The 21st century has seen a considerable surge in women’s education with more women not only choosing to go on to post-graduate programs but also entering hitherto male dominated and non-traditional streams of study.
There are a number of grants offered by both federal and private organizations specifically with the motive of encouraging women to take up under-represented fields of study. Given below are some of these grants for women who wish to pursue non-traditional career paths.
The National Black Nurses Association offers grants up to the tune of US$ 2000 per year and as the name implies, supports African American women who wish to take up a career in nursing and who are enrolled in select four-year nursing programs.
The Davis Program at Wellesley College is a wonderful opportunity for older women who have never pursued a higher education but who wish to do so after many years of working, to return to academics without worrying about the financial implications. What is even better is that they receive the financial aid necessary to study at one of the top centers for women’s education in the US.
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship Grant is offered for those majoring in Mathematics or any of the sciences. This is a merit based grant requiring consistently high GPA scores.
Ford Foundation’s Pre-doctoral Fellowship for Minorities offers educational aid to women and minority students who wish to pursue their education in Mathematics, Engineering and science. A similar program is offered by the National Science Foundation as well.
Women and minority students who are enrolled at certain recognized institutes can avail themselves of the fellowships in the Physical Sciences offered by the National Physical Science Consortium.
The Regent’s Healthcare Scholarship for Medicine and Dentistry provides funding specifically for students residing in New York State to enroll in a medical or dental college. However, candidates applying for this grant are required to offer their services after graduation, for a stipulated time in a specified state health care facility.
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) offers a number of grants to socially and economically underprivileged women including those who return to education much later in life owing to various family constraints.
The Educational Foundation for Women in Accounting offers merit and need-based grants for women to pursue higher education especially in the areas of finance and accounting. Another organization that supports women taking up finance or accounting as their college major is the American Society of Women Accountants.
With these and several more lucrative grants, truly the sky is the limit for many women seeking a higher education in the US.
Scholarships, college grants for women
They say it is never too late to pursue your dreams. This is especially true when it comes to career and education. Unfortunately, not all can afford to quit their jobs and go back to school. This can make it difficult to pursue higher studies or certain courses that can enhance skills. Fortunately, there are several free online learning platforms that allow anyone and everyone to be able to have access to good quality learning resources.
Here are some of the best websites for free online education that you can sign up for.
Coursera
Coursera is one of the most popular platforms for taking free online courses. It features classes, both free as well as paid, on a variety of different topics. This platform is currently being used by over 35 million learners that have access to 150 university partners, 2,700 courses, 250 specializations, and four degrees. These courses are curated in partnership with leading universities and organizations from around the world, such as Stanford and Harvard.
edX
edX is a platform that was founded by Harvard and MIT that brings together top-ranked universities. This platform was founded to help eliminate the primary barriers that prevent people from pursuing education, i.e., cost, location, and access. Along with free courses, edX also offers certain specialized courses for a specific fee. The platform can be accessed by interested educators and technologists through Open edX if they wish to assist in developing new educational tools.
Udemy
Udemy is another online learning platform that is quite similar to Coursera in terms of the format of the courses. The unique aspect of this platform is that it allows users to build their own custom courses by compiling individual lessons so that these can be taught online. There are over 100,000 courses in 50 languages on this platform that are taught by 42,000 instructors from around the world.
TED-Ed
TED-Ed is a platform made by TED to help share ideas and knowledge from teachers to students. This award-winning platform has a global network of more than 250,000 teachers that teach several free courses on a variety of categories and themes. The lessons are taught using animated videos and interactive content so as to make them more interesting for the students.
If you are planning to pursue an accounting degree, you should consider doing it online. There are more than 580 institutions in the country that offer master’s degrees in accounting, and many of them offer their courses online. Therefore, you can pursue this course without shifting to a different state, and you can also continue with your current job. Here are the top picks of online master’s degrees in accounting that you can consider if you are interested in this field.
Auburn University
The online master’s degree in accounting at Auburn University is open for you if you hold a Bachelor’s degree in accounting or business, and if you meet all the prerequisites for the business and accounting department. Students who enroll in this program receive study materials, instructions, and assignments that are similar to the on-campus course. The schedule is extremely flexible and can accommodate working professionals as well. Full-time students of this course can complete it within one year. They get to select electives like real estate finance and information risk analysis, among others. This course also prepares students for the Uniform CPA Exam. This whole program is available online, including the exam. However, students have to complete a three-day on-campus residency during their final semester.
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina offers an online Master of Accounting (MAC) degree through its Kenan-Flagler Business School. This school accepts students from all undergraduate backgrounds. However, students who have business or accounting backgrounds may get course waivers. Students who enroll in this course can choose a concentration in Tax or Audit. If you take up the full-time course, you can finish it in less than 15 months. You can start this course either in June or December. This way, even if you miss the application deadline for one semester, you do not have to wait for an entire year to enroll in the course. The MAC degree is entirely online, except for a one-week leadership immersion on campus, which is mandatory and takes place at the beginning of the course.
University of Connecticut
An online master’s degree in accounting from the University of Connecticut is one of the best online courses in the country. This university offers a Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) program. Full-time students can complete it in two semesters. Working professionals who enroll in this degree take two courses per semester. The University of Connecticut also offers you electives like Forensic Accounting, Disclosure for Not-for-Profit Entities, and Fraud Examination among others.