The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.
Anything considered a "hustle" and not necessarily a CENTS-based Fastlane

Lex DeVille

Sweeping Shadows From Dreams
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
597%
Jan 14, 2013
5,351
31,933
Utah
Recently a number of threads talked about college from different angles. Is it good or evil? Worth it or not? A government mind control conspiracy? A corporate money scheme? This thread isn't for that. This thread is to discuss college from a Fastlane perspective. Hopefully we can answer questions like:

- Why do you want to go to college?
- Does college make sense for you, your business and your goals?
- What kind of training or degree should you pursue?
- How can you pay for your degree without 30 years of debt?
- What business can you build to pay for your degree fast?
- What other ways can you fund and fuel your education?

If you are considering college, currently attending, or already graduated and have a bunch of debt, maybe you'll find ideas that help you.

Why Do I Want a Degree?
Because it adds credibility and authority in the eyes of others. Plus I want to be called Dr. DeVille some day.

Does College Make Sense For My Goals?
Yes, because I want it. It's not a forced idea. I decided I want to earn a Doctorate and so I will.

What Kind of Degree Should I Pursue?
I chose Psychology. It's not the right choice for most people. But it's the right choice for something long-term that I intend to bring to life.

How Did I Pay for My Bachelors Without 30 Years of Debt?
I paid for my B.A. with a combination of military tuition assistance and Post 9-11 GI Bill. It cost four years of freedom, but I was paid well, got to travel, learn to fight, drive and jump from planes, made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun. I didn't earn my degree before I left the military. I could have (and should have) but put it off for a while.

How Will I Pay for a Masters Without 30 Years of Debt?
Unlike the B.A. I'm paying for the M.A. out of pocket. It's $26k total and I get one course free as alumni, so $24k. To pay for this I'm using semi-passive income from a course business I started almost two years ago, and gave priority this year. The business currently generates $1,500 to $2,500/mo and should more consistently hit $2k/mo by January 2020. I need $2k/mo to pay for the degree in one year or $1k/mo for 2 years, so that's where the income will go and I'll owe nothing before I graduate.

How Will I Pay for a Doctoral Degree?
I haven't chosen a program yet, so this is TBD. But if I go with my current school then it will cost $74k, but I'll get a 25% discount per course for a total of around $67k. If I go with a different school I may enter a funded program which would cover the costs of tuition and pay for attendance. I'm planning for the former since it has the higher cost. It will take four years to complete, so I'll need around $1400/mo to pay it off before I graduate. Assuming this route, then I already have a business which will cover the costs.

Some Other Semi-Passive Income Ideas
Below are some other ideas I generate semi-passive income with that might work for you:

- YouTube Ad Revenue
- Amazon Ebooks
- ACX Audiobooks
- Paid Email Lists
- Affiliate Offers
- PDF guides on website
- Membership website

Other Factors
There are a lot of other ways to reduce, pay for, and eliminate college debt. Scholarships, grants, crowdfunding, tuition assistance, tuition reimbursement and other hustles. Hopefully others can share their experience, strategies and ideas with regard to how you paid for, or will pay for college using Fastlane mindset.

Oh and...

Happy Halloween!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
Last edited:

NursingTn

Bronze Contributor
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
212%
Jan 30, 2019
126
267
And for those who are considering of going to college or universities;

I left my graduate program to get a master in nursing.

I left because I no longer enjoy the prospect of helping people in the way a nurse practitioner typically does AND I did not enjoy the prospect of helping people overcome the kind of problems a primary care nurse practitioner does either.

However, I don't regret getting my bachelor in nursing, living life as a RN. It has opened up a diversity of potential jobs and entrepreneurial pursuits simply because of gaining experience as a health professional.

To piggy back off of OP's post, I would seriously consider WHY you want to pursue secondary education. If your why involves solving a problem or helping a special group of people, and it requires higher education to do so, then it's likely you will benefit from getting a higher education.

Don't go to school (define herein as college) to make higher income. Don't go to school for potential fame and prestige of getting better careers. Don't go to school for potential networking.

Go to school because it will give you the knowledge, skills, experience, and/or credential to let you make an impact in this world as an entrepreneur. To let you solve the real life problems of tons of people so you can get into the fast lane.

School is a tool, just like a book for knowledge, an advertising platform to market and sale your stuff, or a wrench for a mechanic to fix cars. Think carefully about why you're going to school so you can go into school with a purpose without wasting the most importance resource you have - time.
 

Ocean Man

Life-long learner.
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
222%
Sep 26, 2018
902
1,998
United States
You know, a lot of people these days and “wantrapreneurs” dislike college. And some of the reasons I get it. Not everybody needs a degree, but then there’s the other side of people who simply use that excuse to not go through it, even if it’s good for them.

For me, I feel like I’ll be finishing my bachelors, but later on in life. I didn’t like school because I didn’t get to choose the classes I wanted to take. I’d always have to take some unnecessary requirements that aren’t even related to my degree.

Once I have money from a business that I can pay a college degree with debt free, then I’ll probably take up that offer.

But right now I’m figuring out what really interests me. I don’t see a need to get a degree if I don’t know what I want.

One thing I like is learning languages. So I may just spend my money learning languages.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

1step

Gold Contributor
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
231%
Dec 4, 2012
1,038
2,396
Kentucky
Why Do I Want a Degree?
Because it adds credibility and authority in the eyes of others. Plus I want to be called Dr. DeVille some day.

Does College Make Sense For My Goals?
Yes, because I want it. It's not a forced idea. I decided I want to earn a Doctorate and so I will.

This might be the definition of "because I can"
You're planning to spend up to $100,000 and ~6000+ hours of time, because you can ... Damn
Enjoy the journey!
 

Lex DeVille

Sweeping Shadows From Dreams
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
597%
Jan 14, 2013
5,351
31,933
Utah
This might be the definition of "because I can"
You're planning to spend up to $100,000 and ~6000+ hours of time, because you can ... Damn
Enjoy the journey!

Yolo! But seriously, nobody yolo this unless you got a good reason lol.
 

Lex DeVille

Sweeping Shadows From Dreams
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
597%
Jan 14, 2013
5,351
31,933
Utah
Here are some idea mixes I tossed around and liked:

YouTube / College Affiliate
Create a YouTube account where you chat about college. Could be student loans, repayment hacks, general college info, college reviews, program reviews etc. Build an audience, and when you've got some eyes, reach out to colleges by phone to strike a referral deal. A 10% commission on a $24k program is $2400 per student and you can potentially set up custom deals with different colleges.

Test Prep Training / College Team Up
Create a program for exams like I.T. certifications that gets people ready to take license tests. Make it a residency program of at least two months where people show up in person to train. Team up with a local college that is already approved for Post 9-11 GI Bill and offer your programs through them to military members and veterans. This way veterans get full housing allowance, and can pay for the program with GI Bill through the school. It allows you to tap into GI Bill funding without operating as a full blown school for 5 years.

Teach What You Learn (but for practical use)
As you go through your college courses, use what you learn and find ways to apply it in the real world for practical purposes. For instance, if you're in a class about global marketing, figure out how you can use that in real life, and show how it applies to modern businesses or other settings. Do not plagiarize from your college course. You have to make the content your own. But you have the info fresh in your mind and you can use it to create a ebook, audiobook, course, guide etc. so it's kind of like each class pays for itself.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

jon.M

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
343%
Jul 4, 2016
405
1,390
Sweden
If anyone reading this is a EU citizen, you may want to look up other EU member states where you're eligible for free tuition (if that's not a thing in your native country).

I'm trying to get done with my B.sc. in two years instead of three to save in on the most valuable asset, time. Depending on the area of study, it could work just fine if you set up efficient work habits and are willing to put in the effort. You reduce opportunity cost.
 

foodiepersecond

Bronze Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
129%
Aug 2, 2019
219
282
Atlanta, Georgia
Recently a number of threads talked about college from different angles. Is it good or evil? Worth it or not? A government mind control conspiracy? A corporate money scheme? This thread isn't for that. This thread is to discuss college from a Fastlane perspective. Hopefully we can answer questions like:

- Why do you want to go to college?
- Does college make sense for you, your business and your goals?
- What kind of training or degree should you pursue?
- How can you pay for your degree without 30 years of debt?
- What business can you build to pay for your degree fast?
- What other ways can you fund and fuel your education?

If you are considering college, currently attending, or already graduated and have a bunch of debt, maybe you'll find ideas that help you.

Why Do I Want a Degree?
Because it adds credibility and authority in the eyes of others. Plus I want to be called Dr. DeVille some day.

Does College Make Sense For My Goals?
Yes, because I want it. It's not a forced idea. I decided I want to earn a Doctorate and so I will.

What Kind of Degree Should I Pursue?
I chose Psychology. It's not the right choice for most people. But it's the right choice for something long-term that I intend to bring to life.

How Did I Pay for My Bachelors Without 30 Years of Debt?
I paid for my B.A. with a combination of military tuition assistance and Post 9-11 GI Bill. It cost four years of freedom, but I was paid well, got to travel, learn to fight, drive and jump from planes, made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun. I didn't earn my degree before I left the military. I could have (and should have) but put it off for a while.

How Will I Pay for a Masters Without 30 Years of Debt?
Unlike the B.A. I'm paying for the M.A. out of pocket. It's $26k total and I get one course free as alumni, so $24k. To pay for this I'm using semi-passive income from a course business I started almost two years ago, and gave priority this year. The business currently generates $1,500 to $2,500/mo and should more consistently hit $2k/mo by January 2020. I need $2k/mo to pay for the degree in one year or $1k/mo for 2 years, so that's where the income will go and I'll owe nothing before I graduate.

How Will I Pay for a Doctoral Degree?
I haven't chosen a program yet, so this is TBD. But if I go with my current school then it will cost $74k, but I'll get a 25% discount per course for a total of around $67k. If I go with a different school I may enter a funded program which would cover the costs of tuition and pay for attendance. I'm planning for the former since it has the higher cost. It will take four years to complete, so I'll need around $1400/mo to pay it off before I graduate. Assuming this route, then I already have a business which will cover the costs.

Some Other Semi-Passive Income Ideas
Below are some other ideas I generate semi-passive income with that might work for you:

- YouTube Ad Revenue
- Amazon Ebooks
- ACX Audiobooks
- Paid Email Lists
- Affiliate Offers
- PDF guides on website
- Membership website

Other Factors
There are a lot of other ways to reduce, pay for, and eliminate college debt. Scholarships, grants, crowdfunding, tuition assistance, tuition reimbursement and other hustles. Hopefully others can share their experience, strategies and ideas with regard to how you paid for, or will pay for college using Fastlane mindset.

Oh and...

Happy Halloween!
Not sure about now, but when I was an undergrad, we had a program paid for by the state lottery called HOPE. You simply had to maintain a B average and you had your tuition for a public college payed for with a few hundred dollars for books per semester.
 

Michael Moore

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
170%
Apr 6, 2014
57
97
55
Athy, County Kildare, Ireland
If anyone reading this is a EU citizen, you may want to look up other EU member states where you're eligible for free tuition (if that's not a thing in your native country).

I'm trying to get done with my B.sc. in two years instead of three to save in on the most valuable asset, time. Depending on the area of study, it could work just fine if you set up efficient work habits and are willing to put in the effort. You reduce opportunity cost.
If its in IT should you not attain the relevant course certificates , after all a college degree only says you have a ttended college for 4 years but a Microsoft Certified System Admin M.C.S.A. or M.C.S.E. or CompTIA A+ ,Network + , Server + , or Cisco Certificate says a lot more about your abilities.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Michael Moore

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
170%
Apr 6, 2014
57
97
55
Athy, County Kildare, Ireland
Here are some idea mixes I tossed around and liked:

YouTube / College Affiliate
Create a YouTube account where you chat about college. Could be student loans, repayment hacks, general college info, college reviews, program reviews etc. Build an audience, and when you've got some eyes, reach out to colleges by phone to strike a referral deal. A 10% commission on a $24k program is $2400 per student and you can potentially set up custom deals with different colleges.

Test Prep Training / College Team Up
Create a program for exams like I.T. certifications that gets people ready to take license tests. Make it a residency program of at least two months where people show up in person to train. Team up with a local college that is already approved for Post 9-11 GI Bill and offer your programs through them to military members and veterans. This way veterans get full housing allowance, and can pay for the program with GI Bill through the school. It allows you to tap into GI Bill funding without operating as a full blown school for 5 years.

Teach What You Learn (but for practical use)
As you go through your college courses, use what you learn and find ways to apply it in the real world for practical purposes. For instance, if you're in a class about global marketing, figure out how you can use that in real life, and show how it applies to modern businesses or other settings. Do not plagiarize from your college course. You have to make the content your own. But you have the info fresh in your mind and you can use it to create a ebook, audiobook, course, guide etc. so it's kind of like each class pays for itself.
Some cracking ideas there especially the one on tapping the GI Bill , it also helps them re-acclimatise to the real world. Dealing with PTSD by offering them the course and helping them on how to attend etc. Gold nuggets there.
 

Michael Moore

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
170%
Apr 6, 2014
57
97
55
Athy, County Kildare, Ireland
Isnt there a system in the states whee some colleges offer modulised degrees where you make up your degree by accepting these modules all relted to your topic and then pay individually for each module exam at certain colleges.
I think 15 points per module and 160 or 180 points for a degree.
Each exam is about $120 so a quicker degree route but I dont know if it goes any higher.
I think this is something similar,
 

francevalue

The Apostle
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
96%
Oct 29, 2019
209
201
(̶S̶t̶u̶c̶k̶ ̶i̶n̶)̶ France
I feel spoiled living in Denmark, where you get paid $1,000/month to go to college... And most can't be arsed, because they're tired of school
European Style
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top