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Get schooled on saving big:

Training academies, colleges, schools, and universities offer options to costly services

Do you have patience and a sense of adventure? If so, you can save big on vision treatment, dental care, legal services, message therapy, acupuncture, hair care, income tax preparation, and more, right in your home town.

How? As students advance in their professional studies, they will need experience working with real-world clients and many schools offer these services to the public for deep discounts.

Students are overseen by their instructors, experts in their fields. You'll receive highly-personalized care and service, but, in turn, expect most appointments to take much longer than usual.

For those serious about making the most of their money, credit counselors at ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions suggest investigating services offered by educational organizations in your area at low cost or without charge. Check out a few of the counselors' best finds.

Dental Care
Los Angeles is home to two world-class dental schools-the University of California at Los Angeles and University of Southern California-which offer great savings on treatment performed by medical students. Both accept dental insurance and offer much lower co-payments which is helpful to all, but especially those with no or insufficient dental insurance.

Braces, dentures, emergency services, crowns, root canals, wisdom teeth problems, and more, are offered for about half the price of dentists in private practice.

Dental schools across the country have similar medical centers.

Law Schools
While under the supervision of faculty members (licensed attorneys), second and third year law students are often required to participate in law clinics. Most of these programs serve those with low incomes and many have further specializations.

George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for instance, is home to several law clinics. In its Health Rights Law Clinic, for example, advanced students advise, counsel and assist seniors with no-cost legal representation in association with their insurance's denial of payment for hospital or home care and medical bills with collection agencies.

A few of the other law schools offering free clinical assistance include:

• Washington College of Law (with 10 legal clinics in DC)-offers general, domestic violence and Federal income tax help.
• The University of Richmond School of Law has four clinics-all providing free assistance for those who cannot afford a private attorney. At the Family Law Clinic, for instance, Richmond residents can obtain legal assistance in the areas of abuse and neglect, divorce, custody, children's services, housing and domestic violence.
• Duke University School of Law in Durham, NC provides legal services to residents in surrounding counties, focusing on children with special needs and those with HIV/AIDS.

Beauty and Cosmetology Schools
Check with local beauty, cosmetology, and hair care schools. Many offer free or low-cost haircuts, manicures, and facials.

St. Louis Academy, for instance, a Paul Mitchell partner school in St. Louis, Missouri, offers deals on cuts, color, perms, and conditioning treatments. Prices are easily accessible through its Web site and they even throw in a 5-minute scalp message with every cut. Paul Mitchell schools are located in 38 states.

Likewise, Vidal Sassoon's Sassoon Academies in Santa Monica, San Francisco, Miami and Chicago offer cuts, highlighting, straightening, and the like under strict supervisor instruction. Currently, cuts are available in Santa Monica on weekdays for $21.00 (or $10.50 with student identification). Basic color runs $25.00. Free styling is given to a select few who are open to a big change and game for modeling in educational hair shows.

You need not go to a big name, national school. Many local beauty schools, massage therapy schools, chiropractic schools, etc. offer similar instructional programs.

Finding teaching schools will take a little research. First, peruse the Web sites of your surrounding higher institutions of learning. Then try searching by service like, "dental," "vision," "haircut" along with "training" and your city's name. Also ask your friends and relatives if they've taken advantage of any such programs.

First call the providers first to determine the price and length of appointments. The demand for medical appointments, especially, is high, so schedule ahead. If you're a college student, for additional discounts-many schools prioritize services for their students and offer them the best bargains.

ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions offers no-cost budget and credit counseling from NFCC-certified Financial Specialists. For an appointment, call 877.422.9045 or start your session immediately online. We also offer many other money-saving strategies.

*ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions does not endorse or recommend any of these organizations.