20 Easy Ways to Save Lots of Money in College

A lot of this is directed towards freshman in college who don't know the first place to look to save money until it's too late. Often, it's pretty easy to save money; you've just got to know where to start. Plenty of websites and articles cover this, but the articles are from people out of touch with what living in college is like. Instead, I've got a list for you that should help you really save money and will be extremely useful. Below are my 20 easiest (and best) ways to save money in college. Ready?

* Rent a room off campus-

Although rent is extremely expensive (even in big cities), it still is almost always cheaper than living on campus. It's astronomical what you pay for room and board at college; but it does sometimes make things a bit easier when you're not used to living at home. And although you feel like you don't know anyone and need to live on campus your freshman year, you pay much more than renting an apartment. Trust me, you'll meet plenty of people; this is an easy way to save at least $600 a year.

* Don't get a meal plan, buy your own groceries-

Again, easy way to save money. Or, better yet, grow your own groceries-- which is a pretty simple process! If you buy in bulk at places like Costco, Walmart, and Price Rite you'll find that you spend maybe $40 a week as opposed to $100 or more through the school! Now why wouldn't you want to go for this?

* Buy your booze in bulk-

Buying small amounts of booze in college is convenient, but this can become a costly habit. Drinking as a whole is an unnecessary expense, and even though it is college, there needs to be some moderation. If you are going to drink, buy 30-racks of all your beer and big handles of your hard liquor. I know sometimes you only have 5-10 dollars on you, but try to do this. I also know it's a bit of a pain to carry around, but you spend much more if you buy just 6-packs and flasks of hard liquor.

* Drink only on weekends-

Another way to cut back on your spending money is to cut back on drinking times. The best way to save your drinking funds is to try and cut off Thirsty Thursdays. I know, I know, it's what gets you through the week. This alone can save you around $10 a week, $40 a month. It's only one night, and your class on Friday's grave will improve dramatically, which is extremely important if you've got scholarship money. If this is too much to bear, try to just make it every other weekend; saving $20 a week is better than nothing.

* Drink Cheap-

I'm sorry, I know, it seems like I'm picking on drinking. But like I said before, drinking is a huge unnecessary expense. The cheaper you can make it, the more money you'll save for things you do really need. Buy the cheap stuff. Pabst Blue Ribbon, Old Milwaukee, Busch, Old English; there are tons out there, I'm not going to name them all. Or, of course, you can brew your own. If you're interested in brewing your own, I've got a few articles touching down on this subject for your reading enjoyment.

* Get a monthly bus pass-

This will only save you money if you commute to class five days a week. Many students get a bus/T pass their first semester through the school and realize they only used it 20 times. If it's just to go see your friends every weekend, chances are you aren't saving any money at all. A lot of times it seems like you'll use it much more than you do, but you aren't. Keep track of how many times you go on the bus the first month; chances are, afterwords you'll ride it about half as much. If that still validates the bus pass, go for it; if not, save your money.

* Get a free checking + savings account (or MoneyMarket as I describe in the link above)-

A free checking or savings/MoneyMarket account is a great way to save yourself from being slammed with fees. Many banks hit you for fees for using other company's ATMs, having too low of a balance, having too many withdraws in one month, among all sorts of other ridiculous fees. Most kids' banks accounts that are on the brink of emptiness can afford to lose any money unnecessarily, and a $5-25 fee isn't going to help. Most banks give no-minimum accounts to college students, which is great when your bank account is floating around $7.35 as mine often was. If you can, shop around in August and all the college student deals will be on flyers everywhere.

* Don't get a credit card-

So many people I know got credit cards for emergencies; the only emergencies I ever saw them use it for was a new skirt they "needed" for work that was 50% off. The other emergency is pizza at 3 AM when no one has money on them, but you've got your credit card and get to foot the bill. This is just money waiting to be wasted. Don't bother with it.

* Compare prices for books-

Don't just buy your books from the school, there are plenty of places to check out for books. Abebooks.com, half.com, amazon.com-- usually I'll end up buying books from all of these places, not just one. Compare each book's price to each website, I often saved about $100 a semester this way. I'll often write down the price of the book at each website, and buy where ever each book was cheapest. Don't forget to add shipping costs with it, because certain places charge more than others.

* Ramen Noodles-

Ramen Noodles are a God-send. At $.12 a package, how can you beat them? Of course, they aren't really good for you per-say, but they fill you up when money is tight. They're also extremely easy to make. In fact, sometimes you don't even want to make them and you don't have to- you can eat them raw (and they're not too bad). Always keep a pack or two with you-- these are great for binge-eating at night, especially at parties when people want to order food. The funny thing is, you might be jealous of the big pizza their ordering, but they'll be begging you for the Ramen.

* Become a Vegetarian-

This is the hardest one for most people-- and something only for the ones who are diehard into saving money (or animals, I guess). Meat is one of the most expensive things that people buy; especially when barbecue season comes around. Veggie burgers are often cheaper than meat and healthier. Cutting out meat altogether can put money back in your pocket, and can also help you lose a few pounds if you are a bit overweight.

* Stay away from expensive electronics-

Say it with me, "Unless my Major is involved in technology, I do not need a Macbook Pro". Everyone and their mother has a MacBook, and all they do is go on Facebook and Myspace. Some kids will maybe get wild and try photoshop for a week. Laptops that cost $500 are good enough for me, so they're good enough for you (and I do webzine design for a literary magazine as well as various other small projects). Save yourself $1500 by buying a cheap laptop. Also, stay away from new Ipods, they WILL break. Just keep on truckin' with your older IPod. The same for Iphones or any other expensive new phone. The free ones always last forever, and when someone spills beer on it, so what? If you want to save money, you need to get your brain in the mindset of someone without any.

* Stay away from Monthly/Seasonal Payments-
Get rid of your cable subscription, Netflix, home phone, Sports Illustrated, porn subscriptions, etc. These aren't necessary. Get the cheapest cell phone plan and internet (if you need it like I do); these will suffice. After the first month or two, you'll often forget to watch the movies you ordered.

* You don't need new clothes-

Every month girls need new clothes. Although their wardrobe is spilling out of their closet, they've got nothing to wear. However, once you get to college, guys are no different. You don't need new clothes, you need an iron and an ironing board. And if you need clothes, go to the thrift store. This cuts your costs in half at the least, and you'll find some unique clothes.

* Meet Skype-

Want to cut out your expensive lengthy cell phone costs to your parents or significant other? Check out Skype; it's free, you can have video chats with people, and you can just talk like you're on the phone. Most newer computers have a built in microphone (and many have cameras as well), which makes this completely free to keep in touch with everyone if college is far away.

* Find alternatives to the gym-

Sell yourself as a dog-walker if you need exercise. Ride a bike to class. Go jogging. Use the school's gym. Do NOT get a membership, it is a waste of $40 a month. I've heard so many excused for why people need a personal gym membership it's disgusting. If the basketball team can use your school gym, so can you.

* Apply for one-time and online jobs-
Sell your body to medicine for a day; write reviews for products on line; there are many ways to make money online. I haven't gotten it figured out yet, but so I hear...

* Take community college classes for your gen-eds-

I know, you chose your school because it's the best in your field. Well, during the summer, take some community college courses. These run usually around a couple hundred bucks a course (which beats the $2000 a course at private colleges), and can cut off a semester (or in my case, it was a year-- yep, $30,000 saved by spending $2,000 for two summers) from your college tuition.

* Go to state school-
I didn't do it, but I wish I had. Save huge amounts of money by going to state school. Save your money for Graduate.

* Keep track of your spending-
Last, but DEFINITELY not least, save your receipts. Calculate your monthly expenses. Which of those don't you need? Cut them out for next month. Do this every month to keep track of where your money is running off to.

This is a clear-cut list that provides ways to cut down on your loans and overall saving money through simple research and knowledge. These 20 ways should help you save money this upcoming year in school. There are plenty of ways to make college work without walking away with over $100k of debt like so many people I know did, so start

being smart about your money and you'll save more than you'd ever expect.


Andy Cerrone is an editor and a columnist for various companies and websites, his newest being one to saving money.

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Are You Studying Your Life Away? Security In College Campuses

 

Colleges throughout the world are in essence a miniature city with all the problems of any major metropolis, this includes high-tech theft and privacy issues. For every problem you've heard about in a major regulated industry, the same concerns happen in higher education. As a student or parents of a student, you may think you've prepared you for this new journey, but safe and practical computing should also be part of every college student's entrance to their university.

How Serious is the Campus Security Threat?

Over the past 12 months, numerous Universities across the country have been hit with major security breaches:

o Ohio University had over 5 separate cases of identity theft within a month solely caused by poor security measures on school databases.

o In mid December 2006 the University of California at Los Angeles reported a hacking incident that left nearly a million members of the UCLA community vulnerable to identity theft. The hacking went on undetected for nearly 13 months.

Along with these two schools, nearly 50 other incidents involving universities have occurred within the past 12 months.

How Vulnerable is Campus Data?

The vast majority of universities rely on large, moderately-protected networks to store data on anyone related to the organization: its students, staff, faculty, and even applicants. This data is housed on these servers with limited security capabilities. These vulnerabilities have caused major problems for students and faculty in schools all across the country.

When a prospective student applies to schools they must provide information such as name, high school, SAT scores, parents names. Many applications require in-depth parental information, asking for occupation, income, tax information, social security numbers and degrees earned.

When Universities receive this information it's stored in their database and added to the masses of other applications from that year and previous years. Not only are many of these personal questions unnecessary to deem a student worthy for admittance, but the weak college computer networks lead to easy access to that information. Privacy and ID theft issues arise not only with students enrolled in the University, but also with people who've simply applied to the college.

Student Network Threat

Along with applicant data stored on campus servers, many schools also have multiple networks which allow students to store their own documents and files. Many schools do not invest in strong security for networks because they feel that much of this information is useless to others outside the network. What college IT departments don't realize is that many of these documents are just as valuable to other students within the University.

If a student writes a term paper for their class, there are very few security measures preventing another student from hacking into the network and stealing that paper to sell or turn it in for another class. If students can't feel secure about their work being plagiarized, then the legitimacy of the entire school becomes jeopardized and it becomes a much poorer educational environment.

Online Access to Student Records

The amount of access each student has to their own collegiate records on one simple "protected" website is astounding. Nearly every University has its own student-oriented network, usually called "My-SchoolName" where students can access everything about themselves like:

o Grades

o ID numbers

o Financial Aid

o College credit card information

o Home and School Residence Addresses

Not only are these sites hackable, but with the accelerated pace of the average student's day, it's very likely that he or she will forget to close out of the site on their laptop or forget to log out on a public computer. Much of the information contained on these sites is unnecessary and ends up being a one stop shop for college students and for hackers.

Students can find everything from a complete history of financial aid records to their healthcare information. Colleges need to identify what information is appropriate for students to have 24/7 access to, and which information is best dealt with face-to-face, like Financial Aid.

Grade and Personal Information via Email

Recently, professors and Teacher's Assistants (TAs) have begun emailing grades to eager students who can't wait for their grades to be posted online. In other settings emailing test results is considered a breach of privacy. A number of instructors don't really care what happens to these grades, so they do not take any security precautions, such as encryption, when sending them off.

Major Universities often have many students with similar last names, often in the same classes. This causes many issues because when tired professors send out grades late at night, it is very likely that they will email them to the wrong Smith or Lee. While grades might be minute when compared to SSNs or credit card information, many students prefer to keep such things as their Semester's results their own business.

Managing Student IDs

All around college campuses, student identification numbers have become one of the most convoluted aspects of life around campus. At come campuses, managing your college IDs could be its own course. For example, students at Cornell University have separate ID numbers for course registration, tests and exams, laundry services, food, transportation and other campus activities

Problems surrounding an ID system like this is that if a student forgets a certain number to a campus service, they must go through the basic password retrieval system to get their ID's sent to them. Most schools simply send an email without any other security precautions; aside asking for the email address. Not only could passwords easily be sent to other people, but the unencrypted emails could easy be intercepted along the way. Unsecured email not only leaves your school records in jeopardy, but also opens young adults to years of credit monitoring due to ID theft.

The Future of College Security

As security problems increase on campuses, Universities have made few steps towards finding proper defensive measures to protect students and staff. Unless Universities step up considerably in the short period, security issues on campus will continue to rise at a significant rate.

Major Universities have become prime candidates for hackers over the past few years thanks to their moderately lax on-campus networks and poor security measures taken by students. Aside from tips on how to make a "strong" password and obvious solutions on how to prevent yourself from breaches such as always logging off from secure sites when you step away from your computer, schools are ill-equipped to deal with these breaches.

Unless schools step up to the plate and begin upgrading their security policies, we will continue to hear about more horror stories about affected students, faculty, and alumni from major Universities. Students pay Universities thousands upon thousands of dollars to get a top-notch education. They can at least expect is that their school will treat them with top-notch security as well.

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Distance Learning And Online Degree

Distance Learning and Online Degree:

With the advent of the Internet the mode of education has changed drastically. From distance education the word has changed to Online Education where the method of teaching has become virtual.
Additionally, course materials will be sent by post, which they can finish at home An online business degree is best suited to working executives who can finish their course at their own pace and do not need to lose work to attend classes.

2. How will an online business degree help your career?

An online business degree is one of the best possible ways to enhance one's academic qualifications. Many fortune 700 companies appreciate employees who have a higher academic degree and consider such degrees as a criterion for promotion. This means that even if you work hard and exhibit good professional ethics, you may be sidelined when it comes to promotions and pay hikes.

3. Getting qualified through an online course serves three purposes:

1. It enhances your academic standing

2. It does not require you to lose your job in order to make time for learning.

3. You can learn in your leisure time and use it productively to enhance your career.

Online Degrees are available all over the Internet from valid accepted Universities to fake Diploma Mills that churn out diplomas without need for anything other than cold hard cash.
While the advantages of the Online Degree providing colleges are many the fact remains that the fake diploma mills are adversely affecting the reputation of the legitimate degree providing colleges.

Legitimate Online Degree College vs. Fake Diploma Mills

Universities and colleges online have to be accredited and the best ones like Phoenix University are, but there are again, the 'life experience' degree providers like the Belford University that create fake accreditation agencies and then accredit themselves, causing students looking for shortcuts to believe that these are legit institutes and are merely showing them the way out.

However, when all online degree holders enter the practical world looking for a job carrying their 'online diplomas' these fake diploma holders cause the legit degree holders to lose out as potential employers lose faith in the 'online degrees' so many of which are useless.

The latest trend in education is distance education where you can attain an undergraduate and graduate, certification or professional degree with the help of advanced technology of Internet.

It is gaining popularity owing to the fact that it can be obtained without leaving your job and can be done at your own pace. Owing to this sudden popularity in distance education, more and more universities are introducing online degree education.

With the wave of intensive growth in distance education comes another problem which is that of fraudulent online degrees.

Universities need to make a profit in order to sustain in the growing competition. The statistics behind online universities indicate that online universities are growing by 33% annually [International Data Corporation Online].

The benefit that the universities offering online courses are that they need not worry about infrastructural expenditure and they can reach out to people across the globe.

The difference between a fake degree online and a valid one is that fraudulent online degree universities are called 'degree mills' as their main focus is in fast production and distribution of fake diplomas. They just offer credit for life experience and if you pay your fees you get your diploma. You don't have to worry about practical experience. If you pay a little extra, you can even graduate with honors!

The problem arises when this life experience is not accepted by state and federal laws and you face the problem of looking for a suitable job.
A legitimate online college can be recognized against a fake one by checking out the actual web address which is usually offered by The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the international organization that dispenses domain names (web addresses).

Accredited schools will receive the .edu designation. For example, Stanford University's web address is Stanford.edu which authenticates that they are genuine online universities. Next you can also check from the list of accredited schools provided by US Department of Education.

What is the 'The Diploma Mill Police'?

Diploma Mill Police is an online resource to identify if the diploma you have received from an online university is a valid one and is from a fully accredited institution.

To authenticate your degree, GetEducated.com, has launched a free online service, The Diploma Mill Police (TM). This is a free service offered by the website and helps students as well as employer to put forth their grievances regarding the accreditation of their online certifications.

All you need to do is to submit a query to check on the accreditation status of any online college operating in the USA. A Consumer Seal of Approval is also provided by GetEducated.com which genuine accredited colleges can use on their site after being screened by an authorized deputy of the Diploma Mill Police.

Is getting a fake degree worth the effort. Will it get you a job in a Fortune 700 company?

Getting a fake degree may cause lot more problems than benefits. It is a very big risk to buy a fake degree from a diploma mill as well as to claim that you have a degree which rightfully you are not worthy of.

You are shelling out enormous money and the people who are scam artists can get away with it but you can be victimized. The problem arises when this life experience is not acceptable by state and federal laws and you face a problem which acquiring a suitable job.

Students might be thinking that getting a diploma from an unaccredited university will save them the drudgery of studying and they want to out for an easy way out by just paying some money and buying a diploma.

The Diploma itself typically looks impressive and is indistinguishable from a real college or university diploma. Clearly the diploma mills have no integrity and are not worried about the injustice to the students like you who have worked hard for your degrees.

The fake degree may even lead to your prosecution as in the case of a dozen teachers in Georgia who claimed to have Doctoral degrees from the bogus Saint Regis University were caught in 2003. Similarly in May 2004, nearly 500 government employees lost their jobs when their degrees were checked.

It would be sheer luck if you acquire a job in a Fortune 700 company with the help of a fake degree as these companies undertake rigorous investigation to check the authenticity of the degrees.

If by chance you manage to get a job, you are always under pressure on when you might be fired, if they get to know about the fact that your degree is a fake.

Fake online degrees are a meaningless, waste of money because wherever, you use the degree; it will be validated as 'fake'. Is that true?

Getting a fake online degrees is a meaningless, waste of money because wherever, you use the degree; it will be validated as `fake'; this is true to a certain extent.

There are chances that you will acquire a job in smaller companies who do not undertake rigorous screening of certificates of their employees. You might get away with it for sometime.

However, as you go up the ladder or look for a job in established companies you might come across the ground reality that your degree is just of piece of paper. A fake online degree has more problems than benefits. You will always be under the pressure that you would be caught for your fake certificate.

Students might be thinking that getting a diploma from an unaccredited university will save them the drudgery of studying and they want to out for an easy way out by just paying some money and buying a diploma.

The diploma itself typically looks impressive and is indistinguishable from a real college or university diploma. But the truth is employers know which degrees are worth it and which have been bought.

Some FAQs Accreditation and College Degrees

1. What is accreditation?

Accreditation is an assurance. It is a type of authorization given by an authorized government institute. The reason for accreditation is to give online degrees required recognition. In addition to this, it is also to ensure the quality of the program being offered.

2. What are the types of accreditation?

Regional accreditation boards provide the most recognized form of accreditation. For instance, Harvard and Ohio universities are regionally accredited. Stanford is also regionally accredited.
Whenever you come across people asking you whether you have attended an accredited university or not, they generally refer to regionally accredited universities. Hence, regional accreditation is the most preferred form of accreditation.

3. What is the significance of accreditation?

Accreditation provides a public record of your degree. A degree from an accredited institute is recognized by employers and companies all over the world.

4. What are the six regional institutes for accreditation?

There are about six authorized units responsible for accrediting online degrees. Namely they are:

NASC - Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges

NCA - North Central Association of Schools and Colleges

NEASC - New England Association of Schools and Colleges

SACS - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

WASC - Western Association of Schools and Colleges

MSA - Middle States Association

What is programmatic accreditation?

At times, the special departments in accredited universities require special accreditation. The teachers licensing board requires a degree from accredited universities. Also, to accredit certain programs, the government requires a college to be accredited.

What do I need to know about State approved Universities?

Presently, there has been an enormous increase in State approved Universities. Many states have a test which a university has to pass, in order to be approved.

This process however is not equivalent to accreditation. It simply means that the college is approved to do business. The standard and quality of the degree is not ensured.

The above given FAQs comprise of basic information regarding distance learning. If you choose for an online degree, you should keep in mind the above points.

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What Are Accredited Online College Courses and Why Do I Care?

Long-distance learning is now enjoying prolific popularity for many good reasons. Flexible scheduling, wider range of available curricula, and vast savings are just a few of the major "pluses" offered by online studies. To maximize enrollment levels, institutions are increasingly jumping on the Elearning bandwagon. You see, educational institutions are actually businesses.

You may have imagined those hallowed halls as havens of altruism and intellectual insights. Why would folks whose names are followed by more letters contained in a bowl of alphabet soup ever consider money! Well, wake up and smell the coffee, kiddo. Schools have bills to pay like everybody else. After all, do you think all those Mercedes and Jaguars in the faculty parking lot are just generous gifts from Santa? Think again, and again. Break out the notepads for some serious scholarly scrutiny into some hard-core realities. Class has now begun.

All schools are not the same

Many schemes, scams, and flimflams abound to exploit those who are desperately seeking degrees. Many are operated by outright con artists who issue a worthless piece of paper for your valuable green paper - US currency, that is.

Others are more subtle, however. Their plausible presentations as legitimate institutions are perfect. You can actually learn a lot at some of them, and graduate with heightened horizons and high hopes. Only to find them dashed.

Pay close attention, class: just employers and licensing boards require certain credentials from you; the school which confers your pretty piece of paper must also be vouched for. If the institution or specific program you completed does not carry the right rubber stamp, you may as well line the kitty box with your diploma.

Accreditation is key

What is accreditation? It is an official, recognized endorsement that a school meets minimum quality standards of educational excellence. Accredited online college courses are picked apart with a fine-toothed comb and examined under a giant "electrocational" microscope. Physical facilities, faculty academic credentials, adequacy of research and clinical facilities, budget figures, etc.; the list goes on and on. After being picked apart and put back together, the school is granted accreditation if it satisfies all minimum criteria.

What does this mean to me?

A lot, kiddo! Unless your school offers accredited online college courses, it - and you - may as well be ghosts. Accreditation is a standard requirement for professional licensing in virtually every state. Employers also put little stock in your degree if your school is not accredited. Neither will Uncle Sam grace you with his ten-million-mile financial aid wand - unless your school is accredited.

In a nutshell, you will shell out a lot of money, effort and time for what amounts to a useless wall decoration. Class, believe me when I say that you can do a lot better at the $7.95 sale at your local Bargain Basement.

Sidestep the Traps

First, insure that your school offers only accredited online college courses. You can search the US Dept. of Education's database at http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.htm to verify any school's accreditation.

You want to see "regional" accreditation in a school's credentials. There are six officially-recognized accreditation agencies within the US. Each agency covers a different part of the country. These are the only recognized accreditation agencies.

Beware of schools that boast "national" accreditation. Agencies that issue national "accreditation" are typically owned and funded by the institutions they certify. It does not take a rocket scientist to readily realize the relative worthlessness of such "accreditation".

Now for the Bonus Question

Ok, your homework is complete. Everything checks out. The school is accredited by the proper agency. Before you start zooming through online admission applications faster than the speed of light - wait! There's one more detail that definitely demands further verification.

Your particular program of study within an institution should also be accredited. This is especially vital for those pursuing fields of study that require licensure after graduation. The Dept. of Education site also provides easy verification of specific institutional programs. You can search by type of program, or by geographical location.

The Final Test

You are now properly prepared to evaluate any school or program before enrolling. You are on a surer path with a much firmer foundation for academic success. Here is today's test question: Where is the only place where you find success before work? Answer: the dictionary! Class dismissed.


My Colleges and Careers helps students connect with the best schools to earn their college degree and embark on a rewarding career! A powerful resource for individuals of all walks of life, My Colleges and Careers connects people with the programs that help them earn degrees on campus or online.

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Online College Courses Can Help You Change Career Paths

Do you know that college graduates earn on an average twice as much in earnings over a lifetime of working than those who only complete a high school diploma? As our society becomes more and more technologically enhanced, education and skills will be the driving force of the 21st century workforce. Whether going back to school to complete a degree, upgrading for a new position or starting a new career, online college courses can be your first step to a new future.

The value of a degree according to the recently released data from U.S. Census Bureau's Value of college degree: US Government Info, proving the substantial value of a college education in the United States. It showed that workers over the age of 18 with bachelor degrees earn an average of $51,206 a year, while those with a high school diploma earn substantially less averaging about $27,915. Further the report also indicates that advanced degree workers make an average of $74,602 annually compared to those without a high school diplomas averaging $18,734.

However, finding time to attend classes even on weekends and evenings does not always provide the time needed out of hectic schedules for the "on-campus" experience. From taking Suzy to school to the parent's meeting after Johnny's football or little league practice, to Beth needing an emergency dentist appointment, your daily busy schedule does not allow for a scheduled classroom setting at a designated time and place. Or maybe the classroom setting is just not a right match for you as a learner you need the unrestricted freedom of learning without walls. You want to be in control of when, how and what you learn and when you attend class, do assignments or complete courses. An online college where you can acquire or improve skills with online courses may be the answer.

Maybe you just need to update your knowledge to keep up to date with the latest developments and trends of your field or your new career path. That next position or the new department opening is just out of reach because your last training is outdated, but your work schedule won't allow for scheduled classroom opportunities. An online school or online college courses may be just the answer to this dilemma. Online schools offer unique opportunities for growth in current or new areas needed to get that promotion or next job.

If getting a degree seems to be a daunting task you may want to start with online college courses. Taking an online course is an excellent way to experience a new field, learn the requirements for that field and acquire a sense of your ability and enjoyment of your newly selected career path. Further, an online course can be structured to your specific learning style. Testing the waters with several online courses in areas of interest will help you determine your next step with your online education.

Earning your degree from a first-class accredited online school may be the alternative you are looking for to start your new career. With a "at you own time" environment and financial aid and grants readily available, especially for women and moms returning to school, online degrees are being well accepted by potential employers who no longer differentiate between "online or on campus" as qualified applicants for potential positions.

Today's online education and course offerings provide a wide range of choices from Culinary Arts to Elementary and Secondary Education to MBA's at a selection of online colleges that can meet your specific needs. However, students choosing to earn their degree from online college need to ensure that the online schools being considered are accredited by a reputable accreditation authority. Accreditation is the official recognition of institutions by the US Department of Education and carries credibility with potential employers. Accreditation can be verified by checking with the Accreditation Guide to Online Education - eLearners.com or the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs. Once you have verified accreditation from and number of online colleges you can begin the application and selection process.

Whether you are starting a new career or expanding your current career into new and exciting areas an online education may be right for you. Freedom of class selection, structure of learning the information, and time are the main foundation of the online experience. For further information about accredited online college education opportunities see Online Colleges to begin your journey into increasing your personal confidence, pride and financial stability that an online college education provides. For additional information on Financial Aid see How to Fund Your Online Education.


My Colleges and Careers helps students connect with the best schools to earn their college degree and embark on a rewarding career! A powerful resource for individuals of all walks of life, My Colleges and Careers connects people with the programs that help them earn degrees on campus or online.

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An Online College Degree in No Time - Fund Your Way Through School With Student Financial Aid

There are hundreds of resources available to students who want to continue their education and receive an online college degree but are unable to pay for it up front. Whatever route you're choosing for student financial aid - an unpaid monetary gift or re-paid financial assistance - funding your way through school is achievable. Money no longer needs to be a factor in your decision to return or even go to school the first time around!

To decide which type of student financial aid would suit your educational pursuits, the following information on loans and scholarships should come in handy. Before enrolling at any school to acquire your online college degree, however, you need to make sure that it's accredited, the degree program you're interested in is eligible for student financial aid, and you've discussed your situation with the college's representatives in the financial aid office.

FAFSA: Student Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is an office of the U.S. Department of Education that provides student financial aid or monetary assistance to eligible individuals who wish to continue their educations well beyond high school and receive a traditional or online college degree. FAFSA strives to encourage all Americans to achieve a higher education and realize the power that it has within our society.

By partnering with a large number of postsecondary schools in the U.S., FAFSA is able to play a vital role in ensuring that interested individuals have ample student financial aid to continue their schooling and receive an online college degree. The program, which processes 14 million applications each year, distributes more than $80 billion per year in student financial aid to eligible applicants (1). To apply online or learn more, please visit FAFSA's website.

Students Loans

In essence, student loans are low-interest monetary assistance from the government to help cover the cost of education (tuition) as well as books, housing, and incidentals. However, upon graduation and receipt of your online college degree, the loan must be re-paid. There are three types of student loans: federal student loans doled out to the students themselves; federal student loans to parents, which are normally referred to as PLUS (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students); and private student loans, which are funded by banks and/or financial companies rather than the government.

Advocates for private student loans say that this type of student financial aid combines the best of the low-interest rates, but with a higher loan amount and a longer grace period. Private loans have two methods of disbursement of funds - school to channel (money is distributed to the school) and direct to consumer (money is given to the individual to use as he or she sees fit). Before deciding which type of loan is appropriate for your particular situation, do your homework! Federal student loans require that you are enrolled in college for a certain amount of hours each semester, while private student loans begin accruing interest rather quickly (2).

Loan Forgiveness Programs

While loan forgiveness is not necessarily a way to fund your way through school, it is an excellent way to eliminate your loan debt quickly once you've received your traditional or online college degree. The government has devised a way to purge most (and sometimes all) debt for students who involve themselves in community or military service or work for AmeriCorps, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), Teach for America, Peace Corps, National Health Service Corps, or teach students in a low-income area (3).

Most of these programs, which serve underprivileged families and individuals, will forgive a large portion of your loan debt if you work full-time upon graduation. The National Health Service Corps, for instance, pays up to $25,000 per year towards your debt. To learn more, visit the Sallie Mae website.

Scholarships

Attend the college of your choice and acquire your online college degree - for free! How is that possible? Student financial aid in the form of scholarships from organizations, clubs, and fund programs all over the United States offer billions of dollars to students around the nation to help them realize their dreams. Scholarships recognize scholastic achievements or merits, while some focus on personal interests, community involvement, and/or financial need. You may be required to write at length on a topic or simply submit some detailed information on your educational interests.

Best of all, scholarships are free money in your pocket - you do not have to re-pay this gift! To learn more about scholarships or to find a few that may be of interest to you, please visit Fastweb.com.

Realize Your Dreams with an Online College Degree

If you receive a loan, the important thing to keep in mind is that you've been given more money than needed. Try not to spend it all; tuck some away and save it for when you must begin re-paying the loan. Otherwise, you may find yourself with a large loan bill each month (with all the interest to boot). If you've received a few scholarships or other type of student financial aid, congratulations! This money is yours and you can do what you wish with it. You are off the hook and are released from re-paying these generous contributions to your educational pursuits to receive an online college degree.

Regardless which student financial aid route you decide to take, enrolling in college, learning all you can, and acquiring your online college degree are things to be proud of!

Sources

1. federalstudentaid.ed.gov

2. finaid.org

3. collegeanswer.com


Kimberly Diane

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College Creative Studies - Is College the Best Way to Learn a Creative Profession?

What's the best way to study your creative profession?

This is easily one of the most crucial career decisions you'll ever make. And yet you're forced to make that crucial decision completely blindfolded, not knowing anything yet about the workings of your industry. To make matters worse, a lot of advice you'll be getting from people like your parents or even experience people in the industry, is advice that worked well 10-15 years ago. That's not necessarily a great advice for this day and age.

The upshot is that unfortunately, most students are going to take a wrong turn before they even started their engines.

As an industry veteran and a long-time teacher, I've been asked this question many times. Over the years I tried to adjust my answer to match the rapid market and industry changes I was witnessing.

Here is my most updated answer to that question: the cheapest, fastest, most flexible way of becoming a creative pro.

What are my options?

Let's start with the 3 main options you have today for learning your craft.

Take a full 3-4 years course, one that probably includes a diploma of some sort.
Take a relatively short 1 year course in one of the many art colleges out there.
Just learn it by yourself using books, tutorials and online lessons.

Each of these options has its pros and cons, and students often get very confused trying to decide between them.

As you might expect, there is no one-size-fit-all answer to this dilemma, as different people have different needs and resource. However - after discussing the pros and cons, I WILL conclude with a pretty definite answer.

What school definitely is not

Before we start discussing the pros and cons of going to school, these are a few things you seriously need to know.

Nobody cares about your diploma. In creative industries, only two things count: your portfolio, and your experience. That's it. No one cares what kind of grades your have, or anything like that. It's all about what you can DO. School will not teach you anything - at best, it will help you learn. Any student I ever had who was any good at all, was primarily an autodidact. Students tend to bitch about this, but the fact is that in this rapidly changing world, self-education is a more important skill to acquire than anything else you can hope to learn. School is therefore not about teaching you stuff - it's about giving you a solid framework for teaching yourself. In any case, most of your learning is going to happen through actually doing stuff.

School won't make you a pro. You'll learn a lot, but you won't be a pro before spending a few years in the industry. Nothing can substitute actual hands-on experience in market conditions. You will walk out of school a complete amateur (albeit perhaps a much more mature and knowledgable amateur), and that is the fact of the matter. Professionals are created in the industry, not in school.

At this point, I'll bet it sounds like I'm going to recommend that you ditch the entire idea of going to school, doesn't it? Well, don't jump to conclusions just yet. I was just weeding out a few VERY common misconceptions students have about school. Now that we know what reality is, we can discuss the pros and con.

Pros and cons

Option #1: a full 3-4 years course

Pros:

You get to take it slow, immerse yourself in your profession.

You usually get the freedom to be more artsy and expressive.

They make you try things you wouldn't have thought of - many students end up hooked on something they never even knew existed!

It's a great experience to go through, socially and creatively. Having learned my craft within the industry, I definitely regret not having lived that life.

You get some healthy competition.

Perhaps the most important pro is this: you get to be part of a network of students and teachers. This is an amazingly underestimated advantage of school. People like working with people they know personally - that's the way we're wired! The more people in your industry you know personally, the more opportunities you'll have. A good network of creative mates is going to get you a job 10 times faster than a great portfolio.You don't have to like it, but that's just the way it is.

Cons:

It's amazingly expensive: it's 4 years of paying instead of 4 years of earning. Most students moan about their tuition, not realizing that by far the real cost of their studies is the not earning part.

It's 4 years spent without earning real professional experience. Remember: even after 4 years in school, you're still an amateur!

You'll be made to do a lot of redundant stuff - stuff that's there for many reasons other than teaching you to be really good at what you do.

Option #2: a relatively short 1 year course

Pros:

It's cheaper by 3 years of paying instead of earning. That's a LOT.

You get to the industry faster. By the time your 4-years-program friend graduates, you'll already be a pro with 3 years of experience. You'll also be well connected, having personally worked with experienced industry veterans.

Being short and concise, these programs are usually focused on what's directly relevant to your success. In other words, you probably won't find yourself sitting through boring and irrelevant lessons that are only there for political reasons.

Cons:

A single year is really not enough for anything substantial, unless it's very very focused. Usually you'll find yourself rushed through stuff that should take months or years to learn properly. You can literally emerge at the end of your one-year program more confused and lost than when you've entered.

In my experience, these places are usually less selective than their 4-years counterparts. This means you may find yourself studying with a crowd of uninspiring people who aren't going to amount to anything. I've seen many potentially amazing students become lazy and disheartened just because everybody around them was like that.

Option #3: the "learn it yourself" approach

Pros:

You control it all: how much, when, at what pace. You don't have to suffer through lessons that are too slow for you or too fast. Maximum flexibility!

It's by far the cheapest option. There are tons of free tutorials, and the ones that cost money are much cheaper than the cheapest physical course. Plus, you can work and earn money the whole time!

No need to take any scary student loans, because you don't have to pay large sums of money in advance.

You're not made to learn anything that bores the daylight out of you.

You don't have to deal with stupid tests and grades system. You work for excellence, not to appease some teacher's opinion or a set of bureaucratic rules.

Cons

You don't get the networking advantage - always a huge problem for autodidacts.

You'll miss that single source of guidance schools supplies. If you get confused about what you're doing (which you will), you're very much on your own. Asking around doesn't help either - it will typically give you 77 different answers that'll only confuse you more.

School provides a framework of demands and deadlines that really helps move things along. When you're on your own, it can often be difficult to motivate yourself, or to know when it's time to put a lid on on something and move on.

Conclusion

So... should you learn your craft in college, or is it better to just learn it by yourself?

My advice is to combine both and get all the advantages, eliminating most disadvantages. Here's how.

Stage 1: start by yourself

Start with 6-12 months of learning by yourself. Take online courses or short evening classes, and don't quit your day job (if you have one). See if you enjoy it at all, and if you have the passion for it. Don't pay a lot of money - you can find a lot of free online resources for beginners. [insert affiliates] This will not only give you a head start, but will also teach you that all-important skill of self-education.

Don't worry if you get a bit confused in the process. Take what you can from the experience, and proceed to stage 2.

Stage 2: take a short-term school program

Having experimented a bit, you should already have a better understanding of the craft. You also have a better idea of what parts of it you enjoy the most. It's time to go ahead and take a short term course - anything between 6 and 18 months.

Make sure the school is selective and doesn't accept anyone willing to pay tuition. You want to learn with talented, passionate people who will push you forward - not with a bunch of duds. By the way - you'll have no problem getting accepted yourself, because you've been learning it by yourself for several months anyway!

You should also make sure teachers are active members of their creative industry, in other words - that they make their main living CREATING rather than TEACHING. This is crucial if you want the advantage of industry contacts (and you definitely do).

Also, because you started as a self-educated artist, you'll probably have a nice head-start. You'll be noticeably more capable, your questions will be more intelligent, and other students will come to you for help (which you will gladly give). Teachers and other students will see you as better than average. These first impressions can carry a lot of weight for years into your professional future.

Stage 3: take time to build yourself up

Stage 3 is the most important stage, and possibly the most important advice in the entire article.

Many students just assume the next step after school is to get a job and start making money, now that they've learned the craft.

What happens for most of them is that reality hits hard. The industry remains largely indifferent to their achievements, and they often start doing a lot of what I call "garbage projects" - low pay, fast-paced and unsatisfying stuff. For reasons I won't go into here, this is a dangerous route: it often creates a vicious cycle that can keep success away from even the most talented and hardworking of artists.

Instead, I suggest adopting the following frame of mind: having learned your craft for 18-24 months, see yourself as a student for at least another 2 years. During this time, your mission is NOT to make money but to build yourself as a professional. That means your primary focus must be in getting significant working experience, creating more contacts, and practicing like crazy. Participate in contests, apply to jobs even if you know for certain you're not going to get them, and show off your exercises anywhere you can - so that people in the industry notice your ambition and willingness to work hard. Believe me, such artists are few and far between, and industry people DO notice that.

Above all, make sure everything you do builds you up, not wears you down. Don't be thinking too hard about making money at this point. Prefer short-term internships in quality projects to long term, full time work on "garbage projects." Remember that your 4-years counterparts are going to spend the same 2 years also not making money, however you have 3 huge advantages:

(1) They're paying tuition, you don't. In fact, you're actually making some money - even if not quite enough to entirely cover your monthly expenses. For two years only, I'd say that's fine.

(2) You're already in the marketplace, getting a head start, building relationships and starting to gain professional experience. In two years time, you'll already be a professional (a beginner, but a professional beginner nonetheless).

(3) You get to practice what you personally feel you need to practice, not what some teacher at school decides you need to practice just because it's written in his curriculum.

Again, throughout stage 3 (and later as well) remember that you're still a student. Don't refrain from spending money on your education when needed. For example, you could take private lessons from industry experts - maybe just a couple of lessons to solve a particular issue. Or you can take advanced of online courses to boost your abilities and create a framework for yourself.

I'll take this opportunity to plug my own creative process online workshop, Go*Create - a set of tried-and-tested creative working methods for controlling your creativity, improving your results, creating fresh ideas and meeting deadlines. This program is particularly great for that 3rd stage of studies, because by now most people are already experienced enough to appreciate just how importance of the creative process is for success. Find out more here.

To conclude the conclusion: the best way to learn any creative craft, in my opinion, is to take 3-5 years for it and divide them to 3 studying periods:

Stage 1: 6-12 months of experimenting and practicing by yourself, with free or very cheap online tutorials and/or books.

Stage 2: a short-term school program (6-18 months) that'll gives you a solid framework, professional guidance, healthy competition and future industry contacts.

Stage 3: a couple of years for gradual transition between student-status and pro-status, in which your primary goal is not to make a living but to build up your professional contacts and skills.

Whatever you choose, I wish you good luck in your creative studies and career!


Doron Meir is an animation director, writer, designer, illustrator, and the founder of CreativityWise.com - where he shares his tried and tested creativity methods



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