12 Ways to Get Paid to Go Back to School Online or Offline 2024

It’s no longer news that the United States student loan debt is outrageous, owing $1.77 trillion in student loan debt, to add to that the federal student loan repayments will restart in October after being paused since March 2020. This means requesting for student loan should be the last option on your list.

Happily, there are several ways to get paid to go back to school, and this strategy is similar to some programs that fund you or even some online colleges that pay you to attend.

Moreover, we won’t deny the fact that acquiring a degree can be of great value to you, your career, and your future, because it opens new doors to your career. Even though there are now several ways to make a living without a degree, however those with the highest degree make three times as much as those without.

Before we list these ways, it’s important to also know that there are some Government Jobs that pay for your college.

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Best Ways to Get Paid to Go Back to School

It’s worth noting that most of these organizations don’t pay you directly, but to your school.

1. Sponsorship from Companies

Some reputable and big companies provide programs to enable their employees to receive a free certification course or pay part or their full fee to receive a degree. Amazon, for instance, pays employee fees ranging from fully-funded college tuition to foundational skills.

Some other companies that do the same include Disney, Discover, UPS, Boeing, Starbucks, Chipotle, T-Mobile, Taco Bell, Walmart, etc.

2. Military Tuition Assistance

From the name you should expect this assistance to be paid to eligible members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard, which makes it another brilliant way to get paid to go back to school. Eligible students will have the opportunity to receive up to 100% of the tuition expenses, and the funds will be paid directly to the Institution.

The GI Bill “top-up” is another way to get more funds as an active duty member, which can cover high-cost courses, don’t worry, none of these are loans, see it as an earned payment for education.

3. Grants to Go to School

Governments of different countries including the United States provide need-based grants to help students fund their educational expenses. But for you to be considered for any grant in the U.S. you need to first fill out the FAFSA application, and you will have access to several federal and state grants.

The best part is that these grants will focus less on your academic performance and more on your financial need. There are even some grants for unemployed students.

4. Organization Scholarships

Another way to get paid to go back to school is through scholarships and it’s one of my favorites especially when you have good grades and maybe are involved in some extracurricular activities. There are several scholarships that are fully funded like Fulbright, Chevening, Gates Cambridge, Commonwealth Distance Learning Master’s Scholarships, etc. Most of these scholarships won’t only cover your tuition fee, but also pay you monthly or annual stipends to cater for your living expenses.

There are still other partial scholarships that can help you pay part of your fees.

5. College Scholarships

So many colleges provide partial to full tuition scholarships similar to what athletic scholarships do to enable their students to worry less about finances and more about their education. Some schools also provide stipends for other expenses including living expenses.

Note that most merit-based scholarships provided by colleges or universities don’t require any extra application and are automatically awarded once you have been granted admission to the school. Some of these schools also provide need-based awards which you will need to submit an application.

6. Sweepstake Scholarships

Sweepstakes or lottery scholarships are won based on luck, they don’t consider your previous academic performance, or your financial need, all you need to do is register and the winner will be randomly selected. Applying to them is usually quick and easy, and funds might be paid directly to you.

7. Consider Tuition-free Schools

If you won’t get paid to go to school, you might as well enroll in a tuition-free university or college. One of my favorites is the University of the People for students who want to enroll in an online program, this is mostly because of their world-class educational facilities and faculties.

Also countries like Germany, France, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, etc, mostly provide free education based on their Government policies.

8. Tax Breaks for College

The Tax Breaks for College might not really be the best way to get paid to go back to school, but it will help to reduce college fees for taxpayers. The two main education tax credits in the United States are;

The American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC): provides a maximum annual credit of $2,500 per eligible student during the first four years of college.
The Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC): provides 20% of the first $10,000 of qualified education expenses, or a maximum of $2,000 per tax return

9. Campaign for Free College Tuition (CFCT)

This non-profit organization believes that due to today’s economy, the government should make education free or affordable for everyone. More than half of the states in the U.S. are now aligning to this mission, and some of these states now provide free college tuition programs with some eligibility requirements.

You can visit their official website to learn more on how to take advantage of this.

10. Work-study

Just like the name, you can work and also study and your paycheck will be moved directly to your college expenses including tuition. Most of these jobs are done on campus and there is a maximum amount of time each student needs to work.

Also, the United States Government provides the Federal Work-study program where students can assist with research, serve the community, and work live events, and payment can be made directly to them, their school, or their family.

11. Become a Resident Assistant

If your program will not give you the privilege to work and study, or you want to exhibit your leadership capabilities while living in the dorm and get some benefits for doing so. Then, becoming a Resident Assistant might be perfect for you.

A Resident Assistant is a student that provides supervision and support in on-campus dorms. As a Resident Assistant, you’ll be involved in enforcing campus and dorm rules, building friendships in the residence hall, and more.

By doing this, the school might reward you by waiving the boarding fee, getting a room with roommates, and even getting meal stipends, etc.

12. Freelancing

You might not be paid exactly for college as a freelancer, but the funds gotten here can be used for more than school expenses. Besides, freelancing will also help you gain more experience in the workforce even as a student.

And, you might continue as a Freelancer after graduation, and I’m speaking from experience because I was blogging as a student and when I graduated I continued in it and now have my own website.

Conclusion

Like we said, and you have seen most of these methods might not pay you directly to go to school, but even though the funds might be sent directly to your school it still helps to reduce or even waive your complete fees. We believe one or more of these options will definitely help you fund your education without breaking the bank or piling a huge student loan.

12 Ways to Get Paid to Go Back to School Online or Offline