College Funding in San Diego: 5 Ways to Pay for College in San Diego

Attending college in San Diego is an exciting option for many prospective students, but the cost of living in the city is higher than most wish to spend. Because of this, many students look for a variety of ways to obtain college funding in San Diego. There are many traditional means of obtaining cash for college, including scholarships, but there are also some very creative ways to get the money you need to go to school. Below is a list of 5 tips, both traditional and non-traditional, to obtain college funding in San Diego.

5 Tips to Obtain College Funding in San Diego

1. Apply for relevant scholarships and grants:

   There are many great scholarship and grant opportunities in California, and some of them will even cover your cost of living. The county of San Diego has over 20 scholarships available for students looking to further their education. Requirements of each scholarship range from financial need, to ethnic diversity, to community involvement, and more. Review this list of scholarships available for college funding in San Diego.

   Beyond San Diego County scholarships, students should also look outside of the county at government grants and national scholarships. FastWeb.com is a great resource for these types of funding options.

2. Intern for priceless college credit:

   What many don't know when attending college in San Diego is that a great deal of college credit can be obtained in the work place. Students looking for a California business degree, for instance, can apply to business related internship programs and obtain priceless credit for the time spent. When college costs over $100 per credit hour, earning "free" credit hours by interning will drastically cut costs.

   Students already in the career field, who are looking to expand their education and grow in their career, can work with their local college in San Diego to convert some of their time already spent in the career field into college credit. This takes down the sometimes large hurdles of college funding in San Diego.

3. Apply for a work-study program:

   Work-study is a great opportunity that offers a win-win solution for both the student and the college. Through work-study, San Diego college students can pay for school by working for the school. The school sets a relevant hourly time worked, and puts that income toward the student's education.

4. Become a movie or event promoter:

   Many may not be aware of this, but there are fun and easy jobs available to full-time college students that provide flexibility and great pay. These are movie and/or event promotion jobs. Marketing companies who want to get the word out about a new movie, product, or event, rely on connected people to spread the word about their product. Those "connected people" are college students, which these companies prefer most. College students can see an average of 400 people per one day on campus, which equals a lot of connection opportunities to these businesses. Look for job opportunities on Craigslist that pay to pass out flyers, put up posters, and give away free "swag" (stuff we all get). These offer students a fast and fun way to obtain college funding in San Diego.

5. Take surveys:

   Another great way to earn extra money for college in San Diego is to take surveys online. Market research groups rely on consumers to answer important questions about new and current products. Because answering all of these questions takes time, market research firms will pay consumers to take the surveys. There are many great online companies that allow students to take surveys when it's most convenient for them, which means that this income opportunity could revolve around school work.