Improving your education is one of the single most important things you can do to improve your economic circumstances, but often there are so many financial burdens involved that it feels out of reach. It’s one of the best ways to enhance your independence and develop better social opportunities for yourself and your family. Yet many people feel that it’s impossible for them to study because their social situation means that there’s always something getting in the way. If you’re in that position, could an online course provide a solution?
Lower course fees
Because providing a course online doesn’t entail the overheads involved in owning and managing physical premises and having a full complement of staff available nine to five, fees are correspondingly lower – much lower. Even in a low-paid job, it’s often possible to pay them without incurring debt, which makes such courses available to people with poor credit. Some institutions will even allow you to take unaccredited, simplified versions of their courses for free so that you can find out whether or not you’re likely to be good at them.
Fitting study around work
It’s much easier to pay fees when you don’t have to give up work in order to study. Most online courses are flexible about when you learn, allowing you to fit study around work rather than limiting yourself to evening jobs, which gives you a much wider range of working options. You may even be able to study in your lunch break or on your commute. In some cases, you may be able to find work that is related to your subject of study, further enriching your education.
Access for single parents and carers
If you have caring responsibilities, whether you’re looking after kids or disabled or elderly adults, it can be impossible to get the free time to attend college, or at least to do so reliably. Online courses are much easier to fit around an irregular schedule. If you have a disability or health problems of your own, you’ll find the online option much more practical. Your study can also have a positive effect on children, encouraging them to see the value in education.
Study from anywhere
If you live in a rural area with no good colleges nearby, relocating in order to study can be prohibitively expensive. For some people, traveling to study is additionally difficult because other family members, or people in the community, disapprove of it. Wherever you can get an internet connection, however, you can study an online course. If you’re working towards something like an NP certificate, there will be an additional practical component to arrange, but it’s often easier to find somewhere you can do this nearby, and you won’t usually have to be there for as long.
Gradually, online study is removing the barriers that have kept ordinary people from enjoying the same opportunities as those with existing advantages. It’s a better choice than ever if you’re ready to put in the work to change your life.