How does CLC help me to afford college

Attend a good school for less money

You can save $30,000 in tuition and fees on average when you enroll at CLC for two years before transferring to an Illinois public university to complete your bachelor’s degree.

You learn the same material studied at four-year schools without the overcrowded lecture halls. Here, class sizes are small—about 15 students. You're not a number at CLC. We know you by name and give personal attention and feedback.

Need help?

Your College & Career Navigator (CCN) helps you

complete the admission process
choose an academic program
enroll in first-semester classes
get access to helpful resources

Talk to a CCN

Be debt-free at CLC

It’s true! There are many ways for you to earn a debt-free degree or certificate from the College of Lake County. One in four students were awarded more than $21 million in all other forms of financial aid including scholarships.

Learn more about paying for college

Ways to pay for college

Here’s some of the great ways you could pay for your college expenses.

Financial aid is money you are awarded based on the difference between what you can afford (there’s a formula!) and what college costs. Use it to pay for college expenses, including tuition and fees, living expenses, books and supplies, personal expenses, transportation or study abroad.
Learn more about Financial Aid
This is money you don’t have to pay back. You qualify based on different criteria for each scholarship. Some are based on financial need (like financial aid), some are based on your grades or program, and some on multiple criteria. There are even some scholarships dedicated to study abroad! The CLC Foundation and private organizations award scholarships to CLC students.
Our financial aid counselors can help you search through the hundreds of scholarships available to find the right ones for you.
Learn more about scholarships
Student job opportunities await you at the College of Lake County! Develop in-demand job skills while you earn money you can use to pay for college. This can include federal work study as well as other jobs.
Learn about job opportunities for CLC students
Gain practical, real-world work experience and form professional connections—all while you earn money. At CLC, you could even earn college credits in an employment setting with an Educational Work Experience course.
Learn how to become an apprentice

Capitalize on cost-effective resources

As a CLC student, you automatically gain access to a variety of low-cost and free materials to support your educational journey:

Personal tech
Free or affordable textbooks
Payment plans

Find the support you need to get started efficiently. Progress through your program and graduate faster.

Why should you choose CLC...

Why should I go to college?

The choice to attend college is a big one. What to study, where to go and—wait—is it even worth it?

Why go to college

Am I ready for college?

It’s common to have doubts about going to college. The good news is you don’t have to have it all figured out right now. Just take it one step at a time at CLC.

Prepare me

How will CLC help me to be successful?

Explore the many free ways we support your personal journey, education and well-being.

Help me succeed

How will I balance school with work/life?

CLC focuses on a multi-faceted approach to keep all aspects of your life in equilibrium. We’ll help you make sure you have enough time to do everything you need to tackle in a day.

Balance my life

How does CLC help me to afford college?