If you want to study and you don't have money, DO THIS!

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In my previous blog post I talked about going to college and how it is important in order to get and to develop life skills that will help people to build the life they dream of. If you haven't read it yet, you can do it right here : Is going to college important?

In this blog post I would like to share with you some tips on how we can pay our studies at university even if we don't have a lot of money. Money has always been a big issue for many people in the world. When it comes to education, we all know that in many countries like the USA, the UK, Australia going to college is pretty expensive and not everybody can afford it. This is a big struggle for many people – they think that if they don't have enough money to pay theirs studies, they should give up on this idea and do something different instead. I completely disagree with this and think that nowadays we have so many different options to study and to learn new things for really cheap, that not doing it is most of an excuse than a real reason.

I strongly believe that education is very important for every human being no matter their culture, social background, gender or personal story. Especially now, as I am working with people who live in extreme poverty, I see how good quality education can really change people's lives, their perceptions of the world and theirs priorities. It can literally change the world! Education is an investment that one does in his/her future, self-development, self-confidence and self-esteem. Yes, you do it for your-self! Education and learning are for me the keys to become responsible and conscious citizens of the world who are aware of what is actually important and what matters in life. Education is not only about learning “things on a specific topic and getting information”, it is also about learning about life, people and the society we live in. I am not going to talk here about what I think a good education system should look like, but one thing is certain – a good education system makes everybody who is involved in it, an actor and a decision maker of it.

Nowadays, on the Internet we can get free information and learn new things extremely easily. This is something that makes some people think that they don't have to go to school anymore. I personally disagree with that and even if I think that learning as much as possible through different sources is highly important, going to college, attending some kind of a course or an educational program is fundamental for people's future and for building their character. We can not learn everything by ourselves. We can not get all the information we need on our own and at some point, we need to make an investment in our dreams and spend some money. Actually, we appreciate far more the things we pay for than the ones we get for free.

So what can we do in order to spend less and still get good results? How can we go to a good university and not pay a lot of money? What platforms can we use in order to complete our knowledge on a specific subject? Here I share my tips on how you can invest in yourself with minimum spent money. We don't have excuses anymore – if you want to study, to learn and to enrich your knowledge, you just have to wake up and do it.

In some countries college is free or really cheap.

I did my studies in France. French public universities are pretty cheap – you pay less than 500 euros per year (the bachelor is less than 200 euros/year!). If you can get a scholarship, you don't pay anything and you can study for free. In many European countries this is how it works – universities are cheap so everybody can afford to study. Other countries that provide cheap or even free education are Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland. You can check this great article (Where can you study abroad for free?) that gives you information about the universities' costs in many countries in the world and if it is expensive to live there. Do not forget that even if your education is free or cheap, living abroad can be very costly sometimes depending on the country. So this is also something that people should think of. You still need to pay your rent and your food. I personally was working and studying at the same time. It is not easy to manage classes and work, but it is definitely doable.

Apply for a scholarship.

As I said in the previous step, in France if you can get a scholarship, you don't have to pay your college at all – it is free! Unfortunately, scholarships are only for French and people coming from the European Union. However, if you want to study abroad, you can always ask the university you apply to if there are any scholarships or another financial help that you can get in order to pay less tuition fees. They have tons of information about that so don't hesitate to ask. Another thing that you can check is if there are any university apartments, rooms or studios where you can live because normally, they are way cheaper than a regular apartment.

Also, look for some international or European scholarships from the universities themselves, the government of the country or international / European institutions that can fund one or two years of your studies.

Check this list here :

Fully funded scholarships 

Get a student loan.

Well, this step is maybe not the best one, but it is still an option. It applies mostly for people who want to stay and study in their own country. Unfortunately, you can not get a loan for your tuition fees if you haven't lived for at least 5 years, in most of the cases, in the country where you want to study. This is a way to prove that you are not going to run away once you graduate. If you are a EU wanting to study in another EU country, you go back to the first step because you pay the same fees like the nationals of the country will pay and you can even apply for a scholarship – so problem solved.

Here is a good article about student loans in the USA : Beginners guide for student loans

Find a company that will pay your studies.

This is something that is very popular in France and Canada and people do it all the time, especially if they want to study in an expensive private school. You have special programs (“alternance” or cooperative education/co-op) that allow you to work for a company that will pay your tuition fees. So basically you work and study at the same time (mostly, you work for two weeks and then you go to school for another two weeks). It is not easy to find a company that will hire you and pay your fees (it is like looking for a real job), but you can always try. It is definitely worth it.

In the USA you have companies that will offer to pay off your student loans once you started working for them. You can check this article Companies that will help you pay off your student loan

Try distance learning.

Distance learning is not always cheaper than on-compus learning, but you can always check this option. The good news is that even if you do online learning, you can still apply for scholarships and student loans like a regular student. You can also do it from all over the world. The only thing you need is a computer and a good Internet connection.

Here is a list of thousands of online programs that are under 1000 euros : Online programs under 1000 euros

Try to work and save money.

Some people work for a year and save the money they earn to pay a part of theirs tuition fees (or all of them) or to have some cash during the school year which would allow them to focus only on studying and not border about how they will pay their rent or other life expenses. While I was a student, I was always trying to find a summer job so I could still afford paying my rent and save some extra money for the school year. You don't have to think of the quality of your job, just find something that will make you earn money. In Europe if you work for one year on the minimum wage, you can earn around 12.000 euros. This is a lot! You can always find good reasons to save money. Even if you are not a student, you always have to think of putting some cash aside.

Use free Internet platforms.

Finally, the most important think is to learn no matter if you are going to college or not. Learning and being intellectually curious is what makes people become better and evolve in their life, career and relationships. I personally love learning through free Internet learning platforms. They are great because you have a lot of different courses which are completely free and you just have to sign up and start learning. You can also connect with other students via the chat and talk about the lessons, the quizzes, ask them questions if there is something you can not understand. You can also get in touch with the teachers who made the course. It is really great and you have literally the feeling that you are at school. And after every completed successfully quiz, you get a badge... the whole idea is to keep you motivated.

My favorite learning website is Khan Academy. It is really easy to use. The courses are not extremely long. The language is understandable for everyone. You have texts and videos, you can also pass the quizzes until you succeed. I highly recommend it. Another websites that I have used are OpenCulture where you can watch movies, listen to audiobooks, follow free courses and more, and Open2Study. I also use Alison. This is a website that gives certification for some courses. I personally find it a little bit superficial in terms of going really in depth and giving much information, but maybe I just picked the “bad” courses.

Here is a great article that gives you a list of 25 killer learning free websites : 25 killer learning free websites

Finally, you have to know that having or not having a college degree is not something that defines who you are and who you are going to be. We all know many people who have the perfect degree and career opportunities, but they still feel unhappy and miserable about theirs lives. We also know those people who never even went to school, but are having a great career and feel happy and fulfilled. So, what is important is to invest in yourself and in your future. You can do it even with no money from every corner of the world. Being intellectually curious is the greatest quality one can have! Be curious, ask hard questions, don't stop to wonder why things are the way they are, always ask “why”, read books (check this : Why is reading books important?), go to museums ( read this post : How is art changing you and the world? ) and never give up. Also, I strongly believe that if you want to study, you will always find a way to do it, no excuses! Nowadays, we have tons of great options that give us so many opportunities to learn and to grow, to become better people and citizens, to have better work paths and relationships, to have better knowledge about life and the world. Just grab these damn opportunities! It is a matter of choice. Love, Elena