8 Ways to Pay for College Without Student Loans or Your Parents’ Help

If your family’s financial situation doesn’t match up with your dreams of campus life, you may be wondering how to pay for college without parents who can or will foot the bill.

On average, family income and savings covered about 50% of college costs in 2023, according to a national study by Sallie Mae. But families who have a limited income or savings may not be able to help cover a higher education price tag. 

Including in-state tuition and applicable fees, the cost per credit hour at a four-year institution in 2024 is $406, according to the Education Data Initiative. If an average bachelor’s degree requires 120 credit hours, the total price comes to $48,720 — not including room and board.

Whether it’s by necessity or by choice, your parents could end up saying you’re on your own if you want to go to college. But that doesn’t mean you should resign yourself to a mountain of student loan debt or to skipping college altogether. 

But you do need a plan of attack when figuring out how to pay for college without parents, which is where we come in.

How to Pay for College Without Parents’ Help

You may not want to hear this right now, but paying for your own college education can actually be good for you (just like Brussels sprouts or liver). Taking on the fiscal responsibility can teach you budgeting techniques and saving strategies that you might not have learned if your parents were picking up the tab.

You can start saving on college by choosing a less expensive school — here’s our list of the best college bargains by state.

Once you’ve narrowed your choices, check out these eight ways to pay for college without money from your parents — or student loans.

1. Scholarships and Grants From Your School

Already have a college in mind? Then the first place to start looking for scholarship money is the school’s financial aid office. If you’re still in high school, ask your guidance counselor for their help reaching out to the college.

It’s important to know what money is available, so ask the financial aid officials about deadlines for applications, opportunities for need- vs. merit-based funding and options for renewable scholarships and grants.

Transferring from another college? Whether you started at another four-year institution or you’re continuing your education after completing your associate degree at a community college (a great way to save money, BTW), transfer scholarships offer a niche option.

2. Federal Pell Grant

Federal Pell Grants are need-based scholarships awarded on an annual basis (meaning you need to reapply every year). Use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply — here’s a step-by-step guide for filling out FAFSA.

The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is $7,395 for the 2024–25 award year. The amount you get depends on the four following factors, according to the Federal Student Aid office:

Filling out FAFSA requires your tax information, and unless you’re no longer a dependent, that means you’ll need your parents’ most recent tax returns. Providing this information doesn’t leave them on the hook for your college bill, but it could affect your financial aid package.

If your parents won’t provide tax details, there are a few options you can explore. One option is to claim yourself as an independent, but that’s typically only allowed if you are over 24 years old, are married, have kids, are a veteran or can claim special circumstances.

3. Grants From Your State

States use your FAFSA to determine your eligibility for state financial aid, so you get a two-for-one with that application (actually, it’s more like a three-for-one, because your school will probably use it, too). But some states require additional documentation, and their deadlines are not always the same as the federal ones. 

Note that most state grants are only applicable for in-state schools. However, there are some state grants and scholarships you can use for out-of-state tuition.

Check out your state’s FAFSA requirements for rules and deadlines.

4. Work-Study Program

Federal aid doesn’t stop with scholarships and grants. If you work on campus part time while attending classes, you can apply for federal work-study (FWS). It is essentially federal aid you earn for working.

Work-study jobs typically allow you to earn extra money without having to leave campus — that’s helpful if you’re without a car or if making the hike from campus to a job would be cost prohibitive.

But don’t expect a work-study program to cover all your costs. Under the FWS program, students typically work no more than 20 hours a week during a semester. And you won’t be allowed to exceed the allotted hours from your financial aid award, so don’t bank on overtime to cover extra costs.

5. Other Scholarships

After you’ve talked to your college’s financial aid office and filled out your FAFSA, it’s time to get a little creative in your scholarship search.

Start with your intended career. Corporations and professional associations often offer grants and scholarships for students pursuing degrees in related fields. As a bonus, researching and contacting these organizations early in your college career will help you make connections that can come in handy when you’re applying for jobs when you graduate.

Also check out nationwide databases like Career One Stop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.

6. Part-Time Job

On-campus work isn’t the only way to make extra cash — and off-campus jobs don’t require you to qualify for federal work-study.

Among the other benefits of an off-campus job is the potential to earn more money than at a FWS job since you can work more hours and keep the job year-round.

Additionally, you can potentially turn a part-time gig into a job upon graduation.

And if you don’t want to leave campus but still want to earn part-time or full-time money, check out our handy work-from-home portal for legit ways to make money from your dorm.

7. Paid Internship

Internships provide on-the-job experience, which can help bolster your resume as your college career draws to a close. 

Not only does a paid internship offer the same potential experience as an unpaid version, it could actually improve your chances of finding a post-graduation job.

You can start your internship search at your own college. Contact the career services department, attend on-campus career fairs, reach out to your alumni network or ask professors within your department for recommendations. Need more help? Check out this guide to landing an internship.

8. Military Tuition Assistance

Served in the military? Instead of asking your parents to pay for college, let Uncle Sam. Active duty, National Guard or Reserve Component service members are eligible for Military Tuition Assistance, which can pay up to 100% of tuition expenses.

If your tuition exceeds your active-duty tuition assistance program award, you can potentially use your GI Bill benefits to cover the remaining costs (known as Tuition Assistance Top-Up). 

It may not be easy covering college costs without mom and dad, but the reward is a degree you can say you earned on your own.

Tiffany Wendeln Connors is a former staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Data Journalist Alex Mahadevan contributed to this article.