How to: Get a College Degree for CHEAP

In early 2018 I was at a complete loss for my future. I had switched my degree and university FOUR times in a matter of two years- once per semester. Going into college I had life planned out and would pursue a nursing degree at Missouri State University. Due to a series of unfortunate events, I ended up leaving that college and reassessing my life choices.

I was lost.

I had no clue what to do and followed a few different paths for short periods of time until I found the one that FIT. I landed on an unexpected love for marketing; more particularly I fell in love with small businesses and helping them grow.

MARKETING IT WAS. But where was I?

I mean physically, where was I going to get this degree?

I worked two jobs, couldn't live on campus, was paying for college myself but my FAFSA was based off my parent's income so I was not eligible for any assistance. I needed my schedule to be flexible for work. I needed tuition to be cheap and I wanted to graduate as soon as possible. This is an impossible predicament.

Different colleges I looked into offered classes on specific days and times I could not attend due to my work schedule. Some offered cheaper tuition, but not the degree I needed. Several required I live on campus as a new student. Why was this so freaking difficult? They don't make a college education attainable for the working class.

UNTIL. Until my dear friend, Hannah, informed me how quickly she graduated with her college degree and how little it cost her.

Hannah shared information with me that sounded forbidden, fraudulent and simply too far fetched to be true. OH BUT THE CONTRARY MY FRIEND!

I am two years into this too-good-to-be-true educational experience and it would be my honor to introduce you to...

*drum roll*

WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY

*crowd claps*

WGU "is an online university where you can earn an affordable, accredited, career-focused college degree at an accelerated pace," according to their website. And according to the time I have spent with WGU, I can vouch for this statement to be true.

Western Governors University's headquarters are based in Salt Lake City, Utah, but the classes are strictly online and can be completed all over the United States. Below I will be breaking down some info on how WGU works, what it costs and other FAQ's.

1. COST: For my degree, Bachelors of Science in Business Marketing Management, I pay just under $3,500 per semester. This includes tuition, fees, textbooks and any other additional resources I may need for ALL OF MY CLASSES. "At WGU, tuition is charged at a low flat rate each term and covers all coursework completed in that time. The more courses you complete each term, the more affordable your degree becomes. Each WGU term is six months long, and during that time, you can complete as many courses as you're able. Unlike other schools, you aren't charged per course or per credit, so if you earn your degree ahead of schedule, you save both time and money." This info is straight from their website! Check it out here- ( https://www.wgu.edu/financial-aid-tuition/tuition-business-degrees.html#close )

2. STARTING A SEMESTER: A new semester starts each month and lasts six months. This means you can start at any time of the year! No need to wait for a fall or spring semester and further delay getting your degree. Since there are no seated classes this is a huge benefit for you and I.

3. CLASS LOAD: Once you start a semester, you have six months to complete your class load. Your class load is completely up to you! To remain eligible for financial aid, you must complete at least four classes per six month semester and you must 'make progress' in a class each month to prove you're an active student. You take one class at a time which allows for complete focus and ultimately I find it easier to study this way. If you start a class you feel pretty familiar with, you can take the Pre-Assessment to test your knowledge and get a good idea of what you need to study, or see if you have enough knowledge to go ahead and pass the class. Something I love about WGU is there is NO HOMEWORK. No homework, assignments or quizzes you have to complete. There are quizzes and assignments available to everyone for their benefit if those resources would help them study, but they aren't graded or mandatory. There is simply ONE TEST. When you take the final Objective Assessment you either pass the class or try again. BUT DON'T FRET-- if you do fail the OA, you have multiple retake attempts. I thrive in the wonderful, WGU world of no pointless, time consuming assignments. Also, if I have a class I'm super comfortable with I can take the test immediately and move on to the next one. This makes accelerating in your program super easy. As soon as you finish one class, you move on to the next one and it is completely up to you how long each class takes. Some will be super quick and easy and some may take a while.

4. LOCATION: It is completely online. While online learning may not be best fit for everyone, it is not as hard as it sounds (subject to opinions). When you begin a class, you are assigned an instructor, given the textbook, provided with study guides, guided notes, student feedback, practice quizzes and tests, slide shows, recorded lessons from professors and sometimes more. They give you literally anything you could possibly need to succeed, its just up to you to use it! The course instructors and mentors are more than readily available all the time to answer questions, meet with you via zoom or provide additional resources and guidance if needed. When you are ready to take your final Objective Assessment for each class, you set up a little webcam, screen share your computer with an online proctor and test from your own location as long as it is quiet. You never have to go anywhere for assessments, which is another amazing benefit.

5. SCHEDULE: There are no lectures at certain times, there are no pre-scheduled test dates and there are no time limitations or demands. You can quite literally complete a class in one day or take a few months. It is up to you. As long as you stay an active student (by logging onto your portal and classes) and complete the minimum for financial eligibility, you can finish your degree program in one semester or a couple years. I am active on some WGU Facebook groups and students post frequently about completing their entire 4 year BS programs in as little as one semester. While this is very doable, I work full time and have a social life I prefer to make a priority so I won't accelerate as quickly as them, but I will complete my 4 year degree in 2.5 years which is pretty amazing. Not to mention, you pay per semester, not per class! So if you complete 4 years worth of classes in one semester, you are only paying approximately $3,500 for your entire BS. Insanity. Yes, this is legitimate.

6. ACCREDITED UNIVERSITY: "WGU is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), the highest form of accreditation." https://www.wgu.edu/ This means your affordable, online degree is just as legitimate as any other university degree.

7. TRANSFER OF CREDITS: I have found that a lot of my previous college credits did indeed transfer to WGU! While not all of my credits transferred, you will find that to be the case with almost any college when you attempt to transfer.

8. DEGREE PROGRAMS: Since Western Governors University is 100% online, they cannot offer as many degree programs as a seated university. They are continuously expanding the amount of programs they offer, but they are somewhat limited in comparison to others. Currently they have a lot of business, teaching, I.T. and healthcare programs available. WGU is also widely known and used for their graduate level programs.

9. FINANCIAL AID: As far as I know, WGU accepts normal financial aid, offers lots of scholarships and uses your FAFSA.

10. ADDITIONAL FAQ: For additional information, feel free to comment, message me or visit wgu.edu

*I am not a WGU affiliate, I just enjoy my experience here and wish to inform others.