Military service is a great way to pay for your college education. If you are willing to go through the necessary training and serve the country for a few years, you will obtain an education in return. The amount of education you receive will determine the number of years you have to pay back the military in the form of service.

If you are seeking a medical degree, the U.S. Health Service Corps is a wonderful way to fund your medical education. The National Health Service Corps is a government program that will pay back all or most of your tuition in return for 2-4 years of service in a medically under-served area of the country. You need to be willing to relocate to a rural area and work for a few years in order to receive your education.

Many employers are now offering employer reimbursement for their employees who further their education. Generally you will have to submit a form before the beginning of a semester to your employer and upon completion of the semester you will submit your grades and tuition cost. Your employer will review your information and if you meet the criteria, you will receive reimbursement for your education. Most employers will only pay back about 30% of your total tuition cost or $3,000 per year. Many hospitals will employ nurses or doctors and will offer them a student loan forgiveness plan as part of their financial package. This plan helps to alleviate some of your financial burden from the student loans you acquired in medical school.

If you don't qualify for any of the above options, there are other things you can do to help pay for your college education. Start back in high school by taking AP classes (advance placement). AP classes are college-level courses that are offered to high school students and provide them an opportunity to earn college credit by passing an exam at the end of the semester. The best part about taking an AP class is that you are getting college credit for free. If you take a lot of AP courses, you can complete an entire semester to an entire year of college courses before you even step foot on the campus.

There is also early college or joint enrollment in college and joint enrollment in high school. This allows you to take college courses while completing high school. This is a great way to save some additional money on college tuition. Local community colleges will offer a cheaper rate than the university or private colleges. By having joint enrollment, you will earn college credit while living at home and you won't have the additional expenses that come with living in a dorm or apartment. Joint enrollment is generally offered during your senior year of high school so be sure to check with the guidance counselors at the high school to discuss your options.

Selecting a public or In-state university will save you money on college tuition. Most universities have a partnership with businesses and will help their recent graduates obtain careers with these businesses. When you get into college, try to stay at the same college and in the same major. Each time you change colleges or majors, you lose out on money. Some majors don't require the courses you have already taken and when you transfer credits to another school, it is unlikely that they will accept all of the courses you have taken. Choose wisely before you enter college about what you would like to major in. If you still haven't decided, obtain your associates degree in general studies, this will allow you to gain exposure to a wide range of subjects and determine what field you would like to study.

Once you get into college, there are a few things you can do to cut back on unnecessary expenses. First, start by opening a free checking or savings account. Find a bank that caters to college students and won't charge outlandish fees for ATM withdrawals. Keep track of your bank account to avoid overspending and incurring overdraft fees. Debit cards generally keep working even of you do not have the money in your account. Each time you make a withdrawal with your debit card without the proper funding in the account, you will be hit with an insufficient funds fee and a bank fee. Talk to the bank about automatic overdraft protection. This will transfer the necessary funds from your savings account to your checking account if you are short on the money.

If you open a credit card, find one that has a 0% interest rate or a low interest rate. Keep the total credit line amount low, less than $1,000. A credit card should only be used in an emergency. Credit cards are the number one reason many college students get into debt. If you have a credit card, pay your bills on time and for the complete amount or more than the minimum balance. Credit card companies will charge hefty late fees totaling more than $50 for some companies. Never go over your total credit limit as you will be hit with an overdraft fee and a credit card fee. This just gives the credit card company an opportunity to collect more money from you.

College students need to be on a tight budget so you need to keep a log of everything your purchase from gum to books. When you reach the end of the month, take a look at your log and total up the amount you spent in the month. This is an easy way to determine where your money is being spent and what you can do the next month to avoid unnecessary purchases. Save the spare change you get from purchases or that you find on the street. Over time, spare change can add up and you will have a couple hundred dollars on your hands. Never use the coin-counting machines at the grocery store to count the coins, as they charge you a nice fee for the amount of coins it counts. Most banks have coin counting machines that you can use for free or consider rolling the coins yourself.

Another think you can do to save money is look for shopping centers that offer discounts to students. This can be more than the grocery store, but also gas stations and restaurants. Generally you can get a discount on books from your local bookstore or the college bookstore. Saving money on food can come by purchasing food in bulk amounts. While macaroni and cheese and top ramen aren't the healthiest choices for food, they cost less than .12 cents a meal. It's a must-have for a college student with a limited budget. Start shopping for your clothing at consignment stores or garage sales. You can save a lot of money by shopping at a consignment store versus the local mall.

When you are selecting housing, try to find an apartment that is close to the college or university. This will allow you to walk to your classes and avoid using gas to fuel your car. Public transportation is cheap and they usually will offer a discount for college students, so be sure to look into that option as well.