The last century or so has seen a considerable surge in the onus given to women’s education as more and more women are striving to break the glass ceiling, becoming more than just bread winners but more importantly, business leaders.
However, the fact still remains that women are largely underrepresented when it comes to institutional support especially for non-mainstream interests. In such a situation where many coeducational centers of learning are unable to support funding for exclusively women-centric subjects of interest, a large number of private colleges have stepped forward and are offering a diverse and eclectic range of subjects that can appeal to and draw female students.
A major factor that has supported this is the considerable funding that goes toward sponsoring college grants specifically for women. These grants offered by most private women’s colleges are based both on merit and need and are generous enough to fund the entire education of the recipient.
Many young women, not only from the low-income category but also from the middle-class, receive a quality education at topnotch institutes in the US on account of large donations made by corporates, individuals, and also alumnae of the respective colleges.
The colleges known for the grants offered to women, especially the minority and under-represented groups, include the following:
Wellesley College in Massachusetts – The funding offered to students is significantly not based on merit but focuses on supporting the aid requirements of students from diverse backgrounds pursuing a wide range of subjects.
Spelman College, Atlanta – This is the only educational institution in America that has made a commitment to supporting the educational aid requirements for African-American women.
Barnard College, New York – This is another well-known center for learning that offers need-based grants and provides its students with access to constantly updated lists of private scholarships, not directly provided by the college.
Agnes Scott College, Atlanta – The Goizueta Foundation Scholarship instituted by Agnes Scoot College, Atlanta specifically focuses on funding socially and economically underprivileged female students of Hispanic origins, with an emphasis given to those who demonstrate very high levels of academic excellence and leadership skills.
Other institutions such as the following also support and provide help and grants for women:
Raise the Nation is an NGO that supports the interests of single mothers.
The Sunshine Lady Foundation’s Women’s Independence Scholarship program offers educational funding to women who are victims of domestic abuse.
Such funding of women’s collegiate education through grants offered directly by the college or university or indirectly through funding organizations is veritably the backbone of women’s education in the US and this funding is surely important as research statistics have consistently proven that the percentage of women completing their collegiate education is higher than men.
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.