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by jsprague
Jul. 25, 2008 11:57
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Find Financial Aid
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There is no question that certification and training are expensive. For many, money is the largest barrier to getting the training and materials that they need in order to get certified or start a career in the IT industry. Fortunately, there are many financial aid options that can help you get where you want to be and this article will list many of the assistance programs that are available.
There are a huge variety of places in which to get IT/Certification training. Where you get your financial aid will depend on the type of institution that you are considering. There are 2 basic types of institutions that you can attend.
- Accredited College or University - This includes community colleges.
- Training Provider - These organizations are non-accredited schools including boot camps that offer IT/Certification training. Within this category there are those institutions that are approved by the certification vendor(i.e. Microsoft CTECs) and those that are not.
If needed, the availability of financial aid should be an important factor in determining the institution that you select. The first place to check is with the certification vendor and see if they offer a financial aid package. Microsoft, for example, does offer such a program. If the certification vendor does not offer financial aid, they should be willing and able to point you in the right direction.
The next step is to check with the institution that you plan to attend. If you are interested in an accredited college or university, you will likely be able to take advantage of grants and loans provided by the US Department of Education in the U.S. or similar entity in your country. Many non-accredited schools and boot camps offer assistance via partnerships with financial institutions. The existence of such a program is one way of evaluating the credibility of the school.
If none of the above options are available, you can look into getting a private bank loan from a variety of financial institutions. Keep in mind that you may find yourself in a situation in which you have multiple financial aid programs available. You may have to research the interest rates, amount of the loan or grant, payback rate and other information to find the best deal for you. Also, keep in mind that some financial aid packages will require that you attend particular institutions, so make sure that you understand the terms of your loan.
Now it is time to take a look at some of the various resources available:
Certification Vendors:
IT Skills Loan - This loan is the result of a partnership between Microsoft and Servus Financial and is for those interested in pursuing Microsoft professional certifications. It has numerous benefits including options to finance a computer and living expenses.
College Loans:
FAFSA - This is the official US Department of Education financial aid website. This site is geared for those interested in getting aid for college education.
FastWeb - The signup process is fairly lengthy, however, when you are done this website will list all of the worldwids scholarships and competitions that you are elgible for based on the answers that you provide in the signup form. They provide detailed information about how to apply for each opportunity.
FinAid - This site provides information about various education grants and loans available. While mostly dedicated to college education, there are other types of resources provided.
Scholarships.com - Find money for college by conducting a free college scholarship search. Scholarships.com will compare you to our database of over 600,000 college scholarships, worth more than 1.4 billion dollars. The scholarship awards that match your profile will be delivered to you immediately online.
Financial Institutions:
Key Bank CareerLoan - Key Bank offers distance learning and information technology education loans designed to help working professionals.
Sallie Mae Career Loan - These loans can be used for technical training or trade school, distance learning or other continuing education programs to cover the total cost of education and certain related expenses.
Wells Fargo Education Connection Loan - The Wells Fargo Education Connection loans are private, credit-based loans for traditional and non-traditional students and can be used for technical training.
This is not a complete list, but includes some very good resources to help you get started. If you are currently employed, make sure that you check with your employer to see if they cover education expenses for employees before unecessarily taking out a loan. Best of luck!
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