The first ever scholarship in the history of American collegiate education was established by Lady Anne Moulson (born Anne Radcliffe,1576-1661) at the then newly formed Harvard University. In those days, the sum she offered was significant indeed a 100 pounds! Till today, her name lives on, for the much acclaimed Radcliffe College, founded as the women’s annex to Harvard, is named after her.
Going down the years, the very first student loan program was also instituted at Harvard University, in 1840.
In 1862, the passing of the Morrill Act under which federally owned land was offered for the establishment of institutes of learning was another milestone in the history of American academia and was further supported by the Hatch Act of 1887. The Hatch Act diverted governmental funding to educational institutions for the purpose of establishing agricultural research stations.
Another turning point in the history of scholarships offered in America was the passing of the GI Bill of Rights by President Roosevelt in 1944. Among other things, this Bill created an awareness of the widespread benefits to individuals and the society as a whole when a large number of people received exposure to higher education.
In 1954, a collective of 95 colleges who were actively involved in evolving a system of assessment of students’ needs for the dispersal of scholarship funds, refined prior need assessment models and developed the College Scholarship Services Need Analysis (CSS) which contributed significantly to the idea that a uniform system for assessment of a student’s need for scholarships was essential in keeping alive the altruistic notions of offering scholarships in the first place.
Post World-War II, there appeared a slight decline in the demand for government funding of education. However, the Soviet launch of the Sputnik completely altered the situation, for as is to be expected, there was an outcry about the inadequacies of the American education system. This is turn led to the passing of the National Defense Education Act in 1958, which gave a remarkable boost to the provision of subsidized education in all areas of higher education. The sixties saw the passing of the Economic Opportunities Act and the Higher Education Act, both of which further led to the widespread establishment of scholarship programs.
Gradually the next few decades saw the emergence of several amendments to the Higher Education Act with the result that by the dawn of the millennium, students of diverse social, economic and demographic backgrounds, were able to benefit from quality college education. Many went on to become very highly recognized in their chosen fields.
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.