How to Save on College Expenses (in California)

When you first decide to go to college or you decide to return to college, one of the first things you may think about is how you are going to pay for it. Going to a community college rather than straight to an upper level university or private college is one way you can save on fees. California community college fees are around $36.00 per unit, having just been raised from $26.00. This is still really affordable, even without a fee waiver.

If you have already made the decision to attend a junior college to complete your general education, you are headed in the right direction because it is not necessary to take the classes where you are going to transfer to for your upper division courses.

Now that you've decided and are ready to enroll, you must pay the fees such as tuition, books, a parking pass (if you drive), your books and other supplies. As I stated before, by attending a community or junior college, tuition fees will be considerably less than a university, state, or private college.

If you weren't able to apply for any scholarships, which often must be applied for several months in advance and have other requirements (as opposed to grade point average or income level) that must be met, there are grants available for you to apply for. A grant does not have to be repaid, but usually the applicant must maintain and have a grade point average above a certain level.

The way to apply for both grants and loans is by completing the FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov). There is the Pell Grant for students in all states and the Cal Grant for students in California.

If you are attending a community or junior college in California, you can apply to have your fees waived through the BOGFW (Board of Governors Fee Waiver) by going to www.cccapply.org.

If you are still in high school, start applying for scholarships when you are a senior.  They usually have due dates that they must be turned in by.  If you are already in college, the scholarship information is in the counseling and/or financial aid office.  You can also find a ton of information on scholarships online. 

Once you've gotten your classes, then it's time to purchase books. Since registration and enrollment is usually done in advance and can generally be done online, this gives you time to find out what textbooks you need.

If your school is automated, which it should be, there should also be a page for the bookstore that allows you to find out what books are required and purchase them online or in person. You can determine which book you will need there and then go outside of the college bookstore to an off-campus textbook store or purchase them online because they are usually a lot cheaper than they are in the school bookstore.

I hope that this information has been helpful to you because it certainly has been helpful to me. I never finished my degree when I was younger because I worked full-time and through the years had four children, but am so close to being done. I have one more semester and will then be transferring to pursue my bachelors degree in geology. The fee waiver has been so helpful, but once I transfer, I will have to look into other ways to help with financing my upper level education.

Thanks for reading! Have a great day.