The Price of College

I know everyone talks about how teenagers think they know it all and as I look back on my teen years I know there was at least one time I was right.

When I was a junior and senior, teachers and counselors would frequently discuss college and I kept hearing, “Don’t let the price of the school keep you from applying!” and I always thought that was terrible advice. The argument is that there are plenty of scholarships and loans. Now in hindsight, I know multiple classmates who received some scholarship money to help with their freshman year. Then they found themselves facing a giant tuition bill sophomore year and ultimately transferred schools or dropped out.

Pile of Money
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College is expensive for the thing you want to do. But it's even most costly when you pay to study something and then decide you want to study something else. Thankfully there are ways to go about navigating such a difficult decision and financial commitment. One of those incredible programs is from The University of Maine.

UMaine Summer Courses

The University of Maine is offering 50 online courses available to high schoolers this summer. Again, all high schoolers, not just seniors. Giving an even greater opportunity to get courses under one's belt. Oh, and did I mention the courses are at no cost?

This is an opportunity I wish I had 17 years ago. According to Bangor Daily News, qualified Maine high schoolers can earn up to 12 college credits per year. This isn’t some incentive to get you to eventually enroll in UMaine after graduation either. The credits earned can be transferred to the majority of schools in the country.

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The Flexibility to Explore

As a teenager, it’s incredibly difficult to know what you want to pursue. There’s a ton of pressure to know what you want your life to look like before you’re even old enough to vote or drink.

Programs like this allow for exploration into what really piques a student’s interest without financial pressure. Even as adults we spend money on something and feel an obligation to use it or follow through. Now teens can take a course and make a more informed decision about what they’d like to pursue in college. And, at the very least, they are able to get some of those always annoying general education requirements out of the way early and fast track to an early college graduation without incurring more student loan debt.

To register and get more details, click here.

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