Reflection On How To Avoid Student Loan Debt

As I approach college, the biggest question for me is how to pay for it. I’ve spent hours planning and working to make college possible for me, to help me avoid my student loans. If I am able to graduate college, with either minimal, or no, student loans or excess debt, it could jump start me on my path to finding my career. Going into art as a career is tricky, and the more I am able to focus on applying for jobs, improving my skills, and networking with contacts, the easier it will be for me to start my post college life. My plan to avoid student loan debt is a simple one: save, scholarship, and student work. The most proactive thing I can do for college now is to save money. Since I was very young, my parents and I have worked together to put as much money away as possible in an untouchable college fund. On top of that, any money I receive from relatives, I put half away into that account. I also work. I’ve been working on and off since the middle of my sophomore year, and this past summer I’ve had a steady job. Along with that, and little odd jobs that I pick up, I try and put a significant amount of that towards the college fund.

I have been and am going to apply for numerous scholarships. I have been searching through local, state, and national scholarships, networking my options, talking to my parents and counselor, and jumping on any opportunity I can find or hear about. Throughout my entire school career, I have kept up a rigorous academic, volunteer, work, and extracurricular schedule, which has now proven to be very handy when applying for character and merit based scholarships. These are wonderful opportunities not only to help pay for college, but to network and reach out to the community I live in, and know that I’m representing such great