Bennett College for Women foreign exchange program

Online Courses - MOOCs

There are about 7,500 accredited schools in the USA, which collectively enroll 15 million students, and award two million bachelors degrees every year. If you remain true to your career interests, your overall job earnings will increase as you gain experience. However, if your focus is more on salary alone, there's a higher risk that you'll suffer early signs of burnout, and be forced to change careers later on.

Technical programs are a low-cost alternative to attending a regular four-year bachelor program, and you can earn good money as a highly-skilled, technical specialist. By taking some of your required degree courses online, you may be able to graduate a semester early, thus saving money on tuition. If you're currently employed, you can take online technical education classes in your free time to advance your career. Massive Open Online Courses are known as MOOCs, utilizing interactive platforms such as Blackboard, and mobile apps. Udemy is a startup with backing from the founders of Groupon, and Khan Academy offers free lecture videos served through YouTube. Then there's Lander University data mining, with enrolled students from around the world.

Admissions Process

Most colleges accept either the SAT or ACT, and have formulas for converting raw test scores. Colleges use standardized tests because there are substantial differences in course requirements, high school GPA, and grade curve difficulty among US high schools. The SAT test has a separate vocabulary section while the ACT has a separate science reasoning section. On average, over half of students retaking the SAT saw improvements in their scores. Further, Advanced Placement exams are offered in a variety of physical sciences and languages, offering you AP test credit for honors-level classes that you have taken while still in high school. Test yourself with practice exams online, before visiting the College Board website to register to take your actual AP Tests.

Public universities are more likely to evaluate applicants based on grades and test scores alone, while private universities tend to be more holistic. High school grades are the most important factor in gaining admission to the college of your choice, along with letters of recommendation. According to Western Kentucky University family studies, an ideal academic record consists of a high GPA in courses of progressive difficulty. About half of colleges use placement tests and a waiting list, and many community colleges have agreements with bachelor programs at four-year universities, so that the transfer of college credits is ensured.

Financial Aid Information

Government scholarship program disbursements and Pell grants only account for one third of total college aid. Student loans, work-study earnings, and personal savings make up the remaining two-thirds. Please make use of the financial aid calculator online, and see if you qualify for need-based financial aid or a fee waiver. In fact, millions of students that would have qualified for some financial aid were late in submitting required scholarship program application forms. The official FAFSA website is fafsa.ed.gov and is free to use. Merit-based aid is a package of scholarships and grants awarded to students with special talents.

According to the US Department of Education, nearly 45 million Americans incurred student debt during their college career. Student loans often carry an origination fee. Origination fees are a one-time charge based on the amount of the loan. Financial aid may be administered through Aiken Technical College tuition increases. Alternatively, student credit cards may seem like a good short-term solution, but the interest rates are high, and credit cards often carry an annual fee. FastWeb.com is one of the leading scholarship services online. Volunteer organizations offer scholarships or grants to students whose background or chosen field overlaps the field of the organization.