6 ways to beat the rising cost of college in Florida and elsewhere

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Tuition at public universities in Florida is jumping 15 percent in August.

Costs have already skyrocketed throughout the nation in the last five years, with many students now paying thousands of dollars more a year for tuition, fees and room and board.

Here are 6 ways for South Floridians to beat the rising costs.

Go to Broward College or Palm Beach State College for at least the first two years. You’ll save about $2,000 a year over, say, the University of Florida’s annual $5,000 in tuition and fees.

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Live at home. Cost for room and board at a state university will run you about $9,700 a year. UF, Florida State University and other state schools now have degrees you can earn online.

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Save hundreds of dollars a year by scouting for textbooks’ bargain basement prices. Go online at cheapesttextbooks.com or textbooksearch.com

Earn college credit by taking Advanced Placement courses in high school or passing CLEP exams at your future college. You can earn credit for more than 30 college classes, from American lit to calculus. That could save you a year’s college expenses. Go to collegeboard.org and clep.collegeboard.org

Start a 529 tax-free college investment fund to save or invest for college costs.

Win a scholarship. Florida’s Bright Futures program, while offering dimmer prospects, still offers up to $101 per credit hour for top students at a four-year university and up to $62 per hour at a two-year program. Also check out scholarship opportunities at finaid.org, scholarships.com or fastweb.com

dgehrke@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4205

 

 

Copyright © 2011, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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