Making a plan to graduate in four years can save thousands in tuition, room and board. Meeting with a departmental academic advisor and utilizing the CAPP tab in the MyState portal can help ensure a timely graduation date.
Look into your class requirements and the options for testing out of classes instead of paying for a class. Click here to see what MSU accepts
Students may begin paying off loans now. Making small payments now can help avoid long-term debt. Borrow as a last resort, and only enough to pay required school expenses. By paying off credit cards every month, interest fees can be avoided as well as building up a large balance that can hurt your credit score.
Scholarships and financial aid can help alleviate tuition costs. More information can be found in here.
Textbooks
Buy or rent used textbooks or digital e-books if available. Websites such as Student Rate, Half, Chegg, and Amazon provide textbooks and digital e-books. Classic literature can often be found as a free e-book from Gutenberg.
Professors often require specific editions, so make sure you are buying the right book by using the ISBN number. If ordering online, order books early to avoid rush shipping.
Sometimes professors only require you to read one or two chapters of a book. If the book is available as an e-book, you may be able to purchase only the chapter you need for much less than the entire book.
Keep books in good condition so they have a greater chance of being sold back to bookstores or online. You won’t recoup all your cost, but some cash will be regained.
Some textbooks are available at the Mitchell Memorial Library or Starkville Public Library. If they don’t have it, they may be able to get it through inter-library loan. They are usually short-term loans, but it might get you through while you wait for the textbooks being shipped.
Extra Cash
Applying every year for scholarships (starting October 1st for the next Fall) and financial aid (starting October 1st) will help alleviate some costs for attending Mississippi State. After applying, be aware of the guidelines such as deadlines, minimum GPA, number of class hours, etc. to keep financial aid and scholarships.
Attaining paid internships or co-ops are additional ways to earn extra cash while providing valuable experience for a resume. Visit CO-OP & Internships for more information.
