’s dad had promised to pay for schooling, and when he had left home the day before Justin had felt that his life was just about perfect. Being accepted to SSU, taking the prerequisites offered in the fall semester, his dad paying for schooling costs, living at his cousin’s house for a week—Justin had thought, I’ve got it made.

What had sealed the deal for going to SSU was finding out his good friend Paul was already there. Paul had told Justin about SSU and told him he could find a place to rent on the student housing board in the student center. Paul and Justin had made plans to hang out—starting with going to a dance two days before classes were to begin. Instead, Justin was at the side of the freeway changing a flat tire, the dance was supposed to start in a few hours, and Justin had no idea how to pay for school. What am I going to do? I should tell Paul I’m going to be late. He’s waiting for me.

Moment of Decision and Taking Action

Justin called his cousin Dave, but got only his voicemail. He left a message about the tire and said he would call back. Justin started to put his spare tire on, his mind racing with thoughts about possible options for paying for school. If I don’t start this semester, I won’t get my prereq’s done and I won’t be able to be accepted into my major. I don’t care how . . . I am going to still go to school. I will find a way. I want to be accepted by my major. I’ve got about $1,000 in my bank account—maybe I can get a student loan for the rest. Perhaps I can meet with a representative from a bank. How do other people going to college get scholarships? Are there options for me, or just the privileged few? Why did Dad’s work have to go and do a thing like that? I guess I will just do what everyone else does. I mean, I can always pay it off after I graduate, right?

Once the spare was in place, he pulled out his phone again. This time he searched for a tire store. An app gave him directions, and he was soon on his way to buy a new tire.

Ask for a Discount

Upon entering the store, Justin announced to a store clerk, I have a flat tire. What would it cost to get it replaced including parts, labor, and all fees, as the final cost? After getting some vehicle information, the clerk gave him a quote.

Remembering the conversation with his mom, Justin asked, Do you have any specials or discounts for students?

We do have a discount for students, 10% off, replied the man. Do you have your student ID?

I’m a freshman, my car is packed and I’m headed up to Syracuse State University; I don’t have a student ID yet.

After a bit of consideration, the salesman replied, I’d be willing to give you 10% off without your ID.

That sounds great, Justin said, disgruntled about the flat tire but happy to get a discount.

There’s a bit of a wait, so we won’t be able to get to this for another thirty to forty minutes. People always seem to wait until the end of the day to come in, warned the clerk.

Good to know. After the wait, how long will it take to change the tire? Justin asked hopefully.

About thirty minutes.

There was no guarantee that if he went to a new store, he would get a discount. Additionally, considering how close it was to closing time, he might not get serviced today.

Well, let’s get started, Justin said. My car is the green Toyota Tercel. He handed the clerk his keys.

He took a seat in the waiting area, still pondering his new dilemma. While he waited, he tried calling his cousin again. Dave’s phone rang three times, and just as Justin thought he would have to leave another voicemail, he heard a hurried Hello!

Hi, Dave, this is Justin.

Hey, how’s it going? asked his older cousin. I got your message. Were you able to get your tire taken care of?

Well, I was able to get the spare put on, and I’m at a tire store now. The clerk said that it would take over an hour, due to the last-minute rush, Justin responded.

That should put you here at about 8:30 or 9:00, assuming all goes well, right? asked Dave. After he agreed, his cousin added, Well, be safe. When you get here, I’ll help you unload and show you where you can sleep.

Okay, thanks, said Justin. Hey, Dave . . . Justin began.

Yeah?

How’d you pay for college? I mean I was just wondering how to make ends meet, Justin said, not wanting to mention his dad’s pay cut to his cousin.

Well, I was able to get a student loan and that saw me through school. If you need to, you can meet with a school counselor who specializes in student loans. College can be rough financially, but it may help you earn a higher income.

Thanks for the info, bye, Justin said.

Justin felt deflated by his cousin’s words. He was now also worried about the time. It’ll be nine o’clock when I get there? I don’t know if I’m going to make it to this dance, Justin thought. I’d better call Paul.

Justin! Are you in Syracuse? asked Paul excitedly as he answered the phone.

Well, actually, my car had a flat tire. Now I’m in a tire store in a small town called Springville.

Paul responded, That’s about three hours away. How are you planning on making it to the dance?

"Um, I was wondering that as well, Justin said in a slightly disappointed tone. It wasn’t so much the dance that he was interested in—it was seeing Paul again. The tire guy said that it would be just under an hour before my car would be finished," continued Justin.

"Okay . . . well, maybe we can do something when you get in, said Paul. The dance goes until 10:00."

I’ll call you when I get to Syracuse, but don’t count on it being early enough to go the dance, replied Justin.

Well, that’s no fun, Paul pouted jokingly. Take care, though. Oh—and don’t rush it; I-15 has a couple of speed traps. I wouldn’t push it too much, Paul cautioned.

Thanks for the warning, said Justin.

Don’t worry, continued Paul. This dance isn’t the only thing to do at SSU. We’ll still have lots of time to hang out and do stuff together.

Justin wondered if he should tell Paul about his dad’s pay cut and his sudden lack of funds—this would severely limit his fun.

Hey, do you know how to get a student loan? Justin asked, trying not to sound too obvious or desperate.

Wait, why do you care? Isn’t your dad going to pay for your college anyway? Student loans are for the rest of us who don’t have it made, Paul said with a hint of curiosity.

Dad’s work had him take a 60% pay cut instead of a layoff. Now my parents can’t afford to pay for my school.

"Ewllll . . . Dude, that stinks!" Paul said.

Tell me about it, Justin replied. I am still coming to school, but now I need to come up with funds soon.

We can make it happen; you can get a student loan and maybe I might be able to help you learn some ways to save some money, Paul said. We can still have a lot of fun together.

We’d better, said Justin jokingly. Take care.

See ya’ man, Paul replied.

Avoid Unnecessary Expenses

Justin soon regretted not grabbing some of the snacks his grandma had given him before turning his keys over. He looked around the store for vending machines. In the corner, he saw some small candy dispensers full of chalky chocolate candies. Not appetizing. Justin looked out the window and saw a fast-food place. He thought about going there.

Hmmm, a couple of tacos and some enchiladas, he thought. This could be good. He walked towards the front of the tire store. But then he realized that he didn’t want to blow any money when he already had food available—especially now that he was paying for school. He went back to the same man who had helped him when he came into the store.

It will be about another ten minutes before we get to your car, the man said before Justin could say anything.

Thanks, Justin said, as friendly as he could be, considering the wait ahead. I just wanted to have my keys so that I could get some food from my car.

Sure thing, replied the man as he grabbed Justin’s keys and then tossed them to him. Just have them back soon so I can give them to the mechanic.

Thanks, said Justin. He went out and unlocked his car door. After rummaging through his care package from his grandma, he grabbed some fruit and crackers and a water bottle. He re-locked his car and knocked on the door of the store to be let back inside. He handed the keys back to the man.

Sitting down again, Justin started fiddling with his smartphone. After eating more of his quick meal, he felt a lot better.

The TV in the lobby was tuned to a news station, and a brief segment came on about college. At the mention of the words money and college, the story had Justin’s attention.

The news reporter was talking about how student loan debt had reached $1.38 trillion, with recent graduates in 2016 averaging $37,172 and more than seven million borrowers defaulting, partly because many students used the student loan money to party.³ About 27% of students who borrowed,⁴ couldn’t make the payments for one reason or another and then ended up in serious financial trouble. The reporter said something that really hit home for Justin:

A lot of students gamble, going to college and think that taking out a student loan will help them have a better life, but what many of them don’t realize is that having a degree does not guarantee them a higher paying job—or any job at all. Many students falling victim to this mentality go into majors that are not in demand or attend expensive schools, and then after they finish school, reality hits hard. And unfortunately, as the Washington Post reported, many students who attend certain for-profit schools find that they make less after attending these institutions than they did without the degree⁵ and that some schools often encourage their students to get more student loan debt.

The reporter went on to talk about how student loan debt has drastically increased over the last 10 years and many students find out too late that the loans are often inescapable because they usually cannot be wiped out through bankruptcy when a crisis hits. "Another problem, the reporter continued, is that even if students can find a job, they are often shocked at how much debt they have and just how high the payments are. The average student loan debt is over $37,000 per student for a four-year degree. Now, remember, that is not for doctors or lawyers. That is just a bachelor’s degree. That is the average, and many students end up with hundreds of thousands in student loan debt. Sadly, many students find the bill is too high."

Justin went numb. He had believed, and even told his mom, that he would get a student loan. A heavy, gloomy feeling descended on him. I am NOT going to end up in debt, he thought.

The clerk interrupted Justin’s thoughts and said, Your car’s ready to go. I can ring you up at the register. Justin followed the man over to the register and was given his invoice. Your total is $76.73 with the discount, said the man. Justin paid and soon enough he was back on the road.

The rest of the trip passed without incident. Justin arrived in Syracuse a little after 9:20 p.m. and drove to Dave’s. He was welcomed and shown where he could sleep. He brought some of his bags in. By this time it was after 10:15 so Justin called Paul and said he didn’t feel up to getting together this late. Paul was disappointed, but he understood. Justin got ready for bed. He was tired after traveling all day and fell right to sleep.

Chapter 1: Principles and Suggestions

1. With planning, work, resourcefulness, and commitment, anyone can attend college and finish without debt.

2. Creating a plan for your education can help you. A major not in demand may not be the best choice. Just because you like art that does not mean that you need to be a sketch artist. You can also be a business major, computer graphics major, advertising and marketing major, teacher, accountant, etc.

3. Going to the right type of school can be very important. The Washington Post reports that students who went to some for-profit schools earned less after college than before and were not adequately prepared for a career.⁶ (See Workbook.)

4. Justin’s grandpa was correct: Most financial problems occur when people don’t take an accounting of their finances and live within their means. What are some ways that you can measure where you stand financially? What are some ways to live within your means?

Chapter 1: Assignments

Get the free workbook at www.FindingCollegeCash.com/FreeWB

1. Complete the Why Do I Want to Go to College? activity in the workbook. This can help you focus your purpose and goals.

2. Complete the Choose a Major that Can Pay in the workbook.

3. Start researching ways to save money and pay for college.

4. Complete the My Total College Costs worksheet.

5. Complete the Picking a College section in the workbook.

6. Practice asking for discounts. It can be intimidating, but students, especially, often qualify for good discounts.

Chapter 1: Warnings and What to Avoid

1. Will Rogers is often quoted as saying: Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.⁷ Avoid being like that.

2. Justin stopped himself from buying unneeded restaurant food. Spending money a little here and there is what is referred to as being a bubblegum-diamondthief™, which is someone who trades small, insignificant expenses for what you really want. If you spend too much money, you will end up in debt.

Chapter 2

Decisions to Reduce Costs

After his run the next morning, Justin hit the kitchen for breakfast. Dave came in, looking a little sleepy. How’s it going? he asked as he rubbed his eyes. I have to get to work, but I would recommend, Justin, that you head over to the campus to see if you can find a job and get your student ID. I hear jobs on campus and in surrounding areas go quickly.

Thanks, said Justin. I was going to go get my student ID then look for a job. I have an appointment at 11:00 to see a school counselor to add my final classes.

"A counselor for classes?" Dave asked inquisitively.

That’s right, replied Justin.

Man, you are brave, said Dave. When I was a student there, all of the fun classes were gone by the day before classes started.

"Fun classes?" Justin asked.

Yeah, you know, the ones that make college bearable—things like volleyball, golf, and karate, said Dave.

I guess I was focusing too much on the classes for my major, Justin responded. "I hadn’t really thought about adding any fun classes to my schedule."

Well, you’d better, emphasized Dave. Do you have a plan for getting a student loan?

I’ll try to get an appointment later today.

Well, good luck. At least you are going to an in-state school to reduce tuition costs and fees.

Thanks, Justin said as he started to feel a little overwhelmed with all he had to do.

Justin, Dave, and Susan ate and then went their separate ways. When Justin got to campus, he asked around and got directions to the Student Center building. As he walked to it, he observed how beautiful the campus was, with its old trees and well-planned landscaping. The buildings were similar to each other in design and had the same style of bricks. In addition to being well kept, the campus was also very busy; students and faculty members were making last-minute preparations for the start of classes the next day.

As Justin neared the Student Center, he noticed the building was already crowded with people busily moving around. He made his way to the front desk.

I’m new here. Where do I go to get my student ID? Justin asked a girl who stood behind the counter.

Go down this hall and make a left. The ID Center is the second door on the right, the girl replied automatically.

Justin thanked her and went on his way toward the ID Center. As Justin turned the corner, he saw a line extending out of the second door on the right.

In spite of what seemed like thirty people in front of him, the line moved quickly, and in less than ten minutes, Justin was at the counter. After his photo was taken, he was handed his student ID.

As he left the ID Center, his phone rang. It was Paul. Justin stepped away