If you’ve been thinking about going back to school to boost your skills, change careers or promote yourself in your current field, then you’ve probably spent some time researching tuition costs at different colleges and universities. Higher education can be expensive. Ridiculously so in some cases.
So when this article, “Higher Ed Gems: Free Medical School,” came across my desk, it definitely grabbed my interest. Far from the typical ‘free college degree’ scams that flood my inbox on a regular basis, this article instead explores some of the legitimate ways that reals students can get an college degree for free (or at a dramatically reduced price).
I’m no stranger to the expense of higher education. I worked two jobs and earned multiple scholarships to help pay for my undergraduate degree. Later, I continued to work two jobs plus a full-time graduate assistant position to pay for my master’s degree. While you are bound to incur some type of expenses in pursuit of your degree, there are a few ways to mitigate these costs.
Farnoosh Torabi, writing for MainStreet.com, suggests the following:
- Check out brand new schools. New programs may be more generous with scholarships and other perks.
- Apply for scholarships. Seriously, go to the scholarship office at your school and get applications for any and every scholarship that you might possibly qualify for. Apply for each and every one of them.
- Consider government programs. A number of programs exist that help pay for educational costs in exchange for agreeing to work in an under-served or needy region.
- Don’t overlook foreign schools. Colleges and universities based outside of the United States are often cheaper, and many also offer scholarships or grants to foreign students.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can really get a degree without any real work. Qualifying for scholarships generally takes a real committment to academics or community service. Graduate assitantships are serious work, often for very little pay. While there may be no such thing as a free ride, there are plenty of ways to fund your education without acquiring massive amounts of debt. Explore some of your options and talk to financial advisors at school you are considering to learn more about your options.
