CBU accelerated programs

Online Courses - MOOCs

Graduates with either a bachelors or associates degree typically earn 60% more than employees with only a high school diploma, adding up to a $750,000 difference in lifetime earnings. If you remain true to your career interests, via University of Colorado Denver CLEP tests, your overall job earnings will increase as you gain experience. However, if your focus is more on salary alone, there's a higher risk that you'll suffer early signs of burnout, and be forced to change careers later on.

Technical programs are a low-cost alternative to attending a regular four-year university, and you can earn good money as a highly-skilled, technical specialist. By taking some of your required degree courses online, you may be able to graduate a semester early, thus saving money on tuition. If you're currently employed, you can take online courses in your free time to advance your career. Massive Open Online Courses are known as MOOCs, utilizing interactive platforms such as Blackboard, and mobile apps. Udemy is a startup with backing from the founders of Groupon. Similarly, Khan Academy now offers free lecture videos served through YouTube. Then there's Trenholm State Technical College recycling program, with enrolled students from around the world. Finally, MIT announced that their open courseware platform (OCW) will be available at no cost for class registration.

Admissions Process

Most colleges accept either the SAT or ACT, and have formulas for converting raw test scores. Colleges use these standardized tests because there are substantial differences in curricula, average GPA, and grade curve difficulty among US high schools. The SAT test has a separate vocabulary section while the ACT has a separate science reasoning section. On average, over half of students retaking the SAT saw improvements in their scores. Further, Advanced Placement exams are offered in a variety of physical sciences, offering you AP test credit for honors-level classes that you have taken while still in high school. Test yourself with practice exams online, before visiting the College Board website to register to take your actual AP Tests.

Recent developments in college admissions include higher numbers of applicants, more foreign students, and increased use of online application forms. High school grades are the most important factor in gaining admission to the college of your choice, along with letters of recommendation. According to Southeast Missouri State University developmental biology, an ideal academic record consists of a high GPA in courses of progressive difficulty. About half of colleges use placement tests and a waiting list, and many community colleges have agreements with bachelor programs at four-year universities, so that the transfer of credits is ensured.

Financial Aid Information

Government scholarships and Pell grant applications, combined with academic scholarships, only account for a third of total college aid. Student loans, work-study earnings, and personal savings make up the remaining two-thirds. It costs nothing to use the financial aid calculator online, and see if you qualify for need-based financial aid or a fee waiver. In fact, millions of students that would have qualified for some financial aid were late in submitting required grant application forms. The official FAFSA website is www.fafsa.ed.gov and is free to use. The earliest that the FAFSA form can be filled out is January of a student's senior year.

Academic scholarships are highly competitive, and are usually awarded either by the admissions office, or individual academic departments. Loan programs generally issue loans based on the credit history of the applicant and any co-signer. This is in contrast to federal loan programs that focus on need-based criteria. Financial aid may be administered through Tennessee State University graduate tuition. Alternatively, student credit cards may seem like a good short-term solution, but the interest rates are high, and credit cards often carry an annual fee. FastWeb.com is one of the leading scholarship services online. Local chapters of professional societies may offer academic scholarships to enable the studies of gifted students in their region or state.