A. Students have many options to graduate college debt free. Students should apply for scholarships and/or grants because it is free money that does not have to be paid back. Grants are often based on financial need, and scholarships on the other hand are usually awarded based on academic achievement or other factors such as your background, financial need, culture, or even employers. There are many scholarships and grants available. For example, our office has a list of scholarships in the Scholarship Database on our website at NevadaTreasurer.gov. Students should also schedule a meeting to speak to their financial aid department to see what other options they have available at their institution.
Other options include, applying for a Work Study program or a part time/full time job to help pay for college. Also, some schools can put students on payment plans. If all else fails, find ways to reduce expenses to help pay for school out of pocket, and if needed AND as long as it doesn’t affect any of the scholarships or grants received, students can reduce their course load or choose a less expensive college to make it more affordable.