How did you pay/are paying for school?

[GammaZeta]

Just curious, how did everyone pay for their education? How much was your tuition and what did you do to cover it?

Did you do loans, scholarships, grants, parents pay for it, etc.?

What advice can you give us younger guys.

I'm personally in grad school right now. My undergrad loans are relatively small and only owe around $10,000 for it. However, my grad school loans are going to be around $105,000. So far I've received most (2/3) of my loans from the government but have turned to private loans for the remainder.

Do you guys have any advice on consolidation?

[Tom Earp]

Ouch on the loans!

Back when costs werent so dang high, I would work summers and that would cover my costs. Also got pretty good playing pool, beer money!

My first year, I did a dorm washing, scrubbing, and waxing floors. Didnt pay much but helped a little.

Todays costs are so damn high though it is hard unless parents have a lot of money and want to part with it.

Maybe night jobs deliverying Pizza, but gas cost so much. Waiter in food service or a bar tender, something to get tips.

All I can say GammaZeta is good luck!

[GammaZeta]

Yeah, I know Tom. I really am glad I went to a state school for undergrad. Most private colleges are between $30,000-$40,000. Multiply that by 4 years and you have around $150,000. And THEN comes grad school.

[JonoBN41]

I should preface this by saying it's all irrelevant to today's conditions.

Since my father died when I was seven, money had to be legally set aside for my education, so tuition really wasn't a problem for me. I think it cost all of 10K for all four years then. Like Tom, I worked during the summers to cover the rest of my expenses during the school year.

Reading this thread, however, reminded me of one silly thing I did to make some beer money and that was selling stationery. Can you imagine trying to sell stationery today, with everyone using e-mails? Good luck.

It was nice stuff, though. I saved a few pages and still have it. At the top is the LCA coat of arms and centered below that is my name and school address, all in raised ink.

I made money by selling it to brothers and members of other fraternities. The company sent a saleman's package and it was a no BS deal. As soon as I made a sale I sent in the order with the wholesale payment to the company and they sent the order directly to the customer. I pocketed my profit immediately.

I also have a fuzzy recollection of buying something by the pound and selling it by the ounce, but hey, it was That Seventies Show in Florida and I can't sanction doing anything like that today. I'm not sure I even sanctioned it back then, but it was acceptable at the time.

"Keg in the Closet", huh? Don't make me laugh. Thanks for the memories.

ZAX,
Jono

[john1082]

I was an Air Force ROTC guy. Four years at Berkeley. Then an MBA, followed years later by Master's #2 at the Defense Intelligence College in Washington DC.

It was a good deal for me.

[LXAAlum]

Started out in college by having parents pay my way, with the one condition that I wouldn't flunk out.

Well....ummm.....my sophomore year is fuzzy to say the least, even to this day - and my parents' made good on their threat.

Into the Navy, GI Bill to complete undergrad school, and grad school was paid 1/2 by being a TA, and the other 1/2 by loans. Spending money (hah! good one!) was earned working part time wherever/whenever I could.

Still paying the damn loans back....that's the downside.

[JoinerLxa]

I'm currently in grad school as well. My advice: MAJOR IN
ENGINEERING OR COMPUTER SCIENCE!!!

Every grad program I've looked at (and I've looked at many!)
for computer science, if you were admitted, you were most
likely given a Teaching Assitanceship (teach frosh courses)
or a Research Assitanceship (be a slave for professor's research
project). TA/RAs always come with FULL TUITION and a small
salary.

Most all departments have these, but since Engr/CS get
so much money from the govt. and large companies to work
on research projects, practically all grad students in these
areas get a TA/RA.

That's how I paid for my MS at Vandy!! (VERY expensive!)

Kevin
Kappa-Omega 958

[sanjiyan69]

I was lucky enough that my mom paid for all my tuitions. However, I'm an international student...so my tuition is basically same as out-of-state students anywhere I go in the US. I work under the table to cover the rest (books, room/board, personal spending cash). I am not qualify for most loans and grants. it sucked.

yours in ZAX,

Wayne Hsieh
Delta-theta 109