There are financial aid options available to you that do not entail taking out a loan. Non-loan options are different than scholarships and grants. Non-loan options include: work study, military commitment, and employer commitment. Some options pay you while you study court reporting for work that you do. Other non-loan options require a term of commitment to the military or employer have your school is completed.
Work study is part of many financial aid packages. Normally, you can work for some part of the school at whatever jobs that they have available and they have funds to pay you usually a small salary. You can use the money to pay for living expenses or have all of the funds applied to your tuition. Either way you use the funds, you are helping to pay for your education. It really doesn’t make sense to leave any money at all on the table if it is being offered to help pay for your education.
Another form of non-loan financial aid is agreeing to serve a military tour of duty in exchange for money towards your education. There is usually a set time period attached to any money that you are given. You will have to serve X amount of years in the military for every set amount of money that is loaned to you. This is a pay me later arrangement and may feel more like a loan, but it is not. You will earn a salary while serving in the military and your time is the payback for the loan. You will not be required to financially pay back any money you “borrowed” from the military.
There are many civilian businesses that have similar types of commitment programs. Nursing programs and court reporting are areas where it pays hospitals and courts to help aspiring employees further their education. In return for the money “advanced” to you, you will be required to stay with the employer for a set term as provided in the agreement. Again, you get the benefit of having the money for school now with the commitment to serve or work for a set period of time after you complete your education.
There are, also, business incentive programs that reimburse you for your tuition and book expenses if you maintain a certain grade point average. There is usually a stipulation that your education must be in an area that furthers skills specific to your employer. If you work a court system, or legal firm, they may have a program like this for you.
You should weigh your choices wisely. Non-loan options do not come free and without strings attached. You have to determine what strings you are willing to allow to obtain the money you need to further your court reporting education.
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