How to Continue Your Education Online for Free

They say that knowledge is power. However, with rising tuition cost, less funds for public colleges, and high student debt, many people are finding it hard to continue their education. At least in the traditional sense. Luckily, many colleges and universities are exploring how technology can help them reach more people. And it’s so surprise that the Internet has had a huge impact on the way the modern student is learning.

The Internet has made it easier for everyone to continue their education. While online universities used to be dismissed as “subpar,” today most schools - from your local community college to the most respected Ivy League university - offers online courses and degrees. Not only does this make education accessible to more people, it makes taking classes more convenient and more affordable.

Of course, you don’t have to be an official student to satisfy a desire to increase your knowledge. And with all the new opportunities available, it has become possible to continue your education online for free. It’s all thanks to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC).

MOOCs are programs where universities can make many of their courses available to any interested user. These courses include lectures, problem sets, text, video, and web-based testing. Many offer an unverified certificate at the end. And the best part is, they are absolutely free. MOOCs are perfect for anyone who is simply interested in learning more or is trying to choose between different fields of studies. Here are two of our favorite MOOCs. [su_spacer size="30"]

Coursera

Coursera partners with top universities from around the world to offer free online courses. With the widest variety of partners (including the University of Florida, Princeton, Yale, and Duke), Coursera offers over 400 courses on a vast array of subjects. Each class is has a video lecture from a college professor that is 20-30 minutes long, and includes a transcript of the lecture, discussion groups with other members of the class, assignments, quizzes, and even a final example. Each course lasts around 8-10 weeks and comes with a free unverified certificate of completion. Many courses come in a variety of languages and there is even a mobile app to help you learn while on the go.

edX

edX is a MOOC that focuses on partnerships with top tier schools (such as MIT, Harvard, and UC Berkeley). While they don’t offer quite as many courses as Coursera, they do have excellent instructions in subjects such as biology, business, engineering, and medicine. Like Coursera, edX courses are taught via video lecture, and include transcripts, assignments, quizzes, and a final exam. edX courses also run between 8-10 weeks and award you with a free unverified certificate.

Whether you simply have a love of learning, or are looking to pick up an additional skill to help you in your career, both Coursera and edX are great places to go whenever your want to increase your knowledge on a subject. You can even upgrade to a verfied certificate for a small fee, which you can present to another school or to your boss (or a prespective employer). No matter how you choose to use it, these programs give you the opportunity to explore new subjects without spending any money, helping put the power of learning back into your hands. So go ahead. Learn something new today!