The following is a sponsored blog post:
Before you enter the business world or become an investor, completing a business course is something you should consider. However, the cost of completing this type of course can be expensive, so it’s important to find ways to reduce the costs associated with obtaining this type of qualification. Below are some of the most practical ways you can reduce the cost of a business course.
Complete an Online Course
Thanks to the Internet, studying online and completing a business course remotely is no longer the stuff of dreams. More high quality courses than ever are available online and you could even complete an MBA program online, if you so wish. Studying in this way means you don’t have to travel to and from a college or university each day and you avoid many of the living expenses that can mount up when you study in the traditional way.
Shop Around
With an MBA online course or similar online program, you have many more choices than previous generations of business students. Like any purchasing decision, you have the opportunity to ‘shop around’ and find the best courses that have the most affordable tuition fees.
Choose a Course That’s Close to Home
In some instances, it may be necessary to attend a college campus or university campus. If this is the case, you should choose a college or university that’s close to home if you want to reduce your outgoings. This simple step will prevent you from having to look for alternative accommodation, it will reduce your travel costs, and once again it will slash your living expenses.
Consider Your Travel Options
The cost of traveling to and from a college or university can add up to a significant amount of money over the course of an academic year. This is why it’s essential to carefully consider your travel options and look for ways to reduce this type of cost. Car-pooling, cycling or walking to your college or university if it’s close by, are all simple changes that can lower the amount of money you spend on travel.
Create a Realistic Budget
The quicker you learn to budget, the quicker you can start to save money as a student. It’s not until you write down your income and outgoings that you will realize just how important it is to plan and budget while you’re completing a particular business course.
Every cost can be lowered such as tuition fees, course materials, travel and your living expenses. When all of these expenses are recorded, you can look at ways to reduce them. A wide range of budgeting apps are available that make this a much easier task to complete, so that you are more likely to stay on track and stay within your planned budget.
When you’re a business student, money is often tight so you need to find ways to make the money you do have go further. Following the tips above will help you achieve this financial goal and allow you to complete your business course without having to worry as much about how much it will cost you.
I’m considering heading back to school to get my MBA so I can finally concentrate on Finance as my full time job. Cost of these programs are huge! I’m comparing 3 schools right now within driving distance. The cost fluctuates between $37,000 on the low end to $75,000 on the high end.
So now I’m doing a pros and cons list and starting a cost benefit analysis comparing the future salary to the amount of additional student loans I’ll rack up. Regardless, I’ll have those loans for the next 10 to 15 years on top of the existing $50k from my undergraduate.
What helps right now is listening to audio books on different MBA programs. Some of them are telling me a MBA isn’t worth it and others are more of a prep before you start your MBA. Both are a good listen before you jump into anything.
My largest piece of advice for ANYONE going back to school is this. Before you enroll, know what your ideal job would be. You should know the exact ideal job at the exact company before you even consider enrolling. This will help guide all your studies while in the program and understand exactly what you’ll be making when you graduate. Plus while in the program you can constantly be connecting to your ideal company. There is no reason to get an MBA if your dream job is accomplished by other means and why go back for more schooling if you don’t know what you want to do after.
These are the thoughts from my inner entrepreneur animal, the Wallet Squirrel. =)
-Andrew
Wallet Squirrel recently posted…Naming Force Review: Make Money Naming Start Ups
Hi WS,
Wow, that’s a big time financial commitment to get an MBA. Personally, I don’t think that I would want to get into that much debt/expense for that degree. With so many students already buried with undergraduate debt, I just can’t imagine piling on even more after school is “done.” Thanks for sharing your take on this issue and while a degree never guarantees a future job offer it doesn’t hurt to have especially if you can manage the expense to attain it. Thank you for commenting.
It’s such a shame. At this point in my life I would love to get an MBA but in order to do so I would need to go back for a different BA. My BA doesn’t have enough of the business prereqs that most MBAs require. It’s really too bad.
Dividend Reaper recently posted…Wealth: New Position
Hi DR,
I think the biggest shame in getting any degree, whether an MBA or other college degree, is the insane expense in obtaining one. The expenses of college is just so outrageous you have to wonder what the value of any degree would be these days and in the future. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.