Aurora University second bachelors degree

Online Courses - MOOCs

The best college for a student isn't necessarily the highest-ranking school in the Forbes or US News listings, but rather the college that offers their students the best career opportunities. 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 free lecture videos served through YouTube. Then there's Northern Virginia College engineering programs, 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. SAT test questions can be trickier and harder to decipher, while ACT questions are longer on average. 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.

The overall time-span for higher education is lengthening, because attending college as an undergraduate is increasingly likely to lead to graduate school. High school grades are the most important factor in gaining admission to the college of your choice, along with letters of recommendation. According to Nassau Community College accreditation, 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 scholarships and Pell grant applications, combined with academic scholarships, only account for a third of total college aid. Student loans, work-study earnings, and personal savings make up the remaining two-thirds. It costs nothing to use 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 grant application forms. The official FAFSA website is www.fafsa.ed.gov and is free to use. Many parents make mistakes when filling out the FAFSA information, including leaving some fields blank, spelling names wrong, and not entering social security numbers completely.

The IRS suggests that parents maintain accurate financial statements, including tax forms and business records, for use when applying for student financial aid. Student loans typically have variable interest rates while federal student loans have fixed rates. Financial aid may be administered through Colorado School of Mines financial aid disbursement spring 2017. 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. Peterson's scholarship search is good to check not only for college scholarships, but also for the extensive resources on the college application process. Both county and city governments have dedicated financial resources allocated for grants and scholarships to qualified students in their areas.