Impossible to Go to College if You Have Kids?
Three reasons why it may be easier than you think:
If you have children, the idea of going back to college might seem too overwhelming to think about. How can you find the time, resources and money to fit school in with all of your other obligations?
It’s certainly not easy, but you may be surprised at the number of resources out there to help you do just that.
Here are three factors you might not have known about. Hundreds of schools offer these and many other benefits you can piece together to fulfill your college dream-without waiting for your kids to grow up first.
Medical, vision and other benefits
Virtually every school offers good, relatively inexpensive health insurance, along with vision and dental benefits. Many schools even offer benefits to part-time students. You may find that university health benefits let you save a considerable amount of money over what you’re paying now.
School health insurance can also allow you to choose a job with more flexible hours that might not offer insurance, or to trade your current job for a home business.
Low-cost, high-quality daycare
Many colleges and universities offer exceptional childcare, generally for far less than the going rate. With the money you can save on this high-quality care (often provided by the school’s education students), you can easily offset tuition, books and other education expenses. Some colleges even offer special residence halls for single parents with their children.
Online learning
Many excellent schools now offer classes where some or all of the work can be done online. You can “attend” lectures, review resources and discuss course material with your professor from your home computer-all while your kids are sleeping.
More and more universities and colleges welcome students with children, and they’re providing great resources to help you. Don’t forget to ask about special scholarships available to students with children.
Ask the admissions specialists at the schools of your choice what resources they can offer. The fact is, the greatest barrier to returning to college is just the belief that it can’t be done.
