Your current professional employer is also a potential funding source for your online education. Some employers are willing to foot the bill if some of your classes or your degree relate to your job. "Ask your company - you never know," encourages McGuire.
Adding an initial or secondary degree or online certification is not only a benefit to you, but it also increases your value as an employee, which often encourages companies to provide tuition assistance in order to broaden employee skill sets and advance the company.
You can approach your company about tuition assistance by consulting your human resources department and seeing if there are any options available for online learning. If you are looking for a new job or career prior to going to school, ask about possible work/school co-op programs or tuition assistance incentives.
Local Public and Private Financial Aid
Scholarships are available from other private sources as well. "There are thousands of scholarships out there," McGuire says. Many public and private institutions set up scholarships for a number of reasons. The following are just a few of the sources for these kinds of funding:
- Church or religious organizations
- Businesses, work field panels or corporate groups
- Local foundations
- Community or action groups
- Civic organizations or political affiliations
- Unions or trade organizations
- Memorial committees
Professional organizations related to your field of study (i.e. American Medical Association, etc.)
Similar organizations that you may be connected with through family members
These kinds of organizations have a presence in most cities and regions, and you can find information on their specific web sites or browse information at your local library. The best method is to consider what groups and businesses are in your area, make a list of which ones may be helpful, find web sites or informational contacts, and begin researching which ones offer financial aid that you are qualified to receive. You can also use a search engine to find local and national scholarships, but the only search engines you need are the free ones. It should not be necessary to pay money to find scholarships. State and federal education websites often list scholarship resources as well (see below).
Many private scholarships are given out based on ethnicity, religion, gender and even hobbies. Don't forget to ask local businesses, your church or any associations you belong to about educational scholarships, McGuire adds. Some of these can only be applied to in-state schools, but many do not have such restrictions. With so many scholarships available, all you have to do is a little research to find those that fit your needs. As long as the online school you wish to attend is properly accredited, most forms of financial aid can be applied.
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