Go Back to School with As Little Debt As Possible
Are you feeling ready to expand your career? Or maybe switch careers altogether? 在工作一段时间后，想要从职业生涯中获得更多是很正常的. A lot of people turn to graduate school to get there, 但有时这个计划会伴随着一个四个字母的单词:债务.
在过去的十年里，美国的学生贷款债务增长了100%以上，目前总计超过1美元.7 trillion.1 Nearly half of that amount is owed by graduate students, 尽管只有25%的人贷款攻读高等学位.2 换句话说，当人们读研究生时，他们往往比本科生背负更多的债务.
但是你不需要累积六位数的债务来继续你的教育. 有很多方法可以在不损害你未来财务状况的情况下获得更高的学位，并在就业市场上提高你的技能.
Invest early and often
If continuing education might be in your future, 最好的第一步就是在职业生涯的早期就开始投资. 建立一个平衡的投资组合，同时考虑你的短期和长期目标，这意味着你将更有可能拥有你以后生活中需要的资源.
Pace yourself with part-time
人们通常认为研究生学习是一项为期两年的全职工作. 但还有许多其他方式来构建它，包括业余时间重返学校. With a reduced course load, you’re able to work, 让你更有可能通过学校支付学费. 另外，你可以找工作，比如做研究助理，这可以丰富你的学习.
Ask about employer reimbursement
Speaking of work, as you put together your graduate study plan, 与公司的人力资源部门讨论学费报销方案. If you are studying something related to your current job, many Fortune 500 companies offer up to $5,000 to cover the costs of continuing education.3
Get tax credit for advanced study
When you enroll in advanced education classes, you may qualify for a Lifetime Learning Credit up to $2,000 per year. There are some restrictions to this credit, but if you qualify, you can apply for it every year, for multiple years.4
Find the (overlooked) money
Have you heard of the ACHE Albert W. Dent Graduate Student Scholarship?5 Every year it awards $5,给一名攻读医疗保健管理高级学位的少数族裔学生. 你不去寻找，就找不到这样的机会. Research scholarships and grants from many sources, including your school, career field, 专业组织和州及地方机会. 问问你社交媒体上的人，看他们是否知道资助的可能性.
Pay for school with whole life premiums
A whole life insurance 政策是一种被忽视的资助继续教育的方式. 整个生命不仅可以支持你所爱的人，给你带来信心, 但你的保单的现金价值会随着你每月支付保费而增加.6 然后，你可以用这笔资产来帮助支付大量的开支，比如重返校园.
许多人用残疾收入保险来保护他们的收入, 当你生病或受伤而无法工作时，哪些方法可以帮助你弥补收入损失. 但如果你是通过贷款来支付学费的，你不需要只保护你的收入. You also need to protect your ability to repay your debt. 寻找能够在残疾情况下提供学生贷款保护的保险公司.
Get clear on the numbers
With these ideas in mind, 现在是时候决定你的继续教育计划将花费多少. 此外，一定要对你的每月开支有一个深刻的了解，包括房租、食物和其他. Once the money goal comes into focus, 与金融专业人士讨论如何在毕业时获得更高的学位，并尽可能减少债务.
Brought to you by The Guardian Network © 2021. The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America®, New York, NY
2021-125733 Exp. 8/2023
SOURCES:
1U.S. 学生债务在过去10年增加了100%以上, CNBC, Dec. 22, 2020
2Graduate Students Owe Around 50% of All Student Debt, CNBC, July 16, 2021
3Will Employers Pay for Graduate School? Graduateschoolhub.com, August 4, 2020
4 Tax Credit for Higher Education, H and R Block,
5ACHE Albert W. Dent Graduate Student Scholarship
6有些终身寿险在保单的头两年没有现金价值，直到第三年才支付股息. The cash value depends upon the type of product, the face amount, the time in force and length and amount of premium payments. 与您的财务代表交谈，并参考您的个人终身政策说明以获得更多信息
