Six ways to pay for continuing education |
|
|
Cieszynski estimates that she saved about $12,000 on her degree thanks to company-sponsored tuition, money she never would have received as a traditional college student.
The book "FastWeb College Gold: The Step-by-Step
Guide to Paying for College" reports that 85 percent of large
and mid-sized companies nationwide offer some form of employer education
assistance.
Tuition reimbursement programs typically require workers to pursue degrees directly related to their current position as well as to stay with the company for a certain period of time after receiving aid. But employer-based educational assistance is one of the simplest ways for older students to get free college cash.
4. Don't forget the discounts
In states like Virginia, Illinois, Florida, Alaska and Connecticut, being over the hill can also mean being over big tuition bills. That's because those states offer tuition waivers to senior citizens ages 60 to 65 (depending on the state) and older who attend in-state public colleges and universities.
Senior students who live in a state without a waiver
may be able to get around paying tuition if they apply to the right
schools. While a handful of four-year institutions, such as Purdue
University in West Lafayette, Ind., and the College of William and
Mary in Williamsburg, Va., offer partial tuition waivers to seniors,
the programs are available more broadly on the community college
level.
In addition to offering discounts ranging from 50
percent to 100 percent of the cost of tuition, many two-year institutions
offer low-cost credit and noncredit classes designed for senior
students only.
5. Scholarships
in your field
One of the biggest trump cards that older students hold over traditional
college students is that they already have a career, "501 Ways"
co-author Tanabe says. Armed with years of experience, real-world
connections and a well-rounded resume, older adults seeking field-specific
financial aid often are better positioned than 20-somethings for
some scholarship programs.
"Somebody who's offering scholarships in an area like marketing, for example, they want to make sure they're giving that scholarship to a person who knows they're going into marketing," Tanabe says. "You can raise your chances of getting that scholarship by demonstrating that you've had experience working in that area."
6. Cash in on service
Thanks to new legislation, military veterans may be able to pass
their tuition bills on to Uncle Sam. After Aug. 1, 2009, the Post-9/11
Veterans Educational Assistance Act will allow those who served
active military duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001, access to educational
assistance for up to 15 years after service, five years longer than
under the current law.
Eligible vets can use their education benefits almost anywhere to cover tuition, fees, books and housing, says Keith Wilson, education service director for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
"We've got veterans at about 6,800 locations throughout
the world drawing benefits from us, and this is just one more way
we're trying to help them readjust" to civilian life, Wilson
says.
Wilson adds that veterans also start receiving a 20
percent increase in educational assistance as of Aug. 1, 2009, to
keep up with climbing tuition costs and inflation. The bump boosts
assistance to $1,321 a month for those enrolled full time.
In addition to all the financial assistance the federal government offers former military personnel, there's another government source for aid. Several states, including Oregon, Connecticut, Montana, Texas and Wisconsin, offer full tuition waivers for veterans.
"Just about every state offers some type of discount program," Wilson says. "In addition to our programs, there are literally thousands upon thousands of places that veterans could receive aid from."
"That's the biggest challenge for veterans -- getting their hands around all the aid that's available and what the eligibility requirements are," he says.
|
