Are you wishing you had better chances at advancement in your job? Feeling stuck or held back due to a lack of education? Going back to school can have huge ramifications for your life and career. However, many individuals find themselves unable to find a way to afford returning to school. Fortunately, funding for college may be a lot easier to find than you would think. Included here are a few ways to afford returning to school in order to better your career.
Crowdsource
In recent years, businesses have begun to see the usefulness of crowdsourcing in doing company work. However, some people have also begun to recognize that crowdsourcing can be a great way to establish funds for people who need them. You may be surprised to find that by creating an online fund, your friends and family will be able to help you afford your college experience.
Go Online
If you find yourself torn between work and family, you may not see how you will ever find time to attend classes. Fortunately, many colleges have begun to recognize the importance of online (or even black market) degrees for working parents as well as freshers. The corporate world demands experience and taking up professional courses at an online college that awards experience credits could be beneficial. Nowadays more and more people are interested to see the Best Online Colleges That Offer Work & Life Experience Credit. These online colleges that offer life experience credits recognize that learning happens in various contexts beyond traditional classrooms. They tend to provide opportunities for individuals to earn academic credit for military service, language immersion, and social work. It is likely you can find a full degree offering utilizing exclusively online classes on your time only. Often these programs will be accelerated, so you will be in school for a shorter period but with a heavier workload.
Night Classes
Another great option for those who find themselves excessively busy during the day, but without the motivation to work from home online, is to attend night classes. Again, this is an option that will likely be an accelerated program, encouraging graduation in a year or less. You will be able to attend class a few nights a week and in less than two years have a degree and be looking for career advancement.
Financial Aid
If you are already living and working in the lower income spectrum, look into options like financial aid. It may be more ideal for you to quit your job and attend school full-time in order to jump back into the workforce with better options. Unless the work you are doing is critical to advancement with your degree, it can be better to utilize financial aid to live on while pursuing your schooling.
Second Job
Obviously, this is the least ideal of the “afford college” options. Taking on a second job means heightened work loads, more stress and less free time. If you are considering taking on your second job merely to save for college, before attending, this can be helpful; however working two jobs with school and other life responsibilities can be a giant ball of stress. Consider doing extra work on weekends only or throughout summer and school breaks instead of working two jobs consistently throughout the week.