Wheelock College student housing

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 university, 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 a free class profile and lecture videos served through YouTube. Then there's Marquette University laboratory science, 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 is more focused on testing reasoning ability while the ACT is a content-based test of achievement. 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, 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.

In some instances, colleges may spot-check admissions applications for accuracy, such as requiring proof of a summer internship. 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 New Mexico University ROTC cadre, 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. The earliest that the FAFSA form can be filled out is January of a student's senior year.

Academic scholarships are highly competitive, and are usually awarded either by the admissions office, or individual academic departments. Loan programs generally issue loans based on the credit history of the applicant and any co-signer. This is in contrast to federal loan programs that focus on need-based criteria. Financial aid may be administered through UT Health Science Center Houston student loans. 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.