Introduction: "5 Proven Strategies on How to Pay for College"

Introduction to 

"5 Proven Strategies on How to Pay for College"

by: Ethan Brisby

When it comes to financing your college education, you will likely be dealing with bigger numbers than you have ever seen. Additionally, even though the average price of attending college has steadily risen since 2001; attending college can be affordable if you select an option that is best suited for you and your family.

According to www.collegboard.com, 44% of full time students during the 2011-2012 school year were attending four year colleges at which tuition costs were below $9,000 a year. Conversely, some 28% of full-time students were attending a private school whose tuition was as much as $36,000 per year. Yes, college can be expensive. This is why it is important to know your facts, expand your options, generate a plan and then go on a relentless pursuit to execute that plan.  

Your plan may include several options. These include personal saving over a given period of time, parents taking money out of a retirement account, loans, scholarships, grants, or any other legal method of coming up with  the money for your investment. The important thing is that you take time to truly strategize your approach. Don’t just wait around until it’s time to make the first payment and then expect some sort of miracle to appear in your favor.

For me, college was something I knew I always wanted to do. I was raised on government aid programs and grew up in a blighted neighborhood. I did not know anyone before me that had achieve success via academia. Subsequently, I was a first generation college student. Initially, it was quite difficult at first to do simple tasks like navigating the application process.

Paying for college was even more of a giant step when I first began my “quest for knowledge.” I chose to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta which costs over $100,000 over a four year period.  For this reason, I spent countless hours in the financial aid office at times literally begging for the money I needed from the college and its donors. As you will read in this book, I also got out there and created revenue streams for myself. 

This is why and how I have written Five Proven Strategies on How to Pay for College:  to guide ambitious young people to a point where they can create a plan and then work the plan to completion no matter the odds. This book is about how to generate income streams to pay for college. My approach was filled with trial and error, some fear, a little doubt, and many, many, letters and e-mails to high ranking official. My approach was balanced out by triumph, rewards, and more scholarship money than I ever imagined possible. I made a name for myself by the original ways I went about telling my story, selling my skills, and building a door every time opportunity did not knock.

Without a doubt, each semester was a challenge. I had to move out of on-campus housing mid-semester once. I went hungry some days (don’t tell my grandma she wouldn’t like that), and I went semesters without the books I needed. Somehow, God saw fit for me to keep pushing as he continued to make financial provisions for me each and every time.

Had I attended a state school or a college with less expensive tuition, I may have not had to endure so many struggles, but then this book may not have become a reality.  That is not the way my story was meant to be written, and I would not have it any other way. Having never seen first-hand anyone successfully navigate the college journey, I was ill-prepared, but I had a goal in mind, and I made the decision to be a champion!

Likewise, I can assure you I have put my heart into this book in an effort to help people like you that may be seeking guidance. You may think you are prepared, but you will want to get as much help as possible as you approach this mountain. Many have tried and come up short at completing a college degree. Each story is different, but there is one common goal, having your name called at commencement. 

In the following pages, I have laid the foundation for some of the things you can do to secure the needed finances to make it through your college matriculation. This is in no way an all-inclusive list, but instead it is designed to make you think about what your options are. If you are coming directly out of high school into college this will be your first time having to manage your time and money almost exclusively on your own.

In the beginning of my journey, I was not so successful at that either. When I graduated high school in 2001, I enrolled at the University of Houston. The freedom was too much for me. Like so many eighteen year olds, I knew it all. I was “Mr. You Can’t Tell Me Nothing” way before that one guy said it in a rap song. As a result, my GPA at the end of one semester was 0.00. I thought I could get a degree in partying and socializing. It’s nothing I am proud of, but it goes to show what will happen if you walk onto a college campus thinking it will be anything like your high school career.

Over time, I became a more mature young man. Then, in 2006 I attended the National Association of Black Journalist (NABJ) conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was there that I saw African Americans successful and seemingly happy with their lives. One thing many of the people I met had in common was a college education. It was through this exposure at NABJ that my life changed.

As a result, when I came back home to Bryan, Texas, I quit my job at Citibank and decided I would earn a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree. I did not know how, but I was certain that was what I wanted. In January 2007, I enrolled at Blinn College for one year to get my brain back working after six years away.  The thing is, I wanted to go to Morehouse College straight out of high school; but coming from a low income family, close knit family I was not allowed to even apply because it was too expensive and too far from home. 

Likewise, I always thought I would be a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, and even though Morehouse did not offer journalism as a major, I wanted to attend Morehouse more than I wanted major in Journalist. Therefore, I made the decision to attend Morehouse. Soon thereafter in 2010, that 0.00 turned into a respectable 3.23. I made the Dean’s List and college Honor Roll multiple semesters. 

Moreover, the stories and strategies I share in this book are from years of experience. I paid the price so other students from similar socioeconomic backgrounds and basically any ambition young person will not have to do the same. I would not recommend you do it the same way I did it, but I would recommend you take heed of the advice in this book, and use it as a measuring stick as you personalize your approach to paying for college.   

As I stated above, there have been many causalities and people that were unsuccessful in navigating the trek that you have chosen. Many of these people have accumulated college credits, but they just could not endure the journey long enough to complete it. College is indeed a journey. You will meet new people, learn things about yourself, and ultimately define the next decade or so of your life by the decisions you will have to make during this process.

With this book, you will learn how to build a foundation by first completing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application. The second level is putting a face with the name. You will want to meet the people who can make financial decisions in your favor. This is where I scored the most. A push of a button or a phone call can land thousands of dollars in your school account and place a smile on your face and in your heart.

The next level is when you take matters into your own hands by matching your skill set with the money that is available to you. If you gain nothing else from this book, gain an understanding that when it comes to paying for college, there are places where money truly does grow on trees. There are many variables to consider within this stage, so I have given you a myriad of options to consider and scenarios to expect as you develop your plan for success.

It will not be easy, but with the help of this book, and drawing upon the advice of people who have done what you are seeking to do, lots of prayer, and a spirit of perseverance you will make it to Graduation Day. Graduation Day is the ceremonious prize for all the new adventures awaiting you in college. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I have enjoyed preparing it for you.

 To purchase "5 Proven Strategies on How to Pay for College" contact Ethan via social media
@ethanbrisby
Facebook: Ethan Brisby