meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
ChooseFI | Financial Independence Podcast

230 | College Hacks from the ChooseFI Community

ChooseFI | Financial Independence Podcast

Jonathan Mendonsa & Brad Barrett | Choose FI Media, Inc

Business, Careers, Investing

4.85.2K Ratings

🗓️ 8 July 2020

⏱️ 56 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Trading four years of student loan debt for a decade of repayment might be the worst financial decision many Americans make—yet most accept it as inevitable. Listener-submitted strategies reveal dozens of ways to sidestep this trap entirely, from little-known employer programs to military academy opportunities that cost nothing. 00:00:00 - Introduction Rising college costs demand smarter financing approaches. The episode compiles community-driven solutions beyond what's been previously covered. 00:03:03 - Austin's College Hack Austin completes his degree free using employer tuition reimbursement combined with a low-cost accredited college. 00:05:12 - Military Academies Naval Academy and Air Force Academy provide tuition-free education plus valuable training, though few students know these options exist. 00:12:20 - Community College Professor Tips Joe earned multiple degrees without debt through scholarships and teaching assistantships. 00:21:01 - Negotiating College Prices Rob explains how to negotiate financial aid packages by communicating competing offers and financial constraints. 00:40:11 - Dual Enrollment Benefits High school students can earn college credits early at reduced cost, potentially saving an entire year of tuition. 00:52:33 - Conclusion Listeners encouraged to implement these strategies and share with others facing college decisions. Key Quotes: "College should showcase your competency in a profession or skill." [00:04:03] "Many aren't aware of the opportunities offered by military academies." [00:08:04] "Plan ahead to avoid student loan debt between 20 and 30." [00:43:38] "Joining the military comes with significant commitments." [00:08:12] "Communicate financial needs to negotiate better college offers." [00:21:45] Resources: OpenStax: openstax.org — Free open-source college textbooks [00:41:53] Union Plus Education Benefits: unionplus.org — College degree programs for union members [00:32:09] Terminology: CLEP: College Level Examination Program, allowing students to earn college credit by exam [00:04:49] ROTC: Reserve Officers' Training Corps, a college program training students to become officers in the military [00:09:27] For more details, visit: choosefi.com/230 ▶ Listen Next: Ep. 231 — Budget Meal Planning and Creative Cooking Tips | Essential Listening

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hello everyone, if you've listened to this show for any period of time, you have heard us mention in passing multiple ways to tackle the college problem, the college solution.

0:09.3

That's what we were trying to provide in a world where college increasingly looks like it's going to cost, I don't know, 200,000 for an undergraduate degree.

0:16.8

That's the market price.

0:18.3

That doesn't seem doable or reasonable.

0:20.6

It doesn't seem like we should just accept that there has to be a way to do it smarter.

0:23.9

And so over the last three plus years, as individuals have brought something to us, it's come on our plate.

0:29.6

We have just shared it with you.

0:31.4

And many of you have said this is probably some of the more valuable content you've heard on this platform, just because it's where you are.

0:37.4

You're dealing with this with your kids.

0:38.7

So anything that you can get, they can help decrease or lower the burden of that expected college tuition is incredibly valuable.

0:45.6

But you see the the flaw in the strategy.

0:48.4

We're just waiting.

0:49.5

You know, we had there's a community of maybe approaching a million people that checking with this show and listening to this show periodically.

0:56.0

And there's those of you that listen to every single episode that's produced and you keep waiting for something that you already know about to be mentioned on this show.

1:03.6

And that just seems like random chance if we happen to do it.

1:06.1

And so when we realize that that was the flaw, we are like, what would it look like to solve that?

1:10.0

So we put the request out to the community.

1:12.6

What are your college hacks?

1:15.0

What are your solutions for college?

1:17.1

What have you not heard us mention on the show?

1:20.4

And our audience would be served by them knowing about it.

1:24.3

That's the entire premise for the show.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jonathan Mendonsa & Brad Barrett | Choose FI Media, Inc, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Jonathan Mendonsa & Brad Barrett | Choose FI Media, Inc and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.