New semester, new you. You’re loving — or hating — your new classes, but how are you paying for your tuition this semester? This question is the number one cause of grief among students two to three times a year.
I mean, you only get two weeks to somehow come up with the money to pay for your classes and fees. How do you stay calm? Well, no need to fret any longer. Curated below are some helpful ways to help you not stress out while trying to get your tuition taken care of.
FINANCIAL AID
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) saves lives. But, only if you qualify. Financial Aid is also the basis to apply for work study and some scholarships and tuition waivers. Applying is a long process and a lot of filling out forms and information, but it helps a ton.
You must have tax transcripts from you and/or your parents. This is how FAFSA determines if you qualify for student aid and grants. Beware of the deadlines and priority enrollments for applying.
SLCC PROMISE
Promise is only applicable to students who have received a Federal Pell Grant. There are additional requirements such as being a full-time credit-hour student, claiming a degree, meeting with an academic advisor, and maintaining at least a 2.0 GPA. If you qualify, SLCC pays for the remaining balance that FAFSA didn’t cover. It’s amazing.
WORK STUDY
There are always work-study jobs open for students. These are part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with a need for financial aid to help students earn money for college. They also help with employment opportunities in your specified field of study. By participating in work-study, you also get time to do homework all while getting paid. It’s a win-win.
Talk to your professors about work-study opportunities. You can also go speak with a guidance counselor or the financial aid office.
SCHOLARSHIPS & TUITION WAIVERS
This route isn’t always guaranteed, but it’s definitely worth applying. It pays off. Basically, go onto the scholarship application site and login. From there you can view different scholarships offered and apply for them.
Some of these scholarships include Foundations Scholars, Bruin Dreams, Sterling Scholars Tuition Waiver, Purple Heart Tuition, and many more. Each have specific requirements and different rewards, but they are super helpful in paying partial tuition to full tuition.
Talk to a guidance counselor about any and all scholarships that could possibly benefit you.
SLCC AMBASSADORS
Ambassadors help with admissions and recruit high school students to come to SLCC. They educate potential students about the school, different programs offered, as well as the SLCC Ambassador Scholarship. Giving tours around the campus is also another responsibility of an ambassador.
The program holds many events. They recently held a Native American conference where students came in from Southern Utah and Indian reservations to be educated on the benefits of SLCC. They had a Q&A about scholarships and programs that these students can take advantage of.
“This scholarship is so beneficial because of the opportunities we get by participating in all these activities and the opportunity to meet many new people,” Student Ambassador Michaela Madsen says. “It is a full-paid scholarship, which means I can take the 18 credit hours I need and have it completely covered. The advisors are super involved and are always there to make sure we are on top of everything and that we are taking advantage of all the opportunities available.”
Aside from jobs you can pick up outside of school, there are so many opportunities to take advantage of in the school. Always ask your counselors and other resources at SLCC about how you can help take care of your tuition costs.
