Five steps to take when continuing your education

1. Earn a high school diploma or General Education Degree (GED).

A high school diploma or General Education Degree (GED) is usually required before continuing your education after college. If you haven’t finished your diploma but want to, talk to your former high school for recommendations on where you can take classes. Typically, local community colleges and nonprofits will offer classes in an adult education setting where you can focus on your individual goals and work toward those goals with your professors and fellow students.

2. Think about what you want to do and research your field.

What you want to do is going to make a difference in what school you pick. If you want to be a doctor or a lawyer, you are going to have to earn an undergraduate degree and then go to law or medical school. But, you might be able to start at a community college to keep costs down and transfer to a 4-year university or college after a couple of years. Some universities offer 5-year bachelor's and master's degree programs to accelerate your education and keep costs down.

If you want to work in a specific trade, vocational or service industry — to be a chef, a medical technician or a computer support specialist, for example — you can talk with other people working in your field and find out if you need to go to college or if technical skills and certifications are enough to get you a good job. If your chosen field doesn’t require a 2- or 4-year degree, you may want to consider other, more cost-effective options.

3. Pick the right education option for your goals.

A traditional 4-year college degree is just one of many education options to consider. Here are some alternatives that might be a more affordable way to reach your goals:

• Community colleges
  Community colleges are great options to get a good education for a lower cost. You can plan to do 2 years at a community college and earn an Associate’s Degree and then transfer to a 4-year college to finish your degree. Community colleges can be closer to your home, don’t require you to live on campus and can be much more affordable than 4-year school. They also have flexible schedules that allow you to work while going to school. Some community colleges are now offering guaranteed enrollment programs into 4-year public colleges and universities in the same state, so check with your local community college to see if they offer this type of program.

• Career college and trade, technical or professional school
  There are lots of jobs — medical technician, carpenter, massage therapist, A/C and HVAC technician, yoga teacher, chef or hair stylist, for example — that have their own certificate or degree programs and don’t require four years of traditional college. Check the field you are interested to learn your options. Usually you can enroll in a trade or professional program to get this training. That can save you time spent in college and get you ready for your chosen career.

• Public or private colleges or universities
  Also called brick-and-mortar schools, these are the colleges and universities where you enroll in a 4-year undergraduate degree and take classes on a college campus. Many professional fields require a 4-year degree. These colleges and universities can range in cost — from very expensive private schools to more affordable public, in-state options. If your professional field requires a 4-year degree, but you want to keep costs down, your best bet is to apply for the public colleges or universities in your state that offer in-state tuition.

• Online degrees
  Some online colleges let you study and earn your degree online,. But, many of these colleges are for-profit, meaning they are run like businesses, so you want to be careful about enrolling in them. You pay a lot for convenience, but it doesn’t always pay off. There have been many news articles lately about problems with these kinds of schools.
  
  Our general recommendation is to research a school very well before you enroll. Try to talk with alumni (people who have graduated from that school) working in your field to see if they would recommend the program. Do some online reviews to make sure it is a legitimate option. In general, we recommend you consider a community college, traditional college or university, or trade or vocational school first, before going with an online degree.

4. Apply for financial aid.

As a student, you can submit a Federal Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA) — www.fafsa.gov — and see if you qualify for government help in paying for college. This usually comes in the form of:

• Grants: gifts of money you don’t have to pay back
• Student loans: money you have to pay back
• Federal work-study: you work while you go to school and your pay gets put toward your tuition.

In order to get funds, you have to submit your application as early in the year as possible for the upcoming year. FAFSA takes a few months to process and you should receive an Award Letter from your school. If you haven’t heard anything back in 1 or 2 months, contact your school’s Financial Aid Department to make sure they received your application.

• See also: Financial aid

5. Budget for tuition, fees and expenses.

Tuition is just part of your education expense. You also have to pay for room and board, books, lab fees, supplies and other possible fees. Before you start school, write a budget and account for the total cost of all these costs—including any financial aid you are getting to help cover them—so you don’t have to put a lot of your expenses on credit card.

• See also: Budgeting

Links we like

Here are a couple of online features we find useful:

• U.S. Department of Labor O*NET Online: www.onetonline.org
• U.S. Department of Education: Choosing career colleges and trade schools:
  www2.ed.gov/students/prep/college/consumerinfo/choosing.html
• Saving for College: www.savingforcollege.com
• College Board: www.collegeboard.org
• College Confidential: www.collegeconfidential.com
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): www.fafsa.ed.gov