In 1940, less than 6% of America’s adult population held a bachelor’s degree or higher. Today, college is a card-carrying member in the rites-of-passage club for the average American young adult.

Sure, we’ve all heard the stories of high school dropouts running multi-million dollar startups or non-degreed entrepreneurs passing up the Ivy Leaguers in the climb to the top. But college degrees are the norm, and the level of educational attainment in the U.S. is only climbing.

So, how are you to know what level of education you need? Is a high school diploma enough? Is the master’s degree really the new bachelor’s? Do you need a Ph.D. in order to be taken seriously in your field?

Let’s figure it out.

No Degree

“Should I even go to college?” This is a topic we’ve discussed before on the blog, and the answer remains the same.

It depends.

In the typical to-degree-or-not-to-degree soliloquy, proponents of skipping college eventually bring up the Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerbergs of the world. “If it’s good enough for Bill, it’s good enough for me.” The reasoning sounds convincing. After all, who are we to argue with billions of well-earned dollars?

But insanely-rich non-degreed entrepreneurs aside, what about all the business giants who succeeded with a college degree?

The fact is, most people need a degree. Not because it is impossible to succeed without one, but because landing a high-end job without college is a flashy news piece, not a social norm.

The American job market continues to rely heavily on college credentials. For the past decade and a half, those with some level of higher education have earned approximately 66% more than people with only high school diplomas.

Said another way, landing a satisfying career without a degree is still more of the exception than the rule.

It is possible to be wildly successful without earning a college degree, just like it is possible to give birth to triplets, become President, or qualify for the Olympics. But being possible does not make something common, statistically-likely, or the path of least resistance. If anything, by forgoing college, you have to be more clever and determined than rival job applicants because you’re rowing against the current.

Do you have what it takes to conquer the norm?

Associate Degree

The associate degree is a 2-year degree composed of 60 college credits, ranking between a high school diploma and a bachelor’s degree in education level. An associate is often used to satisfy a degree requirement in a healthcare, business, or education field without investing the time or money required by a 4-year degree.

Many people choose this option as a stepping stone to a later bachelor’s degree, since the 60-credit associate roughly parallels the studies in the first 2-years of a bachelor’s degree. (But beware. With any transition between levels of education, requirements are not identical and require advance research and planning to ensure successful credit transfer. Especially if you plan to earn your associate and bachelor’s from different institutions, you may wind up with earned credits that won’t apply to your degree.)

Associate degrees can be good options for students who:

1. Need to enter the job market as soon as possible

2. Have limited money to spend on higher education

3. Are unsure whether they want to get a bachelor’s degree

4. Are interested in field that only requires an associate level degree

Unfortunately, the associate degree is impacted by credential inflation—when so many people have a degree that it becomes the new normal. As the job market becomes more saturated with minimally-degreed applicants, more and more students feel the pressure to earn higher levels of degrees just to stand out from the crowd.

Bachelor’s Degree

The bachelor’s degree is the landmark college degree for most Americans. As of 2015, approximately one-third of adults in the United States held a bachelor’s degree or higher. By comparison, less than 10% of American adults held a master’s degree and only 2% had a doctorate.

A bachelor’s degree is an ideal launching point for either a career or further education, carrying enough street cred to be respectable on its own while leaving open the possibility of additional education down the road.

Business, finance, K-12 education, computer science, engineering, and the humanities are all ideal careers for bachelor’s degrees. Although master’s degrees can sometimes provide higher wages and wider career opportunities, a determined employee with a bachelor’s degree can often make up for the education gap by gaining hands-on experience. As an additional perk, bachelor’s programs are often eligible for scholarships, grants, and a multitude of economical online course opportunities.

If there is a con to the bachelor’s degree, it’s the unfortunate fact of credential inflation. Like the associate degree, the bachelor’s has to compete in a labor pool that increasingly includes graduates with even higher credentials.

Master’s Degree

Master’s degrees are 2-year graduate programs pursued post-bachelor’s. A master’s provides the credential leap that propels a student into the specialized knowledge required by some fields. Even in careers friendly to bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree can help you bypass entry-level positions.

Since the 1980s, the popularity of the master’s degree has more than doubled, making it the go-to degree for career climbers. Higher education, business management, computer science, engineering, and mathematics are all good career options for a person considering a master’s degree.

However, a master’s degree is not always better than a bachelor’s. A master’s could be the career launch you need, or it could be an educational delay leaving you years behind your colleagues in experience and saddled by graduate-school debt. Pursuing a bachelor’s instead of a master’s program, especially with a flexible study format like Accelerated Pathways, may add 2-6 years of valuable employment experience to your portfolio.

If you think a master’s will offer you a greater earning potential, consider taking a few years between your bachelor’s and master’s. Enter the job market and gain some hands-on skills. This way, when you return to pursue graduate education, you’ll have experience under your belt and a better understanding of what credentials your field actually requires.

Doctorate Degree

In the United States, doctorates are terminal-level degrees—that is, they are the highest education credential available in a particular field. The most widely-known doctorate is the Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy), but other familiar doctorates include M.D. (Medical Doctor), Ed.D. (Doctor of Education), Th.D (Doctor of Theology), and J.D. (Juris Doctor).

Ph.D.’s and other doctorates are the go-to degrees for academia: scientific and humanities researchers, medicine, and law. Doctorates are not required for many jobs, but when they are, the requirement is largely non-negotiable. While some research and academia can be entered into from a master’s degree level, a Ph.D. is by and large a prerequisite for serious work in these fields.

Since a Ph.D. places such a demand on the student’s time and intellectual ability, the light at the end of the tunnel has to be particularly bright. Unlike master’s degrees, doctorates are often fully funded and even pay small stipends in exchange for the student researching or teaching for the university. In addition to a high earnings potential, a Ph.D. or other doctorate represents a phenomenal personal educational achievement and offers an inroad into the groundbreaking conversations happening in your field of study. A Ph.D. represents the opportunity to be on the front lines of a discipline, establishing the academic or scientific cutting edge of tomorrow.

However, a Ph.D. isn’t all pomp and prestige. Doctoral students pay the opportunity cost of further delaying entry into the workforce. And unless they pursued a bachelor’s degree program that allowed then to graduate with their bachelor’s debt free, many Ph.D. students are also still paying off prior education, which can be a challenge on a small stipend.

Given all that, the most daunting feature of the Ph.D. is undoubtedly its length. It can take 5 to 7 years to complete a doctoral program, on top of the typical 4-6 years needed to earn the prerequisite bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

With so many years of commitment and demanding studies behind it, the doctorate commands respect. While this level of education is not rare, it is rigorous and thorough, and serves as a badge of honor and credibility in the world of research, academics, and elite services.

Entrepreneur Thomas Smale got it right when he explained the most important aspect of degree planning: “But those with drive knew what they were after and didn’t delay in taking steps to achieve in their career or business, regardless of education. They found their footing by design.”

While which education level you choose is important, what matters more is your determination in pursuing your future. Find your footing by design, by making a thoughtful choice and running after it with everything you’ve got.

At the end of the day—past all the pros and cons, promotion options, and earnings potential—a degree is a tool, a helpful set of letters behind your name.

What really makes those letters mean something is you.

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We can all agree that going to college can be expensive. (This is especially true if you need to take out student loans.) But there are lots and lots of students who are inadvertently adding to their college bills.

 The point I’m trying to make is this: You’ll want to spend your money wisely. If you don’t plan ahead, what seems like a perfectly normal decision (such as transferring schools and/or switching majors) can send your college costs soaring.

So, what are the expenses in college that add up, and how can you avoid them? I’m so very glad you asked.

How to Make College Cheaper

1. Avoid Switching Majors

If you’ve ever been told, “Don’t worry about your major. You can always change later!”

...this can be very bad advice.

You see, college majors each require a specific set of credits for graduation. By the time you are in your junior or senior year, you’ve probably already completed a substantial number of course credits that are major specific.

Say in your junior year, you switch from a history degree to a business degree. Your new degree requires you to take a substantial number of business-related courses, but it has no use for the four history courses you’ve already taken. The result? You’ve amassed almost a full semester of wasted credit hours (read: wasted time and money). 

Now, every business class you take will essentially cost you twice as much money (the price of the new course plus the price of the old course you can’t use anymore). 

Just don’t do it.

Instead, take your time and do your research. By making a solid college plan before enrolling, you’ll save an average of $594 for every credit hour you don’t have to replace.

2. Carefully Plan Your Transfer Credits

Pursuing your degree by enrolling first in a community college isn’t a bad decision on its own. But it can cause a lot of problems when you’re trying to save money on your college education.

Usually, community colleges advise you to earn an associate’s degree before transferring to a new school to finish your bachelor’s. The idea is to earn your first 60 credits at a small, inexpensive school before finishing at your more expensive institution. Seems like a good deal, right?

Wrong.

Associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees have very different requirements for graduation.

Unless you’re attending a community college with a very good matriculation agreement, you may be wasting time and money earning credits that won’t transfer.

Just like in the last point, every credit that is not transferable is a credit that needs to be replaced—costing you hundreds (even thousands) of dollars per course.

Again, transferring credit isn’t the culprit here. Not understanding college course transfer policies is. Transfer credit only increases college expenses when it’s lost. As long as you have already verified that the school you want to graduate from accepts the community college credit you’re taking, you can breathe easy.

3. Explore Alternate Credit Options

The internet has changed the way we engage with information. You don’t have to necessarily sit in specific classrooms for all your educational needs. You can build a college degree the way you’d build a playlist, using a variety of course styles from a variety of schools. 

And the exciting thing is, most of these alternative credit options are far cheaper than the traditional classroom experience.

You could pay $594 per class for the luxury of being taught in-person by a professor. Or, you could take a $150 competency-based exam. If you don’t like those options, you could perhaps try an online professional studies or self-paced online courses.

Generally, there are at least six ways to earn a college course credit. And most of them are less expensive and more flexible than taking a traditional classroom-style course. (Increased flexibility provides the ability to fit school around your job or life, so you can maintain your four-year college plan without sacrificing what’s important to you.)

Depending on how many transfer credits your college accepts, this method can help reduce the cost of your bachelor’s degree by thousands of dollars.

4. Explore Online Options 

Another way to save money on your college degree is to explore online options. If you’re skeptical about that, give me a second to explain. 

Let’s start from the top. Campus housing and meal plans are expensive. How costly are they? Data from the National Center for Education Statistics notes that for the 2018-19 school year, the average cost for room and board at public in-state institutions was more than $11,300 for the academic year. The average cost for students who attended in-state private institutions during the 2018-29 school year was more than $12,700.

That’s insane, right?

But the savings of online educational options don’t stop there. Taking classes online will also save you money on gas, campus parking fees, and lost wages. If you opt for on-campus learning and need to attend a class at 4:00 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, that’s going to take a valuable amount of time out of your work week. In contrast, when you take your coursework online, you can study around your work schedule.

Final Thoughts

Making small changes to your college plan can save you substantial money over time. By thinking outside the box and making a few adjustments to the way you approach college, you can dramatically reduce your college costs. For more information about how to save money on your college expenses, be sure to check out Accelerated Pathways.

Like this post? You might also enjoy How to Transfer Community College Credits

 

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We’re big fans of flexible degree options that let you customize your electives to fit your interests. After all, why should you have to take a bunch of college classes you can’t use later in life?

Free electives are credits you need to graduate, but do not relate to your degree’s General Education or major requirements.

While Bachelor of Arts degrees have more free elective credits than Bachelor of Science degrees, almost every degree has room for at least one or two free elective courses. They’re a great place to explore and develop your interests in an area completely unrelated to your degree major.

Here are 13 free elective idea starters that just might put you on a path of discovery:

1. EMT/First Responder Training

Value: 3 credits

Why It’s Cool: Want to go beyond CPR? Whether you’re a world traveler, backcountry adventurer, or just someone who loves to help others, Emergency First Responder or Emergency Medical Technician courses are an essential skill in any medical emergency. They provide an excellent overview of emergency medicine so you can treat other people’s injuries, stay calm in a crisis, be a better parent, and help friends in need. It’s the college course that might help you save someone’s life.

Learn more: Offered at local colleges or in university courses like this one. In addition, some colleges grant credit if you already have this certification.

2. Study Abroad Programs

Value: 12-17 credits

Why It’s Cool: Have an itch to see the world? You can...and earn credit too! Tour France’s cobblestone streets and ancient castles, climb in the Swiss Alps, uncover China’s history, circumnavigate the globe in a sailboat with a student crew, or explore the rainforests of South America. Come home with new friends around the world, thousands of photos, lifetime memories, and oh...college credit. Not bad.

Learn more: CEA, CIS Abroad, Sea|mester

3. Employer Training Programs

Value: 3-9 credits

Why It’s Cool: Some companies will pay for your college and some will help you get college credit for employee training programs. Find out if your employer’s on-the-job training can get you closer to college graduation!

Learn more: McDonald's, Disney, Chili's, Georgia Power, Jiffy Lube, and others.

4. Microsoft Certified Training for College Credit

Value: 2-3 credits/course

Why It’s Cool: You can earn Microsoft certifications while getting college credit at the same time. Being tech-savvy is a necessity in today’s job market, and this ACE-recommended program can help you prepare. Courses on their site include Microsoft IT Professional certifications, administering Windows Servers, and training in HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript.

Learn more: Microsoft Learning program

5. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Value: 3 credits/course, 15/certificate

Why It’s Cool: Love teaching? You can get certified to teach English to students while simultaneously earning college credit!

Learn more: TESOL Certificate Program or individual courses from CALCampus

6. Project Management

Value: 1-3 credits/course

Why It’s Cool: Combining people skills with organizational savvy, project management is one of the fastest-growing career fields. Not only will you get college credit, but you will also develop an in-demand skill to boost your future employment opportunities.

Learn more: American Council on Education

7. Vocational Certifications

Value: Varies

Why It’s Cool: If you have earned one of these certifications recognized by Thomas Edison State College (or are interested in getting one), you can get college credit for it! Recognized certifications cover a wide variety of skills, including: UPS Driver Training School, classes from National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) training, some US Army and Navy courses, and the New Jersey Carpenters’ Apprenticeship.

Learn more: Thomas Edison State College Academic Program Reviews

8. DSST Exams

Value: 3 credits/exam

Why It’s Cool: Research your favorite subject while getting credit -- and best of all, you can take the test as soon as you’re ready. A wide range of fascinating tests include Criminal Justice, Astronomy, Fundamentals of Counseling, The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union, and even Fundamentals of Cybersecurity.

Learn more: DSST Test Taker Bulletin

9. Hospitality

Value: 3 credits

Why It’s Cool: If you’re interested in learning more about hospitality on a business-scale, you can get credit for that, too! Learn the principles that hotels and resorts apply as they care for their guests.

Learn more: The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), offers online courses on topics including food service, hospitality management, housekeeping operations, accounting, and technology in the hospitality industry.

10. Foreign Language

Value: 3-16 credits (depending on proficiency and test taken)

Why It’s Cool: Tune up those rusty foreign language skills and get credit for them! Not only will you get closer to earning your degree, but your language skills can open employment opportunities. Our research manager says, “One should not underestimate the value of the being a credentialed multilingual professional. This is HUGE!”

Learn more: CLEP (offers Spanish, French, and German); American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (offers credit for written tests in over 18 languages, and oral proficiency tests in over 100 languages); New York University (tests proficiency in over 50 languages)

11. Scuba Dive Training

Value: 1-2 credits/course

Why It’s Cool: Whether you’re interested in search and rescue or the Great Barrier Reef, SCUBA training could come in handy. These courses allow you to tour the ocean floor and earn college credits at the same time.

Learn more: PADI Diving Courses

12. Interior Design

Value: 3/course, 9/certification

Why It’s Cool: Discover color schemes, furniture arrangement, lighting, and other elements of interior design. If you have a love for hospitality or decorating, this could boost your skills and your degree!

Learn more: Colorado State University’s Residential Interiors Certificate

13. Graphic Design/Digital Media Courses

Value: 1.5-3 credits/course

Why It’s Cool: Have a penchant for digital arts, illustration, photo/video editing, or graphic design? Get a jumpstart on your art and get credit for it!

Learn more: Sessions College Design Courses

These are just a few examples of the creative elective options available to students today. Don’t forget: not every elective will fit into your degree.

Ask a school registrar or talk with your Accelerated Pathways advisor to see if your chosen electives will work with the degree you have in mind.

What out-of-the-box electives do you plan to fit into your degree?

 

 

 

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I received an awesome email from a reader the other day.

Before reading 11 Practical Ways to Sharpen Your Communication Skills, she thought being a good communicator was all about having the right genetics or personality. When she realized it’s possible to learn communication skills, an entire realm of possibilities opened up.

As a result, a fire was lit under her. She’s now enrolled in a public speaking course and sent me an email asking for a list of great books on the topic.

What about you?

Are you motivated to improve your communication skills too? If so, here are six great books to help you boost them. These books will help you learn from the best, cultivating top-notch verbal communication skills which will set you apart.

1. Made To Stick

by Chip and Dan Heath

If you wonder why even the best ideas can be quickly forgotten, this book is a fascinating study of the topic. Written by a brother duo, Made to Stick is filled with interesting stories of successful strategies on how to make ideas more memorable and “sticky.”

2. On Speaking Well

by Peggy Noonan

Noonan was a speechwriter for Dan Rather and Ronald Reagan. This instructional book simplifies the process of public speaking with the seasoned wisdom of an expert who has helped leaders and presidents get their ideas out to the world.

3. How to Speak, How to Listen

by Mortimer J. Adler

This book recommendation came from Ryan Yamane, Accelerated Pathways' Vice President of Academic Partnerships and Product Development. An “oldie but goodie,” this book has practical application for anyone—from executive to student to parent and everyone in between!

4. How to Win Friends and Influence People

by Dale Carnegie

This one might seem like a no-brainer, due to its classic status. No list of books on communication would be complete without it, so here it is. Aptly named, this book discusses how to “express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people."

5. Writer's Guide to Powerful Paragraphs

by Victor Pellegrino

Written and oral communication are closely related because paragraphs are the building blocks of successful ideas. This book helps you begin to structure ideas more effectively.

6. Tongue Fu!: How to Deflect, Disarm, and Defuse Any Verbal Conflict

by Sam Horn

Funny title and cover straight from the 90s aside, this book is “exceptionally good for working on improving verbal communication skills,” according to one of our Accelerated Pathways coaches.

Now that you have your list—where to begin?

Before you get all excited and order every book off this list, It’s important to remember learning verbal communication doesn’t happen by osmosis. You don’t get better by buying books on Amazon and putting them on your shelf. You have to actually read them. Better one book actually read than six collecting dust on your nightstand.

And don’t forget you also need to develop your new skills with real, scary practice.

Whether through a local speech and debate club, Toastmasters, or a public speaking course, you need an outlet where you can receive constructive criticism as you’re applying what you have been reading about.

By listening to the wisdom of experts and then putting into practice what you learn, you’ll be well on your way to being an excellent communicator!

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I’m a people person. Not necessarily an always-surrounded-by-a-crowd type of people person, but I find myself drawn to individuals who need a helping hand.

The same way a car’s steering wheel determines where the vehicle goes, a focus on helping others often steers my decision-making process. I’m passionate about supporting the growth of those in my sphere of influence. This people-focused passion is the fuel that pushes me to accomplish my goals.

It’s at this intersection of focus and passion that I discovered:

1. A career in social work would allow me to influence the foster care system.

2. To become a social worker, I’d need a bachelor’s degree at minimum, but preferably a master’s.

My goals at this point were broad, but concrete. I wanted to work with foster youth of all ages, whittle down my focus to a more specific community or culture, and develop the gifts I had so that I could better serve the people I would one day work with.

While I understood that a college education would be necessary for my career, I also knew I would need hands-on experience working with people if I hoped to blossom in a helping profession.

Accelerated Pathways Gave Me Freedom to Pursue College and Experience Simultaneously

I had established my goals, so I began to review my college options. As I compared community college, a local state university, and private university options, nothing felt right.

I was frustrated with the traditional options. They were inflexible, expensive, and forced me into a box. That's when I heard about Pearson's online program Accelerated Pathways. A quick Google search later, and I was convinced it was for me.

I was right.

Accelerated Pathways' unconventional structure provided the flexibility I needed to invest in the people around me. Instead of being constantly consumed by class schedules and homework like many of my friends, I was able to stop and be present with friends, family, and kids in the various ministries I was involved in.

I was also able to work full time, intern at my church, provide childcare for foster children, and be a counselor at multiple summer camps; all of which has given me real-life experience in my desired field of work. Accelerated Pathways gave me the freedom to gain that valuable experience at a young age—a huge head start on the career path I am passionate about.

Choosing to be an Accelerated Pathways student allowed me to earn a BS in psychology before my 20th birthday. I was 15 and at the threshold of my junior year of high school when I started college through Accelerated Pathways. Because I earned dual credit, I was able to graduate high school the next semester and focus all my academic efforts on finishing college.

Because of the aforementioned flexibility I found in Accelerated Pathways, the speed at which I worked varied greatly. But I never felt “behind.” There was no pressure for me to work faster than I felt I could with excellence. But there was also no predetermined classroom pacing to hold me back if I quickly mastered a concept. I completed my courses in the standard 4 years, and at 20 years old, I am well prepared for the next steps toward becoming a social worker (i.e. heading off to grad school).

Finally, Accelerated Pathways allowed me to graduate from a private university completely debt free. Many of my family members and close friends ended up taking out massive student loans for their degrees. But it doesn’t need to be this way! I graduated without a penny of debt and with a savings account in place. This financial freedom has provided me with priceless opportunities, like the ability to travel and meet people that I never could have otherwise!

An Unexpected Benefit: College Classes Designed for Personal Growth

As if the freedom I experienced through Accelerated Pathways wasn’t enough, the program was also unexpectedly brimming with opportunities for personal growth—opportunities that I enthusiastically utilized!

From the very beginning, the Accelerated Pathways team carefully guided me toward a degree and school that matched my goals. I often find myself using the various practical skills I developed from my Accelerated Pathways experience to help others reach their goals as well.

Life After Accelerated Pathways

I started my Accelerated Pathways journey a little over four years ago, and since then my life has changed significantly. Some of the changes were natural and inevitable (like becoming an adult and doing those adult-ish things), but I have also grown in ways that I directly attribute to the unconventional way I earned my degree.

Before I became an Accelerated Pathways student, my goals were to gain experience with foster kids of various ages, find my niche, and develop my gifts.

I am now employed by a foster family agency, providing childcare for young kids in the foster care system. I spend my Wednesday nights eating a good home-cooked meal and doing Bible study with a group of former foster kids who are now young adults. And for the past couple of summers, I have been a counselor at a summer camp designed specifically for elementary-aged foster children.

Through these experiences, as well as my time volunteering with my church’s youth group, I have become aware of the heart I have for teenagers and young adults. My goals have shifted ever so slightly, and I am now focused on a future of serving these older kids who have been affected by foster care.

As for what the future holds, I am still unsure of the specifics; I have learned to move forward one step at a time. I know I’ll be continuing my education in the near future, but for the moment, I am enjoying the time I have to invest in the people in my sphere of influence.

You Can Do It Too

Though I still have much to learn and even more growth ahead of me, my Accelerated Pathways journey has been instrumental in getting me where I am today!

My unique college experience dramatically changed my outlook on life. I no longer feel bound to the (often low) expectations the world has set before me. I am confident in the skills Accelerated Pathways has equipped me with, and will continue to push forward toward each of my goals now that I’ve graduated.

And I am not the only student who has found success in utilizing the services that Accelerated Pathways provides. Your story will be different than mine. But if you have passions and goals that require a degree, and you find yourself wanting more out of your college years, Accelerated Pathways just might work for you too. I recommend giving it a try.

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Do you know how you’re going to pay for college? It’s something you should be thinking about. Why? Because going to college is expensive.

A recent U.S. News & World Report article found that for the 2020–2021 academic year, the average cost for tuition and fees at private institutions was more than $35,000 per year. Tuition and fees at public institutions may be less, but the cost for out-of-state students was still a whopping $21,000, whereas the average tuition and fees for in-state students was $9,700. That puts the average cost for a four-year college education at somewhere between $38,800 and $140,000.

Like we said, going to college is expensive, so you’ll want to have a plan for how you’re going to pay for it.

If you’re like most college students, you’re probably relying on financial aid to cover a large portion of that absurdly high cost.

However, as it turns out, most of your “financial aid” options are actually student loans. Also worth noting is that taking out a loan is not “paying for” college. It’s just putting off a payment you can’t currently afford.

Fortunately, there are six simple and effective ways to pay for college that don’t involve grasping for student loans and hoping against hope that the debt doesn’t bury you alive

How to Pay for College Without Loans

The idea that you can pay for college without student loans can be hard to wrap your head around, but it’s possible. From finding an affordable degree to applying for scholarships and financial aid to getting a job with an employer that offers tuition assistance, there are many ways to get from point A to point B.

1. Find an Affordable Degree

Before asking how you’ll pay for college, consider how much you should pay for college. Not everyone needs to shell out five figures a year for a top-tier college experience.

Do some research. By using tools at your disposal like transfer credit, alternative options, and affordable degrees, you can significantly reduce the cost of your degree, removing the need to borrow money in the first place.

2. Apply for Scholarships

Applying for scholarships doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds. Just give yourself enough time to apply (our counselors recommend applying before your senior year of high school), and set clear expectations for how much effort you’ll put into the scholarship search. Eliminating both crunch time and vague expectations will help get you through the application process more quickly and will produce better results.

If you want to learn more about applying for scholarships, read our post on the subject.

3. Apply for Financial Aid

Once you’ve exhausted steps one and two, complete a FAFSA, short for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, to find out if you qualify for any grants. If you do, don’t hesitate to accept them. These grants are free gifts of money, set aside to help students like you pay for your education. They won’t negatively impact your future.

A variety of specific grants are available for college students. Some are based on merit; some are based on need. (For a full breakdown of the various types of grants that are available, check out the Sallie Mae website.)

4. Find a Job That Offers Tuition Benefits

Just don’t forget, the FAFSA isn’t the only place you can go for financial support. Consider getting a job with an employer that offers tuition benefits. If you already have a job, find out if your employer has a tuition assistance program. Your employer wants you to get your college education, so you may be surprised at the willingness to help you with the process.

5. Practice Money-Saving Habits

If you followed these steps in order, your final out-of-pocket costs should be significantly less daunting than they were when you started. At this point, you have one final goal: avoid debt. However, you can take other steps to save money. For example, live at home instead of on campus. Buy used books. You could also take online courses one at a time instead of paying for a whole semester in advance—we call this technique “cash-flowing college.” 

Find creative ways to cut the fluff and maybe even reallocate your own resources. Debt-free degrees are unapologetically minimal.

6. Get a Part-Time Job

Many part-time jobs can help you pay for college, and, as we stated above, some of them might offer tuition assistance programs. Also worth noting is that in some cases, your student aid package might include work-study funds, which you can use to pay for college. Work-study programs pay students at least $7.25 per hour.

Paid internships, babysitting jobs, nanny jobs, and part-time gig economy jobs (such as driving for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and Postmates) are also options worth exploring

Smart Choices Can Save You Money

By exploring the options above, debt-free college isn’t just possible—it’s definite, and most students can successfully cut their overall costs in half by simply talking to an adviser.

If you’re interested in learning more about cutting your own college costs, sign up for a free personalized college cost comparison—including a total cost breakdown for your dream school and creative ways to make it more affordable.

Your degree shouldn’t cost $40,000 to $100,000, and it certainly shouldn’t be a debt sentence.

Sources

Federal Student Aid, Complete the FAFSA Form

NerdWallet, “What Is Work-Study?”

Sallie Mae, Grants for College

The Balance Careers, “Companies That Offer Tuition Reimbursement Programs”

U.S. News & World Report, “See the Average College Tuition in 2020-2021”

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In many ways, your child’s future depends on what their high school transcript shows. Universities expect an error-free, professionally formatted transcript before they can even consider a student's applicattion, so putting together a "perfect" homeschool transcript can be stressful for homeschool parents.

The reality of preparing transcripts is actually much less dramatic.

Sure, you’ll spend hours combing the internet for how-to guides worrying that you might be missing something. You’ll dig through your long-forgotten records from years ago to find evidence that your student actually did do math at some point in high school.

But in the end, you’ll bring everything together in a neat little package with just the right formatting and all of the needed information in its proper place. Great job! If you’ve followed along with the online how-to’s, you’ve just created a very professional document. But don’t celebrate just yet.

If your goal is to give your child their best chance possible of getting into their dream college, there’s one more thing for you to worry about.

Will a cookie cutter transcript make it easier for your child to get into their dream college?

Probably not. Every year, colleges are flooded with millions of transcripts. It’s a safe bet all of them are formatted correctly. Most of them even have all of the information transcripts are supposed to have.

If all that you’ve focused on has been including the right information and using the right format, your transcript is now exactly like the millions that admissions counselors see every year.

Want to help set your child apart from the crowd that is already clamoring at the gates of higher education? You'll have to do something a little different from everyone else...

Here’s how to prepare a transcript that helps your child stand out. (It’s easier than you think.)

Making your homeschool transcript stand out is a fairly simple two-step process.

First, prepare early by keeping accurate and complete records. Make complete lesson plans and keep any major assignments your child has completed. And on top of that, you should create a course of study for every class. Even if you forget or can’t do this at the beginning of each school year, do your best to gather all of this information before writing out your student’s transcript.

This may sound like a lot of work, but in the end, it makes your life simple. With good records, the total time it takes to put a transcript together is actually quite minimal, and you can definitively prove any claims you make on your child’s transcript. (Most of the horror stories that involve homeschool transcripts happen because someone waited until the last minute to start putting their records together.)

Next, simply show how your child’s studies, as a whole, have been different.

Homeschool students tend to have more opportunities than students in public or even private schools. We can thank the flexibility of a homeschooler’s schedule for that. Homeschoolers are better able to invest time in internships, specialized study, or traveling. These extra opportunities are what make your child stand out on paper.

So if your child has done or earned something that shows exceptional growth, maturity, responsibility, merit, talent, or recognition (especially from a governmental body), put it on their transcript.

Not exactly sure what extra items your target college would like to see? While every college is different (and you should do your research to figure out what your target college wants to see) there are a few things you could list on your child’s transcript that will impress just about all of them.

Here’s what admissions departments like to see on high school transcripts.

Volunteer work

Volunteering is more important to some colleges than others. However, nearly every college likes to see some form of voluntary community service. To admissions departments, volunteer work is a signifier of leadership, initiative, personal development, and experience.

Internships

Internships have similar benefits to volunteer work. The major difference is internships tend to be more focused on developing critical skills and experience in a specific industry. Internships show that your child has a plan for their life after college and has started proactively working toward that life. They’re also valuable as an endorsement from a respected member of your community.

Specialized training

Colleges like to see students who choose to invest in their area of interest. For example, let’s say your child intends to study computer science. In this situation, if your student has gone outside of the typical high school curricula to learn specific programming languages, that reflects well on your child and should be placed their transcript.

Extracurricular activities

Colleges like to see extracurricular activities on transcripts because it gives them an idea of who the applicant is. If a student is driven, competitive, disciplined, passionate, or just plain motivated, it shows in the activities they do outside of school. But don’t go overboard with these! Keep this section short and relevant. You want your child to look good on their transcript, so if an extracurricular activity doesn’t suggest a desirable character trait, don’t list it.

Prestigious awards

Has your child earned recognition for their service, studies, or accomplishments? Prestigious awards look great on transcripts. Governmental awards (such as The Congressional Award) and earned ranks (like Eagle Scout) are particularly desirable.

A word of caution.

As I said before, the benefit of being homeschooled through high school is you typically have more opportunities than students in public schools.

Homeschoolers have more flexibility to develop specialized skills, serve their community, or focus their studies on something that interests them. So, it’s possible you have an abundance of extra items you’re tempted to include on your child’s transcript. But if you want to make your child look as good as possible, only include information that is relevant to both your student’s studies and the college that they’re applying to.

Remember that colleges receive millions of transcripts every year. So you want your transcript to be effective but short. This makes the extras you choose to list more likely to be read and remembered. A technical school with no sports program won’t care if your child plays pickup basketball on the weekends, or if a painting they created when they were 4 won a blue ribbon at the county fair. Leave those things for the scrapbooks.

If you keep your student’s transcript focused, start preparing early, and show how your child’s studies have been different, you will sleep well knowing you’ve prepared an awesome transcript that makes your student stand out from the crowd.

One excellent way to ensure your student stands out is by pursuing dual credit in high school. Not only will your student prove their readiness for college-level work, they can also shave some time (and money) off their future degree! Click to learn more about earning dual credit in high school with Accelerated Pathways.

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If you’re stressing about choosing a major, you’re not alone.

Choosing a major is something nearly half of all college students struggle with, often changing majors at least once throughout their college careers. What’s worse: of the students who finally make a decision on their major, 1 in 3 reports that they chose the wrong one. They aren’t satisfied with their major after they graduate and would change it if they could.

You shouldn’t have to spend tens of thousands of dollars and four or more years of dedication on a degree you don’t actually want.

That’s why we’re breaking down key factors for deciding what you should major in—so you can get a head start on this process and find the best major for you.

Choose a Major by Salary

You might want to select a major that could potentially yield a high salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), these are some of the highest-paying occupations and their median annual wages by college major.

Criminal Justice

Criminal justice degrees prepare students with the knowledge and skills to serve their communities by upholding justice, safety, and security.

Top-paying criminal justice jobs include:

• Judge, magistrate judge, and magistrate, $136,910

• Lawyer, $122,960

• Detective and criminal investigator, $86,030

You can use the following resources to learn more about these career options:

• LiveCareer, “6 Tips Criminology Majors Can Use to Prep for Their Career”

• U.S. News & World Report, “10 Questions to Ask to Decide If You Should Be a Lawyer”

Health and Life Sciences

Health and life sciences degrees are designed to help students become healthcare professionals who can deliver high-quality care to patients in need and make a difference in people’s lives.

Top-paying health/life sciences jobs include:

• Obstetrician and gynecologist, $208,000

• Surgeon, $208,000

• Prosthodontist, $208,000

You can use the following resources to learn more about these career options:

• American Dental Association, Resources for Dental Students

• Association of American Medical Colleges, The Road to Becoming a Doctor

Social Sciences

Social sciences degrees appeal to students with an interest in human behavior and psychology, arming them with the skills to work in fields such as mental health, psychology, and anthropology.

Top-paying social sciences jobs include:

• Psychiatrist, $208,000

• Political scientist, $122,220

• Economist, $105,020

You can use the following resources to learn more about these career options:

• American Psychiatric Association, “Choosing a Career in Psychiatry”

• Investopedia, “A Day in the Life of an Economist”

Information Technology and Information Systems

Information technology and information systems degrees provide students with technical skills in computer science, web development, cybersecurity, and data management so they can build careers in fast-growing and in-demand fields.

Top-paying information technology/information systems jobs include:

• Computer and information systems manager, $146,360

• Computer and information research scientist, $122,840

• Computer hardware engineer, $117,220

You can use the following resources to learn more about these career options:

• TechRepublic, “How to Become a Software Engineer: A Cheat Sheet”

• U.S. News & World Report, “What Can You Do with a Computer Science Degree?”

Business

Business degrees are designed to provide future business leaders with the strategic, financial, and project management skills they need for success.

Top-paying business jobs include:

• Chief executive, $175,310

• Advertising, promotions, and marketing manager, $135,900

• Financial manager, $129,890

You can use the following resources to learn more about these career options:

• The Balance Careers, “Best Jobs for Graduates with a Business Degree”

• Investopedia, “How to Become a CEO”

Choose a Major by Job Outlook

You might also want to select a major in a field with high projected job growth and an increasing demand for talent. According to the BLS, here’s how much jobs in each major are expected to increase between 2019 and 2029.

Criminal Justice

Criminal justice jobs are projected to grow steadily:

• Forensic science technician, 14%

• Police detective and investigator, 8%

• Lawyer, 4%

Health and Life Sciences

Health and life sciences jobs are projected to grow substantially:

• Nurse practitioner, 52.4%

• Home health and personal care aide, 33.7%

• Medical and health services manager, 31.5%

Social Sciences

Social sciences jobs are projected to grow steadily:

• Economist, 14%

• Environmental science and protection technician, 8%

• Political scientist, 6%

Information Technology and Information Systems

Information technology and information systems jobs are projected to grow substantially:

• Information security analyst, 31.2%

• Data scientist, 30.9%

• Software developer and software quality assurance analyst and tester, 21.5

Business

Business jobs are projected to grow considerably, with more variation among specific occupations:

• Operations research analyst, 34.6%

• Financial manager, 15%

• Management analyst, 11%

Choose the Right Major for You

Now it’s time to get personal, taking your passions and career dreams into account. That may seem pretty daunting, but it doesn’t have to be.

Lucky for you, choosing the right major is exactly what this free e-book can help you with.

While I can’t guarantee reading this book will magically make your decision easy, you’ll at least be able to make it with confidence, knowing that you’ve made a strong, future-oriented decision that will be an asset, not an expensive regret.

Here’s how we’re going to do this. In order to make the best decision possible, you’ll need to figure out what you want from life after college and then work backward by asking some important questions:

• What lifestyle do you want?

• What career path do you find interesting and meaningful? 

• What tools, knowledge, or experience do you need to support your life after graduation? 

• How can you use your college experience to prepare for this future as well as you possibly can?

Each question you answer about your future reveals another piece of the puzzle—from the type of degree you need to the particular courses you should take to the type of college that would be the best fit for you. Answer enough questions, and you won’t need to stress about your choice. Your perfect major will reveal itself.

And don’t worry if all of this is a little overwhelming. I’ll walk you through every step.

Ready to get started? Get the e-book for free!

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Computer Hardware Engineers

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Computer and Information Research Scientists

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Detectives and Criminal Investigators

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economists

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Fastest Growing Occupations

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections—2019-2029

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Environmental Science and Labor Technicians

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Financial Managers

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Forensic Science Technicians

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Highest Paying Occupations

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lawyers

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Management Analysts

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Political Scientists

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I’m sure you’ve already heard the oft-repeated advice, “community college is cheaper than university.” And while it isn't flashy, you have to admit earning two years of inexpensive credit before transferring into a university is the best choice for your wallet.

But a couple of Google searches in, you’re accosted by horror stories of community college graduates losing nearly all their credit upon transfer.

Is taking a risk with transfer credit really going to be worth it in the long run?

Actually, yes. If you know what you’re doing, earning transfer credit can be a safe way to save money on your degree.

The key is to start with the end in mind and develop a foolproof plan before enrolling in any courses.

To do this, you must know which degree you want, which college you want to transfer to, and what their transfer policy is. Then you can spend your precious time and money on just the courses you know will transfer. (Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started.)

But how do you know which courses will transfer before taking them?

The answer: college course codes.

Are you looking to earn college credit that is guaranteed to transfer? Or, do you have existing credit you'd like to transfer into a future degree? At Accelerated Pathways, our academic advisors can help! Get a complimentary advising session and find out about earning college credit that is guaranteed to transfer through our programs.

How College Course Codes Work

Colleges use course codes to describe and organize their courses in a way that can be easily understood by both colleges and students (if said students have translation guides, that is).

They consist of four important blocks of information.

1. Course Prefix

The first part of a college course code is simple: a series of letters indicating the course's general subject. This is the course prefix, and it’s fairly intuitive.

Tip: if you get stuck wondering what a particular set of letters means, compare several courses sharing the same prefix. Or Google it.

How to use it

Course prefixes will help you understand if the two courses you're trying to compare are part of the same academic department.

For instance, if your bachelor's degree requires 3 business math (BUS) or finance (FIN) credits, a general MAT math course won’t fit that requirement.

2. Course Numbers

The second part of a college course code is a series of numbers. These are often three digits long, but many colleges use four digits (or even five).

These numbers are the main way colleges organize their course catalog. No two courses at a college will share the exact same course number.

The most useful thing for students to understand about these numbers is how to distinguish between upper-level credit and lower-level credit.

Remedial courses do not count for college credit. Students only take them if they aren't able to start 100-level work yet. 100-200 courses are “lower-division” courses—often covering a wide range of foundational topics. 300-400 courses are “upper-division” courses. These courses provide more in-depth study, frequently in the student’s major.

(If your college uses a four- or five-digit numbering scheme, this rule will still hold true. 0000 is remedial, 1000-2000 is lower division, and 3000-4000 is upper division.)

The second and third digits in a course number are used in a variety of ways by different schools. While there isn’t a universal rule for what each number means in relation to each other, the main idea is just to distinguish different courses that are from the same department at the same level.

How to use it

Apart from that first digit, course numbers honestly aren’t very helpful for transferring credit. They vary widely between colleges and would take immense study just to learn how one specific college uses them. Even once you do understand your college’s system, these numbers won’t provide much assistance in understanding if your courses will transfer.

The one thing to remember about course numbers is that the first digit indicates what level of study your course is. That is likely the only uniform (and truly helpful) piece of information these numbers will provide for you.

3. Course Name

The third element of a course code is obvious: the name of the course. A course's name tells you what that course is about, and is actually the most useful way to compare courses.

Unlike course numbers, which are specific to each college, course names can be fairly standard between institutions—especially among lower-division subjects. (It’s likely the material taught in British Literature I at the University of Texas will match NYU’s British Literature I class.)

How to use it

Compare the name of the course you want to take to the name of a course your chosen college offers. The more exactly the names match, the better chance your credit will transfer.

Don't forget to check your degree’s program requirements, too. Does your college of choice require this specific course for your degree?

4. Course Description

The last thing you'll read about a course is its description. A course description is a general explanation of its topics and teaching methodology. This will give you added information about the course and the way it’s taught.

How to use it

When evaluating a transfer course from another school, colleges typically want to see at least 80% content overlap when compared to their own course. So even if a course you are considering has the same title as a course at your target school, be sure to examine the descriptions of each for similar terms and topics to get a feel for how well-aligned the content really is.

Where to Go From Here

So you’ve picked a college and degree. You also know more about college course codes than you ever wanted to. How do you start actually taking affordable transfer credit?

We can help.

For the past 15 years, our Central Registrar’s Office has helped thousands of students graduate debt free via affordable online courses selected specifically for their degree at their school.

We’ve already done the research you need, and can take the stress and confusion out of your college transfer.

Click here to learn more about degree planning through Accelerated Pathways, and how it can save you thousands of dollars on your bachelor’s degree.

However, if you think you're ready to go it alone, here are some other resources that may help you along the way:

• How Many Credits Do I Need for a Bachelor’s Degree?

• Why Won’t My Credits Transfer? (Transfer credit series pt. 1)

• How to Transfer Colleges Without Losing Credit (Transfer credit series pt. 2)

 

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