Source: forbes.com
Student loan debt has become a national crisis, with over $1.5 trillion in debt spread among 45 million Americans and no end in sight. Student loan default rates are scary as a result, spreading despair among those who cannot manage their payments and keep a roof over their heads. Adding more fuel to the fire is the fact it’s still nearly impossible to discharge federal or private student loans in bankruptcy.
Even worse is the fact that attending a public, four-year school in your home state now costs almost six figures by the time you’re ready to graduate. Yes, that’s right. According to College Board figures, average tuition and fees (plus room and board) work out to $21,370 per year right now for public, in-state schools that offer four-year degrees.
Yet, despite all this, some college graduates have managed to escape school without any debt in the recent past. Here’s how four college graduates made their debt-free dreams happen — and how you may be able to do it, too.
Ryan Guina, the voice behind The Military Wallet
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so I joined the military. When I joined the Air Force, I was automatically enrolled in the Community College of the Air Force,” says Guina. “I earned an associate degree using my previous college credits and what I earned through the CCAF.”
From there, Guina used the Air Force Tuition Assistance program to earn his bachelor’s degree. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which accepted 60 credits from his previous college and the CCAF.
