There are a number of ways to keep down the cost of your college education.

Serve in AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a domestic service organization in which thousands of young men and women are working in community service projects around the country in exchange for a living allowance averaging $7,500 per year; health care; child care when needed; and an education award of $4,725 per year for paying back a student loan or for financing post-secondary education. Under some circumstances a person can serve part time and receive an education award of $2,362 per year.

AmeriCorps projects serve communities throughout the country. All meet at least one of four national priorities: (1) education; (2) public safety; (3) human needs; and (4) the environment. For example, AmeriCorps members teach state-of-the-art computer skills to teenagers, tutor grade-school children in basic reading, or organize innovative after-school programs in some of the education projects. AmeriCorps members in environmental projects clean up urban streams and inland waterways, monitor dangerous trends in air quality, or test-start city-wide recycling programs.

There are many different points in a person's educational career when participation in AmeriCorps is an option: right after high school; during or after college; and during or after graduate school or occupational training. AmeriCorps members are recruited locally and nationally. To find out more about AmeriCorps, call the AmeriCorps Hotline free of charge at 1-800-942-2677, or visit their web site at:
http://www.americorps.org.

Take Advanced Placement (AP) Courses and Exams in High School
Many high schools offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams. AP courses are college-level courses that help students prepare for college-level work. After taking AP courses, students can take AP exams offered in the same subjects as the AP courses. If students score a grade of 3 or higher on an AP exam, they can often receive college credit. Students with high grades on AP exams in many different subjects are sometimes granted a full year of course credit at the colleges where they enrol. The receipt of course credit can result in savings in college costs. These savings can be quite large if it means that a student is able to enter into a college as a second-year student; such a student might save the cost of tuition and fees for a full year of college.

However, not all colleges and universities give college credit for a grade of 3 or higher on an AP exam. Contact your high school to find out if AP courses and exams are offered. Write to the admissions office of colleges you are interested in attending and ask if they give credit for an AP exam grade of 3 or higher.

Participate in a Career-Focused Educational Program
Some high schools offer career-focused educational programs that provide students with a set of high school courses that are formally linked to courses offered at local community or technical colleges. These "tech-prep" or "school-to-career" programs, as they are often called, offer students the opportunity to go through a sequence of career-focused courses in high school that prepares them for an apprenticeship program or for a specialized sequence of college courses in a particular occupational field. Students who master certain technical and occupational skills and knowledge in high school do not need to repeat the same courses when they enter college or an apprenticeship.

In some of these programs, students who take the specialized sequence of courses in high school can sometimes be awarded college credit or advanced standing in the occupational program at the college level. This can save students time and money. It also means that students can gain access to more advanced college courses much earlier in their college careers. To find out if such career-focused programs exist in your community, ask a high school counselor, or staff at a local college.

Enrol in a Two-Year College, then Transfer to a Four-Year College
Local community colleges are usually the least expensive. In addition to charging low tuition, usually it is possible to save money by the student living at home and commuting to campus.

After completing an associate's degree or certificate in a two-year college, students often can transfer to a four-year college and work toward a bachelor's degree.

Certain community college courses may not be transferable to a four-year institution. Community college admissions officers can explain transfer terms and opportunities.

Work Part Time
Some students choose to work part time and attend college part time. If your child wishes to do this, he or she should make sure that work, classes, and time for studying do not conflict. Some institutions offer programs that enable students to combine work and classes. Although going to school part time is a good option for many students, it usually takes longer for part-time students to earn their degrees.

Take Advantage of Armed Forces Education Programs
The armed forces offer educational programs during or after active duty. If your looking to work toward a college degree immediately after high school, attending one of the military academies, or attending a civilian school and enrolling in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program, are options. If you join the armed forces before beginning full time study, you can attend college after military service by taking advantage of the Montgomery GI Bill or by obtaining college credit for some types of the military training.

Each branch of the military, with the exception of the Marine Corps, has its own academy -- a four-year college that offers a bachelor's degree and a commission in the military upon graduation. The military academies are highly competitive and are tuition-free to students who are admitted. The three main military academies are:

U.S. Military Academy, located in West Point, New York;
U.S. Naval Academy, located in Annapolis, Maryland; and
U.S. Air Force Academy, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Two other academies operate on the same model as the military academies, with subsidized tuition in return for service. They are:

U.S. Coast Guard Academy, located in New London, Connecticut; and
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, located in Kings Point, New York.

In the ROTC scholarship program, the military covers most of the cost of tuition, fees, and textbooks and also provides a monthly allowance. Scholarship recipients participate in summer training while in college and fulfil a service commitment after college.

The Montgomery GI Bill provides financial support for people who wish to pursue a college education after serving in the military.

Other Ways To Get a College Education in the Armed Forces
Most branches of the military offer some kind of tuition assistance program that enables members to take college courses at civilian colleges during their off-duty hours while on active duty. In addition, military training while on active duty can sometimes count toward college credit. All branches of the military offer training in various technical and vocational areas, and military enrollees can often obtain college credit for some of this training.

The National Guard and the Reserves offer the same kind of educational benefits as those available to people on Active Duty. Local armed forces recruiting offices can provide detailed information about education opportunities through the military.