When you’re going to college, it’s hard to pay for tuition, books, and living expenses just off of money you’ve saved up, and most of us aren’t granted the privilege of being given a free ride.You have to be very careful and savvy to get out of college without having an overwhelming amount in student loans weighing you 
down. There are a few simple ways to keep yourself from being overburdened by student loans when you graduate.
Get free money
One of the best ways to avoid student loans is by letting strangers give you money, in the forms of scholarships and grants. There are millions of dollars in scholarships and grants out there waiting to be given away, and not enough people are asking for them. Fill out applications, write a few short essays, and rake in the cash. Do some research and find out about money that others don’t even know exist. Get grants for being a specific race, economic level, or a myriad of other things.
Even if your family makes a fair amount of money, you still have access to scholarships. There are scholarships for being short, having bad eyesight, creative writers (or at least those willing to write and submit a piece), and so many other things that you’re sure to find several you can apply for. Take advantage of these and you’ll be able to lessen your load of student loans significantly.
Get a job
While it might be difficult to hold a full-time job while going to classes all day, it is still totally possible to cut your debt by holding down a job while in college. Even if you’re a Resident Adviser for the dorms and just getting discounted living expenses, it can save you thousands of dollars. If you can find a job on-campus you can do in your spare time, pick up some gig that you can work on online, tutor a classmate, or get some other 10-hour a week job, you’ll be able to cut your loan amounts significantly, making your life out of college easier and more stress-free.
Cut your spending
As simple as this sounds, it can be very difficult for most people to cut their spending in college because they already feel like they’re living off of almost nothing. Buy used books, live in the cheapest place you can find, purchase only necessities and even then put it off unless it’s absolutely necessary. College is a time to practice the most frugal lifestyle, and wasteful spending hurts you in the long run, when you’re paying it off twenty years after you’ve finished. Living off of rice and beans (with some fruits and vegetables to keep you healthy) and owning two pairs of pants isn’t as difficult as it sounds, and it might teach you a little something about what you really need in order to be happy in life (which you’ll quickly find is not much).
Get subsidized loans
If you do have to get a student loan, get one that is subsidized if it’s at all possible. Subsidized loans are interest-free until you graduate, saving you money by not accruing interest while you’re still in school. If you get an unsubsidized loan, you may not have to start paying anything until you finish your degree (just like a subsidized loan), but the entire time you have it the loan amount will be getting bigger and bigger as the interest is added to the principle. Putting the effort into getting your loan subsidized will help safeguard you from this.
Using these simple strategies, you can avoid thousands of dollars or even more in student loan debt. While they do all require a little work on your part, and possibly even a little sacrifice, it’s not impossible to avoid crushing debt. Get as much free money as you can, offset it with money you earn at your job, and cut your expenses to the bare minimum and you can help make your future much brighter for yourself.
Photo Credit: Hampton University by Kevin Coles/flickr
An author and career advisor, Jenny Masterson also contributes content to thebestcolleges.org, an informational site featuring the best colleges as well as specialty institutions such as online Christian colleges.