Episode 7: Paying for Trade School

The cool thing about trade school (vocational school, career school, etc) is that the programs are tied tightly to employment- these programs help prepare you to get a job immediately.  The challenge with these programs is the cost. Sometimes they are more expensive per contact unit than a degree in liberal arts, and when the school is unaccredited or a for-profit business, it's hard to get wise financial aid help. 

In this episode, we'll show you how to pay for trade school (accredited or not) without devastating financial consequences.  We'll also look at alternative ways to get job skills that you may not have considered, and finally, we'll give you some rules to keep your budget in check.

Hard rule: Never borrow FOR other people, and never let people borrow for you.

1. Stockpiling cash for the first 50% before day 1.
2. Living expenses - tighten that budget!
3. Second 50% - Pell Grant, scholarship, gifts, working so you can cash-flow the process.  *IF you borrow, only borrow the second 50%.
4. Find out if the occupation is available as an apprenticeship. Get paid to learn.

Jennifer & Shelley's favorite scholarship website:  https://jlvcollegecounseling.com/scholarships