According to Education Data, American parents save $5,143 annually for their kid’s college, on average. Without this parental support, paying for college can feel out of reach. However, each year, thousands of students pay for college on their own, successfully utilizing a variety of resources to support them.
Here’s how you can pay for college without your parents’ help.
#1: Start Saving Early
While there are a variety of recommendations regarding how much to save, the approaches may not be feasible if you are paying for college on your own. So, rather than focusing on saving a certain amount, focus on saving as much as you can. Consider picking up a side hustle or part-time job prior to college to provide you with an additional income.
If you are in a position where you are unable to direct any income towards saving for college, don’t worry — you aren’t out of luck. While helpful to have some cash to put towards college, it isn’t a make-it-or-break-it factor.
#2: Utilize AP Classes
As a high school student, you may be offered the opportunity to take AP courses. While these courses require additional labor, they can save you thousands of dollars if counted for college credit.
What are AP Credits?
The Advanced Placement (AP) program was created by the College Board to provide high school students the opportunity to take college-level courses and earn college credit for doing so. The program offers a wide variety of courses, from AP English Language and Composition, to AP US History, to AP Psychology.
At the culmination of each course, AP students are offered the option to take the AP exam. If you score sufficiently on it, you could gain college credit and skip the equivalent course in college. Skipping the equivalent college course could allow you to graduate early, which in turn could save you thousands of dollars in tuition and fees.
How Much Can AP Credits Save You in College?
The amount of money AP credits can save you varies greatly depending on the courses you take, the school you choose to attend, and the major you decide to enroll in.
Each school will have its own unique AP credit policy. So, while some schools may only accept 5s on the AP exam (the highest you can score), other schools may accept 3s and up. Likewise, some programs may require you to take all of the major courses at the school itself, which could discount your AP credit. Let’s break this down with an example.
Let’s say you apply to the University of Connecticut.
If you take the AP English Language and Composition exam, you will only be eligible for the equivalent UConn course credit if you score a 4 or 5. However, if you took the AP Calculus BC exam, you would only need to score a 3 to be eligible for the equivalent UConn course credit.
If you do earn a qualifying score, though, you would earn anywhere from 3 to 6 credits on average. At UConn, 15 credits is the average semester course load. So, if you took 5 AP courses throughout your high school career and earned qualifying scores on all exams, you may be able to knock an entire semester off of your college career at UConn.
At UConn, out-of-state tuition is around $20,000 per semester. So, in theory, the AP credits could save you nearly $20,000.
While this will change from school to school, the same idea applies. Depending on the courses you take, the school you attend, and your AP score, you could save a decent chunk of money.
How to Find Out Where Your AP Score Counts
If you applied to multiple schools, check to see which school(s) will accept your AP scores for credit. Simply search for “[school name] AP credit policies” to find each school’s policy.
If you already have your AP test scores in hand, check to see which scores will qualify for the equivalent course credit at each school. If you don’t have your test scores yet, see which school takes lower scores. The lower the accepted score, the more likely you are to score high enough for it to count for credit.
If you have specific questions regarding how your AP credits could help you graduate early, reach out to your intended college’s program directly. They will be able to provide you with a more accurate assessment of how your AP credits may be applied to your degree to save you money in the long run.
#3: Be Strategic About Which School You Choose to Apply To
The cost of college will differ greatly depending on the type of school you choose to attend. For example, while the average cost of a 4-year in-state public institution is $25,487 per year, the average cost of a full-time in-district community college program is $3,730 per year.
When paying for college without your parents’ help, you may find more affordable college options more appealing. Consider the average cost of each college program when deciding where to apply.
Likewise, consider the application fees of each school. To avoid paying hundreds of dollars in application fees, narrow down your list of schools to the ones you could truly see yourself attending. For the ones you do apply to, contact the school directly to ask about an application fee waiver. Many schools waive application fees for students like yourself who are navigating the college process without parents.
#4: Apply for Scholarships
Scholarships are essentially free money. (Yup, money you don’t have to pay back.) So, it’s recommended that you exhaust all scholarship options before considering student loans.
Throughout the search process, you will encounter a variety of scholarship opportunities, such as academic scholarships, private scholarships, institutional scholarships, and need-based scholarships.
To find scholarships to apply to, consider the following sites:
- Sallie Mae’s Scholarship Search Tool: While Sallie Mae is one of the most well-known private student loan companies, they also offer a robust scholarship search engine. After registering, the engine will send you customized scholarship recommendations based on your profile.
- Scholarships.com: As one of the most established scholarship websites, Scholarships.com has reported nearly $19 billion in scholarships, making it a great place to search for and apply to scholarships.
- Chegg.com: Chegg is well-known for its textbook rental service and homework help, but it’s also a great resource for scholarships. Chegg offers over 25,000 scholarships and tutors to help review your scholarship essays before you submit them.
- Fastweb.com: Fastweb has over 1.5 million scholarships in its database and will send you personalized application recommendations based on your profile. The platform will even email you when deadlines are approaching so you don’t miss any opportunities.
- Niche.com: Niche.com is known for providing insight on colleges and universities from over 140 million real reviews and ratings. However, the site also offers a wide variety of scholarships, using a similar matching process as other platforms.
- Cappex.com: Cappex database holds over $11 billion in scholarship opportunities and allows you to narrow your search based on a variety of factors.
#5: Apply for Financial Aid
If you are an independent student, you do not need your parents’ information to apply for federal student aid through the FAFSA. If you are a dependent student, however, you will need your parents’ information to complete the form.
Dependent vs Independent Student
For financial aid purposes, you are considered an independent student if you are at least one of the following:
- At least 24 years old
- A graduate/professional student
- An orphan or ward of the court
- An emancipated minor
- Married
- Someone who is homeless or at risk of being homeless
- Have legal dependents (children)
- Have a dependency override from a financial aid administrator with proper documentation
If you are at least one of the above, you are considered an independent student. To see what federal financial aid you qualify for, complete the FAFSA.
If you do not identify with any of the above, you are considered a dependent student. If able, you should complete the FAFSA with your parents’ information. You will need information such as:
- Social Security Numbers
- Tax information
- Family income information
- Records of untaxed income
- Information on any financial assets you or your parents may have
If you are considered a dependent but obtaining that information from your parents is not possible for whatever reason, you should consider filing for a dependency override. A dependency override allows you to file as an independent despite being considered a dependent by the above criteria. You can file a dependency override for the following reasons:
- An abusive family environment (ie. sexual, mental, physical, or other forms of domestic violence)
- Abandonment by parents
- Incarceration or institutionalization of both parents
- Parents lacking the mental or physical capacity to raise a child
- Parents cannot be located
- Unsuitable household (ie. child is removed from the home and placed in foster care)
- A married student’s spouse dies or gets divorced
Filling out the FAFSA can provide you with access to thousands of dollars in financial aid. Make sure to complete the form as soon as you can after the October 1st open date.
#6: Compare Aid Offers Carefully
Without financial support from your parents, finding an affordable school will likely be a top priority. So, when you receive financial aid packages from each school, be sure to compare the aid offers carefully.
Start by writing down the following information for each school:
- The cost of attendance
- The free aid you won’t have to pay back (ie. scholarships, grants, etc.)
- The cost to attend after subtracting the free aid
- The aid you would have to pay back (ie. any federal student loans you were offered and any private student loans you would need to take out)
For example, let’s say you applied to the University of Connecticut, Eastern Connecticut State University, and the University of Bridgeport as an in-state student. You also won $6,000 total in private scholarships — one $5,000 scholarship and one $1,000 scholarship. Comparing aid offers may may look like:
| School | Raw Cost of Attendance Per Year | Free Aid Given by the School and Outside Sources | Cost of Attendance After Free Aid | Aid You Would Need to Borrow and Pay Back |
| University of Connecticut | $36,012 | $5,000 – Private scholarship $1,000 – Private scholarship | $31,012 | $5,000 in federal student loans Remaining balance: $26,012 |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | $26,738 | $5,000 – Private scholarship $1,000 – Private scholarship $5,000 – Institutional scholarship | $15,738 | $5,000 in federal student loans Remaining balance: $10,738 |
| University of Bridgeport | $35,760 | $5,000 – Private scholarship $1,000 – Private scholarship $4,000 – Institutional scholarship $6,000 – Institutional scholarship | $19,760 | $5,000 in federal student loans Remaining balance: $14,760 |
Comparing the offers side-by-side will allow you to see which school is most affordable. In this example, you can see that while the University of Bridgeport offered more scholarship money than Eastern Connecticut State University, the difference in tuition still makes ESCU more affordable. Make sure to compare your aid offers carefully to determine which school is best for you financially.
#7: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For More
It never hurts to ask for more financial aid, especially if your parents are claiming you as a dependent student but not helping you pay for college.
To appeal your financial aid, simply submit a financial aid appeal letter to the school’s financial aid office. Make sure to address the financial aid director by name, be polite, and provide appropriate documentation. You can use a financial aid appeal letter template to craft your letter.
#8: Use Savings First
When it comes time to actually confront the bill, dip into your savings first only if you have an emergency savings set up.
Most financial professionals recommend an emergency savings that is at least 3 months of your typical expenses. So, if you know you typically spend around $1,500 per month, you’ll want to have an emergency savings of $4,500.
While putting some of your savings towards your college education is helpful, you should not do so at the expense of putting yourself in an unstable financial situation. If you do have savings, however, consider putting what you can towards your tuition bill.
#9: Consider Student Loans
While helpful, student loans should be somewhat of a last resort as you will have to pay them back with interest.
First, look at the federal student loans offered to you in your financial aid package. Federal student loans will typically have lower interest rates than private student loans as well as more flexible repayment terms.
If you were not offered federal student loans, or if federal student loans do not cover your remaining balance, consider private student loans. If you are applying without a cosigner, you will likely need a strong credit score to qualify on your own. If you don’t have a strong credit score, consider non-cosigned loan options.
The most efficient way to find a student loan option that you qualify for is to use Sparrow. Sparrow allows you to compare loan options from 15+ premier student lenders in one place. This allows you to rest assured knowing you found the best loan option available to you.
#10: Get a Part-Time Job or Side Hustle During School
Picking up a part-time job or side hustle can help you pay for college expenses such as books and other course supplies during the school year. Depending on how much you’re able to bring in, you may be able to pocket some of the money to pay for the following year’s tuition. Reach out to your school’s office of student employment to inquire about on-campus positions, or consider off-campus positions that may pay more.
#11: Ask for Help
Paying for college without your parents’ help may be overwhelming, but know that there are resources available to help. If at any point you feel confused about the next step or how to handle a certain aspect, ask for help.