Hybrid colleges that allow students the option of both traditional and distance learning are becoming more and more popular. If you’re mid-career, you may not have the availability for in-person classes. If you’re an undergraduate that is concerned about eligibility for the FAFSA, you might not be able to commute or afford overly-expensive institutions like New York State’s SUNY and CUNY schools. Even for a school like Excelsior College, based in Albany, New York, you don’t even need to live in the state to proceed with a high-quality degree program.
The Best of Both Worlds
Students love Excelsior College because it gives them more freedom than traditional schools like SUNY institutions. While SUNY colleges are, of course, well-respected, they have limited offerings in terms of course flexibility and program specialization. That’s where Excelsior excels. While they do have a physical campus in Albany, New York, you don’t have to attend in-person courses. Instead, you can easily complete your entire degree program without taking an in-person course.
Of course, if you’re in the area and crave face-to-face interaction and the more traditional classroom setting, this is an option as well. That’s precisely where Excelsior succeeds over some more classically-structured universities and colleges: the vast freedom of choice.
It’s a perfect marriage of teaching styles that allows students to seek the instruction that most closely aligns with their learning type. If you’re better at pursuing more self-directed, flexible work, Excelsior College’s variety of online courses will appeal directly to you. On the other hand, if you’re the type that craves routine, repetition, and a firmly set schedule, you may be better off taking an in-person course. It all depends on how you feel you learn the most effective and, ultimately, the choice is yours to make. However, that’s not the only way that Excelsior College provides students with the best of both worlds. When you’re talking about colleges and universities, you have to talk about financing your education.
Financial Flexibility
While you could go the traditional route and provide an email address, tax information, and family details to FAFSA to determine whether or not you qualify for financial aid, you could go a simpler route and choose an educational institution that doesn’t require you to take on large amounts of debt just to learn. This is where Excelsior has a competitive edge over many more “traditional” universities. It’s simply more affordable. A prospective nursing student, for instance, is able to be instructed by a member of the National League for Nursing at a fraction of the cost they might pay at another school.
If finances are still holding you back from achieving your educational dreams, an Excelsior scholarship may be able to help. Unlike the FAFSA, an Excelsior scholarship doesn’t require you to dig through years and years of tax history to find specific numbers and amounts. It also doesn’t require nearly as much information as other scholarship programs. You’ll still need common pieces of info like an email address for an Excelsior scholarship but beyond that, it’s much more streamlined. The Excelsior scholarship can help offset a great deal (if not all) of your tuition costs. Applying for an Excelsior scholarship is an excellent idea if you’re concerned about being able to fund your educational pursuits. If you’re struggling with the Excelsior scholarship application, you can always reach out to a representative of Excelsior College for some additional guidance and assistance.
Excelsior College is working to disrupt how many think about higher education. By offering students an unprecedented amount of freedom and flexibility, the college’s “learn your own way” style is making waves. Take a look at Excelsior’s programs to see what career paths might be in store for you.
