A friend of mine saw this and sent it to me. I checked it out and it looked good. If you're interested in other colleges and courses like the one offered below see my previous post Get Certified!
From: Nyra
Hi there budding students and learners!
I was researching online colleges and universities some time back, looking for good diploma courses, etc. After a lot of hunting I found a UK based online college, that those of you interested in studying online may find appealing. They have all kinds of courses ranging from aromatherapy to electronics, very self paced and the materials very satisfactory, I have been learning a lot! Plus the cost is not very much! Anyway, take a look and it might be what you're looking for www.Stonebridge.uk.com
Hope it's a help, Enjoy!
Academic Earth, a site which offers the most complete video courses I've seen on the net. Most of the courses are series of lectures from universities like Princeton, Yale and Berkeley.
Youtube Edu, a educational section of youtube which also contains lectures and other various educational videos. I'm not as fond of this one in comparison to the site above.
Watching video lectures will not give you a complete education in a certain subject, but they're definitely helpful as supplement material for your studies and learning more about your subject of interest. For an example see: Learning Through Multiple Avenues
When studying an online course, I find it helpful to study a topic from a few sources, or supplement a course I'm taking with additional material. For example, I'm currently studying to be a Certified Professional Trainer in a free course offered by ACT. ACT's certification is quite revolutionary as they offer it free of charge as long as you complete their 300 page textbook and pass their online exam (see previous post: Get Certified).
However, as a suplement to what I'm learning in Physical Training I'm watching lectures on General Human Anatomy from Academic Earth, a website that offers sets of lectures from various universities on a host of different subjects.
I think this is one great way to get a well rounded and (in this case) free education, find your desired course ( I prefer those that offer a diploma or certification at the end), and then supplement your studies with university courses on that subject, you'll be sure to get a well rounded education in that field.
What I like about certification is that it generally is not as time consuming as taking on a degree program or something of that sort (depending on the certification you're after), but at the same time it does give you the requisite knowledge for those fields and provides you with something more substantial than a free online program or course.
If you're already skilled and knowledgeable in a certain area then it's worth it to become certified.
Expert Rating offers certification in a huge variety of fields, however, some do not take this too seriously, I was looking for a course that would give me certification as a personal trainer and in online forums I found alot both for and against doing a course with certification on this site (see it here). I did find it helpful to look at all the topics and get ideas for areas that I'm experienced in and would like to progress/receive certification in, then taking that subject that I saw on Expert Rating I googled and found good courses that would provide better training and certification in that specific field. It's your choice in the end, whether to go for it or not.
Oxford College has non degree courses in a variety of subjects, they're mostly less than 400 hours to complete and the name obviously holds alot more water than the above mentioned site.
Penn Foster College also provides Career Training with Certification in a variety of fields.
I'm looking for more credible and accredited institutions that offer short courses and tests for certification, so if you know of any please leave a comment.
Hi and welcome to Alternative Learning. This is a comprehensive, categorized and complete resource for everyone who is looking for:
Free education, courses and learning opportunities online
Cheap online courses, certification programs or colleges
Financial Aid to help you in your studies
I’ve spent much time researching education opportunities online, with a focus on inexpensive or free learning opportunities . I have no miracle stories, or claims of $20,000 dropping in my lap, but I’ve complied an extensive database of websites and courses that may be helpful to you. I’ve been quite happy with the learning and studying that I’ve been able to do freely, and online. I hope it's a help to you all.
I obviously have not tried all the services or courses that I link to on this blog, however anything that is linked to here is in my opinion safe and reliable. Of course before choosing any option, or spending money on any course it's good to look into it further.
This blog is the result of many, many hours researching and studying, so be smart and take a look around; I bet you'll find something helpful to you, whatever your goals may be.
There are a host of courses available from universities online. I found some of it led to a lot of time spent looking at lecture notes, parts of classes, courses that do not offer any university credit, and in many cases not getting anything that would bring me from A-Z as far as "real life" goes.
For example, if I wanted a career as a musician, I would look for music courses. However when you find music courses under university open course ware, you'll often find the course to be something like, "Universe of Music, investigating the role of instruments, culture, myth and science in the evolution of music." (real example used) Which is something I don't have the time or desire to delve into.
However, others may find these helpful in their development so I'm posting some of the main universities offering open course ware online, remember that these courses will not earn you university credit, it's purely for learning.
University of California - Irving I liked this site and the open course ware it offers. Seems quite complete and on topics like Social Sciences, Engineering, Biological Sciences, Education, Business Management, etc.
Weber State University Available Departments in open course ware are: Automotive Technology, Criminal Justice, English, Health Promotion and Human Performance, Information Systems & Technology
Capilano Universityoffers open course ware in Anthropology, Art History, Business, Chemistry, Computing Science, English, Geography, Mathematics & Statistic, Philosophy and Studio Art.
University of Utah. You have to create an account to access their courses. Categories of learning are: Art & Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Educational Psychology, English, History, Math, Pharmacotherapy, Physics, Teaching & Learning, Computer Science.
The Universities with open course ware that I wouldn't bother perusing
University of Notre Dame. This site had topics that I found interesting such as Africana Studies, Peace Studies, Latino Studies, etc. They had alot of the material as "reading assignments' and only provided the references. This would mean time spent looking for the material, which for me isn't worth it.
Michigan State Universityoffering courses on: Food Safety, Horse Management, International Business, Planning and Zoning. Somehow - except for International Business - those topics don't seem relevant to me.
Tufts University this is a list of all open course warethey have to offer, I looked at a few subjects and some didn't seem comprehensive, but they do have a very wide array of subjects so it might be worth a try if you're interested in something as random as epidemiology and biostatics.
MIT University - Open Course Ware. This university turned up alot whenever I searched for courses, however in looking at their courses I wasn't able to find anything very straight forward and conclusive.
$4400 for four years of college. For a distance learning degree with an interesting international reputation. And you can take that degree in most of the subjects taught at American colleges and universities. Does it sound too cheap? Where's the catch?
UNISA is the University of South Africa, which has been offering online and distance learning degrees for a long time. The UNISA website is not the easiest to navigate on earth, but within a few minutes, you can gather the following information. To enter you must provide evidence of a US high school diploma and admission from a recognized US university, or SAT scores of 1050 or better. Your fees include an annual fee for each of three basic years, plus a slightly higher fee for your "honours" year. On the British system of education, the basic baccalaureate is 3 years. US authorities usually expect a four year degree, so students should take the final, honors year to be assured of a degree equivalent to a US baccalaureate. There are additional fees for taking the program from a foreign country, such as the US, because you will need to take examinations at specified exam centers, some of which are in Canada.
What's involved in this kind of education?
Since the University of South Africa operates on the British model of college education, your entire college experience will focus on your major. There will not be any "general education." Your education will be broken down into "modules," each of which will involve "sitting a paper," which means taking an examination, or in some cases submitting a written essay. Your studying will be largely self-directed, using study plans provided by the university. You will be responsible for getting your own books and providing your own motivation.
If you like the model, you can also pursue masters and doctoral degrees by the same method and with the same institution.
What's it worth?
Over 250,000 students enroll at the University of South Africa. On the downside, our recent research into graduate programs around the world (Nerad and Heggelund, eds. Toward a Global Ph.D.? Forces and Forms in Doctoral Education Worldwide, University of Washington Press, 2008) indicates that South Africa has lost many of its university faculty since the end of apartheid. On the upside, the University of South Africa has a long tradition of offering distance degrees on this model. There is no reason why you could not attain a good baccalaureate degree by pursuing a program of self-directed readings and research, then taking examinations and submitting papers.
Suppose you have to make several trips to Canada or to some other city to take your exams. Suppose the whole program costs you $8000 over four years. Your total cost will still be one tenth of what it would cost to attend a state university. The credential you get will be the same credential that is accepted by the US government and by US universities for admission to the US and to US universities for graduate school. If you have a particular employer or grad school in mind, such as a school district or a teacher certification program, it might be wise to ask ahead.
How can this be real?
So how can a bachelor's degree be so cheap? Let's see what you are NOT paying for: libraries, labs, a football team, student health services, office appointments with professors, class time, clubs, a pretty campus with ivy covered buildings, dorm food, a counseling service, a placement service, an alumni organization...a long list.
What are you buying? A program of readings and papers. A set of examinations in which you can show what you have learned. A final degree to demonstrate your mastery of the subject to the world.
Are you ready for that kind of focus and simplicity?
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP)--In a town dominated by the University of Missouri's flagship campus and two smaller colleges, higher education is practically a birthright for high school seniors like Kate Hodges.
She has a 3.5 grade-point-average, a college savings account and a family tree teeming with advanced degrees. But in June, Hodges is headed to the Tulsa Welding School in Oklahoma, where she hopes to earn an associate's degree in welding technology in seven months.
"They fought me so hard," she said, referring to disappointed family members. "They still think I'm going to college."
The notion that a four-year degree is essential for real success is being challenged by a growing number of economists, policy analysts and academics. They say more Americans should consider other options such as technical training or two-year schools, which have been embraced in Europe for decades.
As evidence, experts cite rising student debt, stagnant graduation rates and a struggling job market flooded with overqualified degree-holders.
They pose a fundamental question: Do too many students go to college? "College is what every parent wants for their child," said Martin Scaglione, president and chief operating officer of work force development for ACT, the Iowa-based not-for-profit best known for its college entrance exam. "The reality is, they may not be ready for college."
President Barack Obama wants to restore the country's status as the world leader in the proportion of citizens with college degrees. The U.S. now ranks 10th among industrial nations, behind Canada, Japan, Korea and several European countries.
But federal statistics show that just 36 percent of full-time students starting college in 2001 earned a four-year degree within that allotted time. Even with an extra two years to finish, that group's graduation rate increased only to 57 percent.
Spending more time in school also means greater overall student debt. The average student debt load in 2008 was $23,200--a nearly $5,000 increase over five years. Two-thirds of students graduating from four-year schools owe money on student loans.
And while the unemployment rate for college graduates still trails the rate for high school graduates (4.9 percent versus 10.8 percent), the figure has more than doubled in less than two years.
"A four-year degree in business--what's that get you?" asked Karl Christopher, a placement counselor at the Columbia Area Career Center vocational program. "A shift supervisor position at a store in the mall."
At Rock Bridge High School, one of Columbia's two high schools, 72 percent of the class of 2008 moved on to four-year colleges, with another 10 percent attending community college. That college attendance rate is consistent with national statistics.
Only 4 percent of Rock Bridge students chose technical training like the Oklahoma welding school where Hodges is headed.
Roughly 1,200 students from central Missouri take classes at the career center, supplementing their core high school courses with specialized training in automotive technology, culinary arts, animal science, robotics, landscape design, electrical wiring and more.
Hodges has been set on a welding career since she was 13. She craves independence and has little patience for fellow students who seem to wind up in college more from a sense of obligation than anything else.
"School is what they've been doing their whole lives," she said. "So they just want to continue. Because that's what they are used to."
Sue Popkes doesn't hide her disappointment over her younger daughter's decision. At the same time, she realizes that Hodges may achieve more financial security than a college degree could ever provide.
"It's sad to know she's going to miss that mind-opening effect of an undergraduate degree," Popkes said. "To discover new ideas, to become more worldly."
Ohio University economics professor Richard Vedder blames the cultural notion of "credential inflation" for the stream of unqualified students into four-year colleges. His research has found that the number of new jobs requiring college degrees is less than number of college graduates.
Vedder's work also yielded something surprising: The more money states spend on higher education, the less the economy grows--the reverse of long-held assumptions.
"If people want to go out and get a master's degree in history and then cut down trees for a living, that's fine," he said, citing an example from a recent encounter with a worker. "But I don't think the public should be subsidizing it."
For many, the dream of earning a college degree--and the social acceptance that comes with that accomplishment--trumps a more analytical, cost-benefits approach.
John Reynolds, a Florida State sociology professor, found that unrealized educational expectations do not lead to depression or other long-term emotional costs.
"Rich kids, poor kids, 'A' students, 'C' students--we really didn't find any lasting impact on not getting the degree," he said.
Scaglione suggested that nothing short of a new definition for educational success is needed to diminish the public bias toward four-year degrees. He advocates "certification as the new education currency--documentation of skills as opposed to mastering curriculum."
"Our national system is, 'Do you have a degree or not?'" he said. "That doesn't really measure if you have skills."
Scholarships are something often looked over by students due to the time it takes to research and apply, however, it's definitely time well invested. Depending on your ethnicity, nationality, field of study, financial status, and a host of other variables you should be able to find a grant or at least some form of financial aid for the subject/major which you would like to pursue.
For US citizens the place to start is by applying for your FAFSA, which is Federal Student Aid. This is an important step, once you've done this you will most likely be eligible for the Pell Grant.
For expats like myself I think it's worth looking at study abroad funding, see if you can find opportunities to receive aid for studying at a location near you.
College is expensive, but you can find ways to make it affordable. It just takes research. There are scholarships for just about everything you can think of, and at least one of them has your name on it. (See Nelnet)
College is expensive, but you can find ways to make it affordable. It just takes research. There are scholarships for just about everything you can think of, and at least one of them has your name on it.
Scholarships are something often looked over by students due to the time it takes to research and apply, however, it's definitely time well invested. Depending on your ethnicity, nationality, field of study, financial status, and a host of other variables you should be able to find a grant or at least some form of financial aid for the subject/major which you would like to pursue.
For US citizens the place to start is by applying for your FAFSA, which is Federal Student Aid. This is an important step, once you've done this you will most likely be eligible for the Pell Grant.
For expats like myself I think it's worth looking at study abroad funding, see if you can find opportunities to receive aid for studying at a location near you.
College is expensive, but you can find ways to make it affordable. It just takes research. There are scholarships for just about everything you can think of, and at least one of them has your name on it. (See Nelnet)
College is expensive, but you can find ways to make it affordable. It just takes research. There are scholarships for just about everything you can think of, and at least one of them has your name on it.
If you're looking for Scholarships, this will give you a whole lot of places to look.
This is one Huge, Mega, list of search engines for grants (Thanks to the University of Arizona). Now, I've gone through a few of these and didn't find find a whole bunch of grants just jumping out at me. :). However, your chances for finding a grant change with a host of personal factors that vary. I think that some of these are only for US students, but some are for international students and would include studying in other countries or online. I'll be posting more on Scholarships later.
The Arkansas Scholarship Connection is a statewide project of the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. Their data base contains scholarships for which Arkansas students are eligible.
A free Canadian scholarship search site. We don’t know any addresses in Canada… so if you are from Canada and want to use this site, you will have to create your own account.
This site, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, has a searchable data base containing more than 5,000 scholarships, fellowships, loans, and other financial aid opportunities.
The College Board’s free scholarship search utilizes a database of more than 2,300 sources of college funding totaling almost $3 billion in scholarships and aid.
Their website says, “CollegeFunds.net helps you hunt down the most ideal student loan, scholarships and other financial aid resources available to you!”
These folks allow you to search for scholarships by geography, heritage, religion, extracurriculars, family affiliation, high school, or scholarship name.
If you are or will be studying nursing, give this free scholarship search a try. You will probably find more nursing scholarships here than in any other source.
This search engine includes more than 50 awards that have a minimum age restriction of 30 years or older. There are more than 230 awards with a minimum age restriction of 25 years or older. There are more than 1,800 awards with no age restrictions whatsoever.
This website was created to be a resource for financial aid, college scholarship and grant information for US and international students wishing to study abroad.
The introduction on their website says, “The scholarships in the database apply to Australian students wishing to study at home or abroad, and to international students wishing to study in Australia.”
Although sponsored by the State of Maryland, this search may be helpful to other students as well. Search engine is down for repairs, but there is a link to many state programs and scholarships.
Their database contains, “billions of dollars of college scholarships and financial aid awards”, including some for bowlers, knitters, “C” students, cartoonists, etc.
According to their site, they give you free access to a database “of more than 42,000 college funding sources comprised of more than 2.4 million individually awarded scholarships valued at over 3.4 billion dollars.
ScholarshipMonkey Claims a data base of one million scholarships with a value in excess of $3.5 billion. If that's not enough reason to give this site a shot, how often do you get a monkey to talk to you?
SchoolSoup is adding almost 5,000 new scholarships each week to the database, has information on thousands of colleges and universities, has information on hundreds of careers and offers a free career aptitude test to help students make good career choices.
A FREE scholarship search service devoted to helping high school seniors and college students find information on scholarships, bursaries, grants and other forms of financial assistance available from the private sector and not-for-profit organizations.
Their website says, "Our comprehensive database of study abroad scholarships, fellowships, and grants can help make your dream of studying abroad a financial possibility and a profound reality." Scholarship searches can be conducted by country or subject.
The Arkansas Scholarship Connection is a statewide project of the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund. Their data base contains scholarships for which Arkansas students are eligible.
A free Canadian scholarship search site. We don’t know any addresses in Canada… so if you are from Canada and want to use this site, you will have to create your own account.
This site, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, has a searchable data base containing more than 5,000 scholarships, fellowships, loans, and other financial aid opportunities.
The College Board’s free scholarship search utilizes a database of more than 2,300 sources of college funding totaling almost $3 billion in scholarships and aid.
Their website says, “CollegeFunds.net helps you hunt down the most ideal student loan, scholarships and other financial aid resources available to you!”
These folks allow you to search for scholarships by geography, heritage, religion, extracurriculars, family affiliation, high school, or scholarship name.
If you are or will be studying nursing, give this free scholarship search a try. You will probably find more nursing scholarships here than in any other source.
This search engine includes more than 50 awards that have a minimum age restriction of 30 years or older. There are more than 230 awards with a minimum age restriction of 25 years or older. There are more than 1,800 awards with no age restrictions whatsoever.
This website was created to be a resource for financial aid, college scholarship and grant information for US and international students wishing to study abroad.
The introduction on their website says, “The scholarships in the database apply to Australian students wishing to study at home or abroad, and to international students wishing to study in Australia.”
Although sponsored by the State of Maryland, this search may be helpful to other students as well. Search engine is down for repairs, but there is a link to many state programs and scholarships.
Their database contains, “billions of dollars of college scholarships and financial aid awards”, including some for bowlers, knitters, “C” students, cartoonists, etc.
According to their site, they give you free access to a database “of more than 42,000 college funding sources comprised of more than 2.4 million individually awarded scholarships valued at over 3.4 billion dollars.
ScholarshipMonkey Claims a data base of one million scholarships with a value in excess of $3.5 billion. If that's not enough reason to give this site a shot, how often do you get a monkey to talk to you?
SchoolSoup is adding almost 5,000 new scholarships each week to the database, has information on thousands of colleges and universities, has information on hundreds of careers and offers a free career aptitude test to help students make good career choices.
A FREE scholarship search service devoted to helping high school seniors and college students find information on scholarships, bursaries, grants and other forms of financial assistance available from the private sector and not-for-profit organizations.
Their website says, "Our comprehensive database of study abroad scholarships, fellowships, and grants can help make your dream of studying abroad a financial possibility and a profound reality." Scholarship searches can be conducted by country or subject.
If you're going to pay big bucks to study university online, it's worth getting the best. I haven't checked these out in detail, as that is not the route I'm going with my education, but I've done quite a bit of research and this list summed it up pretty well.
First established in Chicago in 1931, DeVry University has a long and prestigious history as one of the United States’ top professional training institutions. DeVry offers a multitude of career-oriented degrees, ranging from information technology to business and medical administration, and often at an accelerated pace for students who want to power through their degree and move on to bigger and better things. Meanwhile, on the convenience front, the option of studying online or at one of the schools numerous campuses makes it easy to find a program and schedule that will fit your life. As if that weren’t enough, DeVry boasts an unprecedented 90% job placement success rate. Sounds like a winner, from where we stand!
University of Phoenix is not your parents’ correspondence college. Well, it was, when it was founded in 1976 on the idea that quality higher education should be affordable and accessible to everyone, even working students. Three decades later that foundation hasn’t changed: between flexible scheduling and its highly-qualified professors, the university still dedicates itself to providing opportunities to students with full plates. That said, University of Phoenix has since blossomed into a thoroughly modern institution. With an eBook library, a commitment to environmental sustainability practices, and a presence on every social network imaginable (check out the talented Kate Voegele’s online college experience on MySpace!), University of Phoenix knows what its 21st-century students demand, and what’s more, it delivers in full.
When business magazine Fast Company reviewed and graded five online colleges, they only handed out one straight-A. That coveted glowing review went to graduate degree haven Walden University, the same school that was singled out by U.S. News and World Report as a “respected virtual institution.” Why such praise? It may have something to do with its affordable classes and its multimedia approach to learning. Or maybe it’s the sense of community it strives to foster among its students, with forums and an online student union. One thing’s for certain: as an online college contender, Walden University has made its mark.
Westwood College, originally based in Denver, CO, only entered the online college scene in 2002, but already it has had a major impact with its unique interpretation of the online college experience. Placing value on a real classroom atmosphere, Westwood utilizes audio/video technology to capture the feel of a real lecture; students are also provided with real hard-copy books, allowing them time to study away from the computer screen. Westwood also seems to realize that education doesn’t just stop once you’ve received your diploma — the school offers an Alumni Retaining program, where former students can continue to stay on top of new developments and practice updates in their field, for no tuition. Though new to the game, don’t expect Westwood Online to leave any time soon.
Though not quite as new as Westwood, Capella University is still a fairly recent addition to the correspondence college family, with fifteen years of service under its belt. Within that time, Capella has risen to become one of the most prestigious institutions in its class. Specializing in graduate degrees, the university nonetheless offers a multitude of degree programs at every level, and encourages student discourse and participation in the form of class discussions, assignment postings, and faculty and peer reviews. Although Capella is strictly an online school, representatives and faculty often travel the country to hold seminars and conferences, making connections with students of its past, present, and future.
Though Colorado Technical University can only lend its services to those within state lines, students from all over the world can benefit from an education at Colorado Technical University Online. Understanding that different students have different wants and needs in learning, CTU offers options in the classroom: you can choose to “show up” for live classes and chat online with your professors and classmates, or watch prerecorded lectures. One thing that doesn’t change, however, is being taught by knowledgeable professors who are respected and active in their fields. In addition, not only can you earn a valuable degree, but also resume-enhancing academic certificates as you gain important skills along the way. It all adds up to a college that consistently ranks among the top online universities in the nation.
There are plenty of universities out there, but how many of them are truly global institutions? With campuses from Los Angeles to London, and now reaching farther than ever via the power of the internet, American InterContinental University certainly fits the bill. AIU is on a mission to cultivate a geographically and culturally diverse student population, and provide their students with quality education in a choice of many subjects to help them advance in their careers. A bustling virtual campus, interactive learning labs, crackerjack career services center, and growing global community of students and alumni all come together to make AIU an excellent choice for an online education.
8. Argosy University Online
When the powers of three recently merged colleges combine, the outcome is Argosy University, one of today’s hottest online learning institutions. Specializing in business, education, and health care, Argosy’s goal is to encourage a good sense of ethics and social skills within the professional fields to which it caters. On a related note, Argosy has an excellent relationship with all branches of the U.S. military and its veterans, offering everything from honoring of the G.I. Bill and loan repayment programs to tutorial assistance and tuition supplements for dependents.
If you’ve ever taken the SAT, ACT, or an advanced placement test, then you must be familiar by now with Kaplan, Incorporated — but did you know that the popular college prep institution is also a college in and of itself? If you live outside of Iowa or Nebraska, you might be unfamiliar with their campuses, but luckily Kaplan has gone online and is up there with the best of them. Kaplan knows a thing or two about enhancing your success in education, and their online university is no exception. Along with active peer forums, a commitment to professor/student communication and innovative practices like web-based “field trips” and interactive seminars, Kaplan grants students access to knowledgeable advisors and an immense resource library. It can be a comforting thought to know that a place so dedicated to helping you in your academic accomplishments doesn’t quit once you graduate high school.
Rounding out the top ten is Michigan-based Baker College Online. Baker is a no-frills kind of college, but it knows one thing — it shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg to get a quality education. Instead, the college offers a multitude of career-oriented graduate and undergraduate programs in the business and science fields. As far as the application process, Baker College boasts a “right-to-try” procedure: no one is turned away for an errant test score or mistakes or gaps in or after high school. If you are ready to make a commitment to education, then Baker is ready to make a commitment to you.
Hi, I'm Daniel. I've put together this blog as a comprehensive resource to help those who are interested in developing their education/knowledge, or supplementing their education via alternative or online courses.
