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Volunteering for a year or two is a great way to give back and do service, as well as build your own character. There is simply no better time than a year or two after high school to capitalize on your desire to have a little adventure and do some good in the world. You can volunteer through the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and AmeriCorps VISTA, as well as Conservation Corps, Global Routes, or Catholic Volunteer Network, just to name a few

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Becoming a real estate agent is one of the best options for students not interested in 4 years of college, but interested in high income potential. For under $1,000 you can take a couple months of real estate courses, take a state licensing test, and start selling homes. On average, real estate agents make $42k a year, which is on par with a degree. It's an appealing career choice because realtors are often home-based and set their own hours

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Some sites, such as Coursera and EdX offer certificates of completion, and with a small fee, those certificates can be university-verified. While you won't get college credit for taking these classes, they are college-level and will teach valuable and practical skills that can be applied to a number of professions.

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If art is your passion, you should strongly consider not attending a 4-year college. Established artists can earn around $60K a year in earnings. After getting a degree, you'll be strapped with debt without having been able to advance your craft in your own way. An idea to consider is to get an associate's degree as a backup plan. In building your following and clientele, what you are doing is starting a business, so it is important to treat it like a business. Hard work pays off in the end.

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There are over 22 million individuals who are self-employed in the U.S with no employees other than themselves. All you need to start a business is a computer, internet connection, and an idea.

One great thing about starting a business is that there is so much information and free education available in today's time. Although more small businesses fail than succeed, entrepreneurs are able to learn invaluable lessons even amidst their failures.

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London School of Economics and Political Science

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http://goo.gl/m6fDg I have been running my own businesses now for over 13 years, and during that time I have been approached by countless people all asking me pretty much the same thing, and that is, "how do I become successful in business?" If you ask 100 people that question, you are going to get 100 different answers.

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College is not for everyone. That does not mean that you cannot get an entry level job. Many companies hire high school graduates into basic positions. You can look for jobs in retail or the service industry for the most opportunities. When starting out, you likely won’t make much more than minimum wage, but if you do well, you can typically rise through the ranks very quickly. In retail, you could move from hourly employee to shift supervisor, then even management. A retail manager could pay well- $40,000 or more in many areas of the United States.

By working full-time at a fast-food joint, barista, or doing landscaping, you will learn invaluable life lessons. You’ll learn about customer service, bucking up and working even when you don’t want to, budgeting income, and balancing life and work. Many individuals don’t learn these things until they are out of college. If after a couple of years of working you decide to go back to college, you will be two years more mature and will have money in the bank to help pay for tuition.

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A gap year is about what happens after school, how you make decisions, how you figure out who you are, where you want to go, and how you need to get there. It’s about the skill set you need to live your life.

Most counselors and college admissions officials encourage high school seniors to apply and get accepted to college before taking a gap year, especially if you are planning on going abroad where correspondence with colleges may be difficult. If you are accepted and want to take a gap year, you can defer your admittance by sending a letter to the college’s director of admissions and outline what you plan to do during your gap year.

Many domestic and international programs charge little to no fees for a gap year. You should look for programs that offer free housing and food in return for volunteer work. However, you will still most likely need to work. Look into AmeriCorps programs, which provide health care benefits, a living stipend, and $5,350 from the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award at the end to use towards college.

Gap year experiences make students more mature, confident, and career driven. It is unlike any experience that students could gain in a college classroom. most college admission officials are accepting of the gap year, and may even encourage students to take one. Students who come back to college after a gap year are going into college more mature and better prepared than other students. It is often a great opportunity, and something to consider before entering into a four-year college.

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The Military offers many educational benefits that service members can take advantage of during or after service:

·       Tuition Assistance: provides service members the opportunity to enroll in courses at accredited colleges, universities, junior colleges, and vocational-technical schools. It can pay for up to 100% of the cost of tuition or expenses, up to a maximum of $250 per credit and a maximum of $4,500 per fiscal year per student

·       Post-9/11 GI Bill: gives Reserve and Guard members who have been activated for more than 90 days since 9/11 access to the same benefits as their active-duty counterparts. As of August 1, 2011, the Post-9/11 GI Bill will now pay all public school in-state tuition and fees. The actual benefit amount will vary based on an individual’s total length of service.

·       College Fund Programs: offered to service members when joining the Military. You must have a high school diploma and you must be enrolled in the Post-9/11 GI Bill

·       Loan Repayment Programs: The Army and Navy offer loan repayment programs that help enlisted personnel pay off college loans accrued prior to service. Each program offers incentives designed to help recent college graduates manage education debt.

·       Community College of the Air Force: CCAF is an accredited two-year college open to enlisted Air Force men and women. There are nearly 70 different associate degree programs in many scientific and technical fields including computer science technology, avionics systems technology, air and space operations technology, allied health science, paralegal studies, information management, and more.

·       Testing Programs: there are thousands of academic exams to service members offered each year. These tests can earn service members credit for skills acquired during military training and operations and are available to all active-duty, Reserve and Guard personnel.

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Army Recruiters Explain the Recruitment Process

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Attending College While on Active Duty College

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Earning a College Degree in the Military

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Find out from servicemembers how joining the Military can help you pay for school and the different ways you can earn a degree. http://todaysmilitary.com/living/education-support

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Vocational schools, known as trade schools, are post-secondary educational institutions that provide training and instruction in highly skilled jobs and professionals. They teach job-specific skills designed to enable a student’s advancement in any of a number of high skill, high paying professions. Studies at a vocational school are specific to a certain trade.

Many vocational schools offer degree-transfer programs, allowing a student to transfer some of their credits to a four-year college or university. This means a vocational education can be a useful stepping-stone to a baccalaureate degree.

There are over 300 vocational schools in the US. There are some important factors to help you choose the right one:

·       Placement Rate:

·       Student Completion
Rate/Graduation Rate

·       Facilities

·       Services

·       Tuition/Fees

Most vocational schools award associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates. Many highly skilled trades will require certification before you can take up work in your field. There are a large variety of programs to choose from. The career center on campus can help assist you in determining which program suits you best. Some of the most common and successful vocational school programs are computer-aided drafting, criminal justice, culinary, HVAC, and information technology.

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http://www.tradeschoolsonline.com/ Would you rather not spend four years sitting in college classes? There are a lot of great careers that don't require a four-year college degree. A good trade school can get you the career training you need fast. Sound interesting? If you have a few minutes, you can find out more.

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Community colleges are a vital part of the post-secondary education delivery system. They serve almost half of the undergraduate students in the United States, providing open access to post-secondary education, preparing students to transfer to 4-year institutions, providing workforce development and skills training, and offering noncredit programs ranging from English as a Second Language to skills retraining to community enrichment programs or cultural activities.

Without community colleges, millions of students and adult learners would not be able to access the education they need to be prepared for further education or the workplace. Community colleges are often the access point for education in a town and a real catalyst for economic development.