With the enormous sacrifices that military families make for their country, financial hardships can result from a spouse who decides to attend school to better themselves while their loved one is actively serving. There are several ways that you can successfully save money on college tuition.
1. Military Scholarships
Not only can veterans receive college tuition, but there are scholarships specifically dedicated to the spouses of active-duty, retired veterans, and widowed spouses. These types of scholarships vary in amounts, but each military branch does offer some kind of financial college assistance that does not have to be repaid. You can also apply for scholarship funds through military branch groups such as military wives’ groups who are active within the military base where you reside or through the national military family foundation.
2. Funding Through Employment
Many college funding opportunities are available to employees through their place of employment, yet companies do not make this information common knowledge. This could include not only fees for the course but also for books and a computer. Most often, the courses and programs need to be related to some area of your current profession. Additionally, payment for the course can come in the form of tuition-reimbursement once you show proof that you have completed each course successfully.
3. Take Online Courses
One reason why online courses have become so popular with college students is not only convenient but cost efficiency. So, military spouses can take online classes to save money on babysitting costs, gas money or other fees associated with taking classes on-campus. And there are also many online courses where books are not required simply because professors will post all the content in the online files for everyone or refer students to specific sites for information. Taking a semester of mostly online courses can save you a lot of money in additional course fees even in in-depth areas like law or engineering where you can find sites that will help you circumvent through the subject matter beyond just the class itself. There are even informational sites that give you pointers on how to use social media technology if it is an integral part of the online course curriculum and you need extra guidance.
4. Tuition for Special Circumstances
Many military families are living in places where they are not considered residents. Because of this, spouses are often at the mercy of universities and colleges when it comes to non-resident fees for college courses. But you may find that many public colleges or universities offer military spouses resident-status rates under the title of special circumstances. Additionally, if you are a military spouse that holds a job on the military base then this will also qualify you with many colleges and universities as a public service employee for resident tuition rates.
5. Consider Community College First
Many college students who are applying to higher education institutions will not take into account how much money they can save simply by spending the first few years at a community college. What this does is allows you to explore general courses for the first few years at a third of the cost of a four-year institution. This puts less financial stress on you as well as allows you some leeway in changing your mind about your chosen career without spending your entire college tuition fund. There is often the opportunity to create a more flexible schedule, and community colleges now offer a multitude of opportunities in which military spouses can take online classes, especially if moving from state-to-state is an integral part of your life.
If you consider even several of these tips in helping you to save money as a military spouse who is considering college, then your academic road will be paved with a bounty of additional funds.
