The Art of Learning: How to Take College Courses on the Cheap
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Learning is addictive and can be one of the best things you can do to further your career. However, sometimes getting a college degree or graduate degree is out of reach financially. You can still take your education into your own hands and gain valuable skills for cheap or free.
Online Platforms:
MOOC
MOOC, or Massive Open Online Courses, offers affordable college-level courses in everything from coding to business management to languages to biology. The courses are pulled from more than 570 top-notch colleges and universities worldwide, including MIT, Stanford, Harvard, and the Smithsonian... Whether you want to further yourself for your career or just satisfy your learning itch, MOOC is a great way to take courses that you may not be able to afford otherwise. It’s also a great resource if you’re tight on time, as you can take classes at your own pace. Many MOOC courses are offered for free, and some have add-on certificate programs for low, one-time fees. The courses that do charge a fee start at just $29, still a fraction of what you would pay for the same course at a college or university.
Lynda.com
Lynda.com is a LinkedIn-owned course provider that offers educational courses on almost any topic you can imagine. The courses are geared toward business professionals looking to advance themselves or learn a new skill. When you buy a $19.99 or $29.99 monthly membership, you have unlimited access to Lynda.com’s 5,985 courses, many of which utilize video as the teaching method.
Udemy.com
Udemy.com offers more than 45,000 courses on topics like development, marketing, and photography for professionals looking to add skills to their resume. Courses vary widely in price, but if you do your research and spend time sorting out the courses, you can find classes for $10 or even for free.
Work-Sponsored Courses
If you feel like you or your team need additional skills to do your job to the best of your abilities, it’s worth asking if your employer will help pay for a course or two. Courses in coding, content marketing, or business development techniques can pay for themselves tenfold in the long run. When you approach your employer, make sure you have a plan backed by numbers that’ll help you justify the cost of the course.
Community College Courses
If you know you learn better in a structured classroom environment, you can take courses at your local community college for much cheaper than at a state college or private university. When you work with a financial aid officer at the community college, they can help you find opportunities to save money, apply for grants or scholarships, or qualify for educational credits or discounts.
Google Searches
If you’re really short on money or time and can’t take advantage of any of the previous options, you can still learn a lot from spending some time on the Internet. There are lots of educational articles and journals online, you just have to make sure you’re learning from reliable sources.
If you, your child, or anyone you know does want to attend a traditional college or university, CreditBox can help you cover the cost of education. Apply online today for up to $4,000, fast.
Online Platforms:
MOOC
MOOC, or Massive Open Online Courses, offers affordable college-level courses in everything from coding to business management to languages to biology. The courses are pulled from more than 570 top-notch colleges and universities worldwide, including MIT, Stanford, Harvard, and the Smithsonian... Whether you want to further yourself for your career or just satisfy your learning itch, MOOC is a great way to take courses that you may not be able to afford otherwise. It’s also a great resource if you’re tight on time, as you can take classes at your own pace. Many MOOC courses are offered for free, and some have add-on certificate programs for low, one-time fees. The courses that do charge a fee start at just $29, still a fraction of what you would pay for the same course at a college or university.
Lynda.com
Lynda.com is a LinkedIn-owned course provider that offers educational courses on almost any topic you can imagine. The courses are geared toward business professionals looking to advance themselves or learn a new skill. When you buy a $19.99 or $29.99 monthly membership, you have unlimited access to Lynda.com’s 5,985 courses, many of which utilize video as the teaching method.
Udemy.com
Udemy.com offers more than 45,000 courses on topics like development, marketing, and photography for professionals looking to add skills to their resume. Courses vary widely in price, but if you do your research and spend time sorting out the courses, you can find classes for $10 or even for free.
Work-Sponsored Courses
If you feel like you or your team need additional skills to do your job to the best of your abilities, it’s worth asking if your employer will help pay for a course or two. Courses in coding, content marketing, or business development techniques can pay for themselves tenfold in the long run. When you approach your employer, make sure you have a plan backed by numbers that’ll help you justify the cost of the course.
Community College Courses
If you know you learn better in a structured classroom environment, you can take courses at your local community college for much cheaper than at a state college or private university. When you work with a financial aid officer at the community college, they can help you find opportunities to save money, apply for grants or scholarships, or qualify for educational credits or discounts.
Google Searches
If you’re really short on money or time and can’t take advantage of any of the previous options, you can still learn a lot from spending some time on the Internet. There are lots of educational articles and journals online, you just have to make sure you’re learning from reliable sources.
If you, your child, or anyone you know does want to attend a traditional college or university, CreditBox can help you cover the cost of education. Apply online today for up to $4,000, fast.
