SpendWize – Guide to Wiser Consumer Decisions

It’s very well-known that the benefits of earning an advanced degree include opportunities such as greater job prospects and higher lifetime earnings; however, the high cost of pursuing a continued education can be a huge deterrent to some individuals. Whether you are a recent high school graduate or someone slightly older interested in a continued education, finding learning options that fit within a limited budget is entirely possible. There are a lot of opportunities out there for individuals who are willing to take the time to research the different options available to them and select the ones that fit within their budget.

Filing for Financial Assistance

The first thing that anyone looking to pursue an advanced degree should do is file for federal student aid. While a lot of individuals and families will not qualify for federal student aid, this is still a step that should not be skipped. Filling out a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form does not take that much time; typical questions include items such as current income status, family household size, lists of dependents, and different assets. Usually the deadlines for filling out and filing a FAFSA are around June of the year that you are applying for aid in; the form needs to be resubmitted for each year that you are enrolled in a continued education program.

Scholarship Opportunities

One of the best ways to manage a continued education program on a budget is to find scholarship opportunities to apply for. Most local communities, universities, and large and small organizations alike offer thousands of different scholarship opportunities to individuals who meet a wide variety of different criteria. Sites like Scholarships.com and Fastweb.com are great resources for prospective students to search for scholarships that they can apply for. Some individuals have managed to use various scholarships to pay for their entire extended education. Even if you do not receive most of the scholarships you apply for, giving yourself the opportunity to potentially have someone else paying for your credit hours, living expenses, or books is a great way to manage continued learning on a budget.

Finding Budget Friendly Living Options and Learning Resources

Unless you are living at home, odds are you will need to find some kind of living arrangement that will allow you to attend your classes. For younger students, living on campus for the duration of your continued education is a great way to save money while being close to campus. Also, it can be a good idea to check out whatever Resident Advisor (RA) program your university or college offers; RA’s typically have their rooms paid for while also are provided with small living stipends for their services. If you don’t want to live on campus you could check with whatever off-campus housing resources are available in your area, most universities have lists of affordable living options for students who opt to not live on campus.
Books are a huge part of expenses for anyone participating in an advanced learning program; some books can run as much as $200 or more and will only be used for one semester. Most universities and colleges offer a book buy-back program where students can sell back a used textbook, which creates a supply of cheaper, used books for students taking similar classes in the following semesters. Students should definitely take advantage of these programs to save money. Additionally, websites such as AbeBooks.com and BetterWorldBooks.com often offer even cheaper prices or International editions of books that contain the same information for considerably less than university bookstores. A new trend in college textbooks allows students to rent books for a semester; check out sites like Chegg.com and CollegeBookRenter.com to see if these options can save your more money per book.

Distance Learning and Online Courses

For people deciding to go back to school later in life, who typically already have some kind of career, it can be financially risky to uproot and move to a college campus to continue their education. One way to compromise between staying in your current location and still pursuing an advanced education is to check out distance learning and online classes. Some larger universities have distance or satellite programs that are attended by a good number of their enrolled students. Satellite programs can be physical or electronic campuses that share lectures via teleconferencing or self-paced learning tutorials and also provide students with contact information for the professor managing the course; these programs offer the same learning opportunities for students without requiring them to be on the main campus.
Completing continued education courses online is quickly becoming an incredibly popular, and cheaper, option for a lot of people. Individuals can earn degrees at their own pace from places like Phoenix and Devry Universities without ever having to set foot on a college campus, and saving a lot of money in doing so.

Learning on a Budget is Always Possible

In summary, there are a lot of different resources available to individuals looking to continue their education without breaking the bank. A little bit of research can make a huge difference when it comes to picking the best options to save money when it comes to continuing your education.