12 ways to attend college for free
Key takeaways
- If you can’t afford to pay for college, there are many options available if you want to attend college for free.
- Consider applying for scholarships and grants to cover the cost of tuition. If you’re an adult learner, your employer may offer tuition assistance.
- Some colleges and states offer free tuition or a combination of non-loan student aid that covers all costs of attendance.
The average cost of college has more than doubled in the twenty-first century, according to the Educational Data Initiative. Luckily, prospective students have options for saving on higher education. A creative combination of scholarships, grant funding, work-study programs, and tuition-free degree programs may even equate to a low-cost or “free” option.
1. Apply for grants and scholarships
There are thousands of programs, institutions, companies and organizations that give away free money. In general, grants are based on need, while scholarships are based on academic, artistic or athletic merit.
You can apply for grants and scholarships at the federal and school level by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Ask your high school guidance counselor or college financial aid office if you’re eligible for any local programs or institution-specific scholarships.
Scholarship search engines are an easy way to find scholarships outside of your college offerings. You can customize your search based on any number of factors, including:
- Race.
- Ethnicity.
- Gender.
- Financial need.
- Potential major.
- Military affiliation.
- Religion.
- Physical disabilities.
The earlier you start your search, the more free money you can qualify for. Many grants and scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so the sooner you apply, the more money you can score.
2. Work for the school
Many schools offer free or reduced tuition for employees and staff of the school. In addition, if a student’s parent works for a college, a full or partial waiver may be available for that student. The terms vary by the institution since there’s no minimum standard, but many full-time workers qualify for tuition-free classes. Future students can find out about their school’s policy by calling the admissions office.
3. Waive your costs
Some students can get a free pass based on academic performance or other factors.
“Tuition waivers may be available for (current or former) military and talented students,” says Manuel Fabriquer, founder of College Planning ABC, a financial aid and admissions counseling firm in San Jose, California. “Even families that have substantial income can get tuition waivers if [the student] has the right test scores.”
Some schools also offer waivers for Native American students, though this policy varies by institution. To find out what a school offers, contact the financial aid office.
4. Have your employer pick up the costs
A long list of companies offer tuition reimbursement, including companies like Chegg and Google. Ask your employer if they’re willing to provide full or partial tuition reimbursement. Up to $5,250 in tuition reimbursement annually is tax-free for employees and employers.
If you’ve already taken out student loans, many employers pay off all or part of employees’ student loans. You may be able to retroactively get help with your college tuition by searching out employers with student loan repayment programs.
5. Choose an in-demand career
Another great way to attend college for free is to find a high-need field of study. If you’re trying to cut the cost of college, this is something to consider before you even enroll.
Colleges may incentivize in-demand degrees like math, science, nursing, teaching and social work through scholarships. Additional opportunities are available through organizations like Teach for America and the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program, and you can earn a TEACH Grant of up to $4,000 per year in exchange for a commitment to teach at a low-income school or educational service agency for four of the first eight years after graduation.
6. Attend a work college
Work colleges, which are generally four-year liberal arts institutions, provide educational opportunities as well as valuable work experience. All students must participate in a comprehensive work-learning service for all four years of enrollment. In other words, all resident students have jobs. Often the jobs are located on campus, but off-campus jobs are also possible. Specific program details vary by college.
All participating work colleges are approved and supervised by the U.S. Department of Education and are required to meet specific federal standards.
7. Attend a no-loan school
To help students avoid graduating with debilitating levels of debt, a growing number of schools are eliminating student loans from their financial aid packages. What does that mean exactly? These schools cover 100 percent of their students’ financial needs without relying on loans. They do this by providing a combination of scholarships, grants and work-study programs that cover students’ tuition and fees.
Schools that offer this type of support are able to do so thanks to the gifts and donations that they receive. Many are among the most prestigious schools in the country.
9. Choose a school that pays you
Some schools will pay you to focus your studies on a single subject that they select. Schools like the Webb Institute and the Curtis Institute of Music offer a select range of academic programs and pick up the tuition cost for every student.
However, it’s important to be sure you want to pursue a related field. You don’t want to get caught up in taking free college courses only to graduate and realize that you’re no longer interested in the subject.
9. Attend a community college with a free tuition program
Several states now provide some degree of free community college, including Tennessee, Oregon, California, New York and Washington.
For many states, you have to graduate from an in-state high school and enroll full time to qualify for the free tuition program. You may also have to commit to staying in the state for several years after graduation. Even though tuition will be free, you may still have to pay for textbooks, supplies and room and board.
10. Look into online tuition-free degree programs
Community colleges aren’t the only schools that offer tuition-free programs. Some employers provide free college courses to employees. For example, Starbucks has partnered with Arizona State University (ASU) to provide workers full tuition for online programs and degrees.
The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and University of the People are two schools that offer online tuition-free programs. You can do a Google search for more online tuition-free degrees, which may be especially suited for students who want to continue living at home.
11. Volunteer with Americorps
AmeriCorps is a national service organization that offers education awards in exchange for full- or part-time community work. The award amount varies among AmeriCorps programs, but a person cannot earn “more than the aggregate value of two full-time national service education awards.” The full education award is equal to the maximum Pell Grant value for that year. Members also receive a living stipend while serving in the program.
12. Enlist in the military
If you’ve served on active duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, you may also qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which helps cover the cost of in-state tuition and fees and provides an allowance for living expenses, books and supplies. Those who qualify for the program’s maximum benefit will have the full cost of public in-state tuition and fees covered for up to 48 months. As of the 2024-25 academic school year, tuition help for private and foreign schools was capped at $28,937.09 per year.
Scholarships are also available through local Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs. Offered at more than 1,700 colleges and universities in the U.S., the ROTC program provides participants a paid college education and guaranteed post-college career in exchange for committing to serve in the military after graduation.
Of course, enlisting in the military involves years of commitment and serious risks of physical and mental harm. If your primary goal is affording college, the other options on this list carry far less danger.
What to do if you can’t go to college for free
If you’ve done everything you can to go to college for free and still have to pay for some of it, you can use student loans to cover the financial gaps.
Whether you take out federal or private student loans, you should borrow only as much as you need. Every dollar you borrow is a dollar you must pay back with interest. The more you borrow now, the more you’ll end up paying back after you leave school.
Federal student loans are available when you complete the FAFSA. This option includes flexible repayment terms, like income-driven repayment plans, forgiveness options and long deferment and forbearance periods.
If you’re still struggling to pay for college and have maxed out the federal loan limit, you might need private student loans, which can have high interest rates and fewer borrower protections. If this is the case, it’s important to shop around with a few lenders before applying for your student loan in order to keep your costs as low as possible.
Bottom line
While getting a free college education is possible, it will require a lot of time, effort and commitment. Start your search early and apply to as many scholarships, grants and assistance programs as possible. If you cast a wide net, you have the best chance of attending college for free. If you still need to fill in the gaps, taking out a student loan can get you the rest of the way.
Up next
Guide to college scholarships and grants
What is work-study (and how does it, well, work)?
First-year college costs to prepare for beyond tuition
