Are you looking to save THOUSANDS of dollars during your college experience? Are you looking to lighten your college workload?
When I started applying to colleges, I learned about college is how expensive college truly is. The credit hours, housing, meal plans, gym fees, parking, and whatever else your school includes in tuition add up fast. It is usually thousands of dollars per semester. With that being said, I want to provide you with some ways to save money pre-college or while in college to help you pay less and save extra money. Trust me, extra money is what some of us college students could use.
CLEP Exams
CLEP exams are exams provided by CollegeBoard that let students test out of some Gen Ed classes. The exams range from American History, Introduction to Psychology, Macroeconomics, Literature, Biology, and much more. Currently, it costs $93 per exam you take. However, you could potentially get a waiver through ModernStates. Adding on, CLEP exams are multiple-choice, take about 90-120 minutes to complete, and you get your score immediately on the majority of the exams. There is more information about taking a CLEP exam on the website below.
AP (Advanced Placement) Courses
Ahhh, good ole AP Courses. I took three in high school: AP American Government, AP American History, and AP Literature. If you pass the exam, you will receive college credit. AP classes can also increase your GPA. These classes require a lot of work and attention but I think that it is worth it. Getting your GPA boosted and knocking out college credit is beneficial. Make sure you pass the exam though! If not, you will have to pay and take the class again in college. Currently, CollegeBoard offers 38 AP courses, however, your school may not offer all 38 courses. Click the link below if you want more information!
https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/course-index-page
Community College
A lot of people want to go straight to university to have the full university experience during their 4 years. However, I have seen a lot of people be grateful for their community college experience during their first two years of college in order to pay less for credits and/or build up their GPA. I have also heard people say that they appreciate the small class environment compared to being in a large university because the teachers are able to be more personable with students. The article below gives a helpful thorough rundown on community college.
https://unmudl.com/blog/community-college-first
Dual Enrollment
Dual Enrollment is another way to take college credits while in high school and another way to boost your GPA. You would be taking college classes through a college in order to receive credit. A pro about dual enrollment is that it will give you exposure to college classes age before you even apply to college. As far as I know, Dual Enrollment is FREE.
With all of this information, I would speak with your advisor whether you are in high school or college to get more information about any of these and to see what your school does or does not provide. You taking a step to get more educated already puts you ahead of others! Your willingness to learn is going to be beneficial to you! Good luck getting those college credits knocked out.
