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Good news! Did you know that attending college has never been more affordable than it is right now? It’s true! Thanks to new legislation and other priceless resources, you can attend high quality institutions like Raritan Valley Community College to transform your career dreams into reality. For more information, register for RVCC’s Spring Open House and keep reading for more helpful tips.

1. Explore Free Tuition

Yes…there really is such a thing. Recently, Governor Murphy signed landmark legislation to permanently establish the Community College Opportunity Grant Program. This law guarantees Free Tuition at a Community College for more than 50,000 New Jersey students each academic year. Eligible students receive free tuition and most educational fees for up to 18 credits a semester. The Opportunity Grant will pay for tuition and educational fee costs not covered by state, federal, institutional, or community grants or scholarships. Click here to get started.

2. Utilize Open Educational Resources

Save money by not buying textbooks! Open Educational Resources (OER) are free instructional materials and resources for courses that can be downloaded, edited, and shared freely. For instance, at RVCC, a student can select z-courses, which are zero-textbook cost sections. There are z-courses for many required and elective credits. In the 60-credit Liberal Arts, Associate of Arts degree program, there are as many as 42 credits for which you don’t have to pay for a textbook. That’s a big saving! Since 2018, OER has saved RVCC students $1,356,240 in textbook costs.

3. Earn Credit for What You Know, Save Time & Money

For adult learners who may be exploring college certificate programs or an entirely new career direction, you may be able to receive credit for knowledge you’ve gain through work or life. Taking CLEP exams to demonstrate your mastery of a subject saves time and money. It makes it easier to work while going to school.

4. Transfer Credits

A single college course at a four-year institution can cost thousands of dollars in tuition. So, if you’re enrolled at a university and you’re home for the summer, consider taking classes at RVCC and transferring the credits back to your four-year school. It’s another easy way to save money on tuition and receive valuable credits. Just be sure to check that the credits will transfer by contacting your school prior to taking any RVCC courses.

5. Meet with an RVCC Financial Aid Advisor

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA form is the first step in the process of applying for all financial aid, including scholarships. After you’ve filed your FAFSA, RVCC’s Financial Aid advisors can provide you with meaningful guidance to make the process easier and help identify all the loans, grants and scholarship opportunities available to you.

6. Create a Budget

Managing the flow of money in and out of your bank account is key. You may think it’s only a coffee or pizza that you’re buying, but over time, it all adds up. So, keep track of your finances. At the end of each month, review your spending and determine if you are on track or need to trim.

RVCC makes college affordable, flexible, and fun. So, consider us if you’re wondering “which community college near me offers high quality education and affordable college degrees.”

About RVCC

RVCC has been ranked the best community college in NJ by WalletHub.com and Niche.com. According to Zippia.com, RVCC students are the highest earning graduates of any New Jersey community college. As a leading state college in New Jersey, RVCC serves students locally from Somerset County and Hunterdon County, across the country, and around the world, offering top degree programs and the best local career training. For information, visit www.raritanval.edu.