The Debt-Free College Athlete

I remember being in your place just a few years ago. I remember wondering where I was going to go to school, who I would play for, and ultimately questioning how I was going to pull it off financially.

Searching for colleges is an exciting time of life but I know it can be dampened by the mountain-sized financial obstacles, standing between you and the college experience of your dreams.

The many parents and student athletes I speak with today are in the exact same boat. They want to know what to expect throughout this process. They crave more knowledge. They want to know how to choose the best college or university and they want to know they’re on the right track, doing the right things to give their son or daughter the best college experience possible. Well, hindsight is 20/20, and I’m excited that you chose to invest in this book for wisdom on the collegiate selection process and paying for it without the help of student loans. By the end of our time together I know you’ll have a much clearer picture of how you can have an amazing college tenure and do it completely debt-free.

When I began my college search I didn’t have too much going for me from an outsider’s perspective. Both of my parents were making very modest salaries as full-time ministers and although I was having a successful student athlete tenure in high school, I wasn’t necessarily the next Pelé on the soccer field or the next Einstein in the classroom according to my first score on the SAT.

To make matters more interesting, my parents told me from the very beginning of my college search that neither they nor I would be taking out any student loans to pay for college. So there I had it. If I was going to have a higher education, I was going to have to get it fully funded by way of athletic or academic scholarships and grants (money that I wouldn’t have to borrow or pay back). As you can imagine this made things very interesting for me but looking back I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Approaching college this way practically forced me to trust God to provide for my needs and I wouldn’t trade that adventure for anything. My post-college life has been shaped by these experiences. Seeing God come through for me over and over again in college has allowed me to live without fear after college when challenges in life arise. I’ve come to realize that God is real, He is on my side and when I partner with Him there’s nothing I can’t do.

Knowing God will always come through for us eliminates fear from our lives and replaces it with power, love and a sound thinking. If we can learn to lean on God now we set ourselves up for an amazing life in the future. Allowing God to provide for our higher education just happens to be a great time to learn these lessons.

I’m excited for all the young people who read this book because I know as you place your trust in God and do your best, you will graduate from college with loads of miracle stories, priceless memories and great honors from your journey. You can have a spectacular college experience that exceeds your expectations and you can do it completely debt-free. Taking the unconventional route will get you there.