Knowledge is Power...and also expensive

Picture this, you’ve just started matric and your guidance counsellors are going on and on about how important it is to extend your studies to a tertiary level. They constantly nag you to take the University application forms that are constantly coming in. And they constantly nag you to go to the talks of all the different Universities in SA such as TUKS, UJ, WITS, UCT, UKZN, RHODES and the list goes on. You have faith that you will do well and get those marks that will make those admin people of the Universities accept you. You even go out and buy the branded underwear of your perspective University.

This is all well and good but University is not like high school, as has been stressed a number of occasions. The work load is harder, the lecturers are not your mothers and the fees are quadruple the amount you pay at high school. If you’re sitting pretty and you parents can afford the fees then ‘YAY!, GOOD FOR YOU’ but to the peeps who don’t want to ride on their parents financial back because they feel bad, or maybe their parents just can’t afford it then never fear because there are always alternatives.

There are a number of South African banks who cater to students in financial need. Standard bank has the coolest student loan agreements which cater to the students’ every need that they might have in University. Such as the Tuition fee, the accommodation fee, the sundry fees for those late night drinking binges and miscellaneous fees for those textbooks and fancy-over-the-top- clutch pencils.

Other cool Banks to check out are FNB and ABSA whose loan agreements are designed especially for the student and their odd behaviours and endeavours.
Although Student Loans sound cool and the easy way to go, they are a mission to pay back. I know a person who took a student loan when they were studying and they are still paying them off ….and their 30! So student loans should be your last resort. Many Universities offer Scholarships and Bursaries but that entails you to have some big brains up there. I’m not saying that you’re stupid but some of us are not so mentally inclined. But for those who are, Uni’s offer cool student bursaries based on you matric results and the more points you earn the more money is taken off your student account. Trust me its cool. I know I got like R17 400 of my student account jut because I did well in matric. So if I can do it then there’s damn well nothing stopping you from doing it.

But if those marks ain’t so good and you still aspire to wear those branded underwear out and about campus then Uni’s offer financial aid for those needy students. All you gotta do is full out a form and the rest is covered it’s as easy as that. Though don’t get me wrong they work exactly like a student loan but the marls you achieve in University depict how much you gotta pay in the end. So if you get a 60% aggregate then that’s 40% taken off the loan (which is probably just the interest).

They are many alternatives to fund your tertiary education so don’t let the price bring you down. All you have to do is hit the books and believe. I know its sounds gay but trust me being optimistic is way better than being a pessimistic when in financial strain.