Is the College Hype Worth the Price?

In my Opinion… No

Don’t get me wrong, I do think that college is a great investment, but don’t feel like you should live in debt the rest of your life because of it. Here are a few tips I have for when it comes to pursuing a higher education.

Choose a College in your State

I know you want to be as far away from home as possible and be independent. However, is paying up to 20k extra just to go to school in a different state really worth it? Think about what you could do with all of that extra cash and how much stress you would be avoiding. Please avoid the mistake of accruing out of state tuition fees.

Go to a Community College

Yeah I get it, a university sounds so much nicer, but it can also eat up your savings. The smart thing to do is to get your associates degree at a community college and THEN transfer to a university for your bachelors degree. There is almost never an issue with credits transferring while doing this if it is all done within the same state. Also, a lot of people change their mind about what they want to major in but still need general education courses no matter what. Save yourself a couple of thousand dollars and just attend community college.

Apply for Financial Aid and Scholarships

Schools basically make it mandatory that you fill out a FAFSA, and that could mean good news for you potentially. If you qualify, you could get a Pell grant, which is free school money that you don’t have to pay back. It may also say how much in student loans you qualify for, but PLEASE DON’T EVER TAKE A STUDENT LOAN OUT! It’s simply not worth it, and it will feel like it will never disappear. Instead, start applying for scholarships. You would be so surprised how much free money goes unclaimed each year because no one bothered to apply for several scholarships. On another post, I will give a list of scholarships and tips on how to find ones you would be eligible for.

Check Those Credentials

This may sound like a no-brainer, but check to make sure the school you want to attend is accredited. Just because a school has fancy advertisements and they claim you can get a degree from there and make 80k a year doesn’t mean that it’s true. There have been people who have become victims of situations like this, and there was nothing that could be done about it. Do yourself a favor and check to make sure the school you are interested in, is in good standing before you invest your time and money into them.

I hope you all found these tips to be helpful and now have a better idea on how to pick a college the more financially savvy and rational way!

-The College Hustle Chick


Who likes being broke? Not this girl!

Hi everyone, my name is Sarah and welcome to my page! I am a huge fan of coffee, cats, and saving money. I will be sharing with you how tips on you can save and earn money on the side, and getting through college. I understand that the struggle is real in today’s society, and hope that some of this information could be helpful to you!

“The surest way not to fail is to be determined to succeed.” – Richard Brinsley Sheridan


So, how is that grocery bill looking?

One thing I am a fan of is food. I mean let’s be honest who isn’t? But I don’t want to stick to Ramen noodles or eat hot dogs and easy mac for dinner every day. A grocery app that has saved me a decent amount of money has been Ibotta. It has a variety of stores, and some popular ones include Walmart, Publix, Kroger, and Harris Teeter. When you download the app (which is free), you type in the name of the store you are searching for, and when it appears, it will show you a variety of items that can be redeemed for money. These items do change frequently, and the average amount of cash back per item is usually 50 cents. It may not seem like much, but it definitely adds up! In order to receive payment, you need Paypal or Venmo, and they have the option to give gift cards as well. Sometimes you can even find rebates for hotels and restaurants! My total earnings so far has been slightly over 74 dollars, but some money is better than none. I would highly suggest giving this app a try, and here is my referral code to get you started: egqsgfu.