Look at creative solutions, such as tuition-free schools like The Cooper Union in New York; Webb Institute in Glen Cove, N.Y.; Berea College in Berea, Ky.; College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo.; Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, Ky.; and Deep Springs College in Big Pine, Calif. Most are very selective, and some require students to work 10 to 15 hours a week.
Charity for Debt is a new nonprofit urging students to volunteer while in school – or afterward – to earn payments toward student debt. Businesses and individuals donate funds, which are used to pay down the student loans of those who volunteer. "The person with student debt receives an hourly stipend … that is paid directly to that person's student loan company," says Jonathon Lunardi, the nonprofit's president.
