There are thousands of colleges across the Country offering a diverse range of educational options. Nevertheless, if one has to have a successful career post college, it is very important to gain admission into a recognized college. Surely, this will prove to be a very expensive but necessary investment. Given the present trends with regard to tuition fee at even the mid-range colleges, it is surely wise to start planning and saving well in advance. For the wealthy, this may be of no great consequence, but for the majority, careful and time savings is essential.
As parents, one of the simplest ways to put aside money is from the birth of a child. Every state in the USA offers a targeted financial savings plan with built in tax benefits knows as the 529 plans. These plans offer reasonable flexibility for people to put aside small sums of money that may be as low as US$ 25 every month. It is always better to plan to keep in mind the exponential costs of collegiate education, rather than be frivolous, to begin with, and save later.
Another suggestion is to request any family members or friends who wish to gift your child something for a birthday or a festival to donate instead towards the child’s education fund. These small drops of money can go a long way in supporting collegiate education.
Thirdly, there are a huge number of grants and financial aid packages offered both based on merit as well as on need, with further focus on students from minority communities who wish to pursue under-represented or non-conventional educational streams. Partial and complete scholarships, research and travel grants and financial assistance for accommodation are but some of the financial aid packages offered both by the state governments and also by educational institutes, professional associations, and other corporate houses as well. Some of these grants are totally free while other may entail certain commissions. So, do explore all these funding options before you decide that a specific line of academics is not affordable. It is important to keep oneself updated about such funding options even from high school and also follow up frequently regarding changes made to the terms and conditions for eligibility as well.
These are some of the systematic ways in which you can both save and secure support for your educational aspirations. Do remember that every penny counts for it can make all the difference between just acquiring a college education and acquiring a top-notch education at a recognized center of learning.
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.