Overview of Free Opportunities

In today’s economy, it seems as if most people are still struggling to some degree with finances. The challenge is that for many people, the only way to secure a stable job and one that offers great pay, or to have the opportunity to advance in a current job is to earn a college degree or take ongoing education. However, with money tight, it makes it difficult to pay for this education. One option would be to take advantage of free online continuing education courses.

Free Online Course Options

Okay, you are probably asking how you can find free online continuing education courses. As you will discover with the information in this article, several good options exist for accomplishing this goal. For starters, some colleges and universities offer different courses online at a minimal rate or free. In this case, you would be provided with lecture material, audios, videos, and even coursework at no charge. However, the only stipulation is that in return for these free items, you would not receive any college credits.

Of course, if you were interested in taking free online continuing education courses simply to stay current on licensing or industry standards, than an accreditation to earn credits would not matter. On the other hand, if you were taking courses toward a college degree, earning credits means everything. For this reason, only you can determine whether accreditation is important to you or not.

Public Universities Offer Free Courses

You will also find free online continuing education courses offered by some of the larger and more prominent universities, many being Ivy League. For example, Yale University, UC Berkeley, and other top rated universities in the country offer a variety of courses online such as chemistry, computer science, electrical engineering, anthropology, biology, and others at no cost. The way these universities can do this is by using public donations.

Probably one of the best colleges for free online continuing education courses is called the University of the People. Although this educational institution has only been in operation for a few years, it has made a huge impact on many people’s lives. In this case, a college education is offered completely free to anyone in the world whether earning a degree or taking ongoing educational courses. The only requirement is that applicants would need to pass an academic test. Unfortunately, this educational institution is not yet accredited but this is in the process of being secured.

Our Suggestion for a Great Education

Finally, you might be able to take advantage of free online continuing education courses by having your employer pay. Today, many employers are more than willing to help employees go through college. However, courses taken would need to relate to the person’s current job or potential future job. In addition, some companies require employees to maintain a certain grade and if the grade were to dip below the accepted level, some of the cost would be deferred to the employee. Even so, this is an excellent way to earn a college degree or stay current on licensing and skills without spending a dime.