Information About
Atlanta College Debt
Tips for Avoiding College Debt
Just because it is very commonplace, there's nothing desirable about graduating with tens of thousands of dollars in college debt. In fact, even from a mid-sized private institution, such as the well-respected Emory University (just outside of Atlanta), college debt can easily reach well over $300,000 without an additional outside source of funding.So, finding those outside sources of funding become imperative for even the relatively well-off student who doesn't want to be buried under a massive college debt on graduation day. Even a relatively small college debt of $100,000 or less can dictate a course after graduation that one would otherwise not choose.
Even for those whose parents didn't start a trust fund the day they were born, college debt can be nearly eliminated with an aggressive campaign of applying for grants and student aid. This can take the form of private grants, scholarships, contests, work-study or simply just being in the right place at the right time.
In fact, there is a great deal of grant money that goes un-awarded each and every year simply because students are unaware of just how many of these opportunities there are to reduce their college debt. Though the application process for what can seem like hundreds of awards can take quite awhile, the first deadlines for application are often conveniently located on the other side of the end-of-year Holiday Break.
The first step in the process is almost always to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA form. Copies of the FAFSA form are nearly always sent along with private, collegiate and state applications as well, since it covers all the basics of need based applications. It also allows you to consider the current state of your college debt if you're further along in your college career.
From there, it's a matter of seeking the advice of your advisor. No advisor wants to report the less than spectacular jobs that their graduating students were forced to take (often outside their fields of study) just to pay off a massive college debt. As such, they very often keep a large list of grant opportunities available for students to peruse.
Even if your school doesn't require you to speak to an advisor on a quarterly or semester basis, it is a very good idea to get in the habit of talking to him or her regularly, just to check on these opportunities to decrease your college debt burden.
