Free Online College Courses: Too Good to Be True?
Affordable adult education in the United Kingdom isn’t easy to come by. Once your mandatory education is complete, you’re left at the mercy of the UK’s universities and higher education institutions. All of which have a tendency to charge more than a pretty penny for their services.
Hence, it’s natural to react with at least a little scepticism when presented with the concept of free online college courses. Given the notoriously high fees associated with most types of education in the UK, free education seems too good to be true.
So what’s the story with free online courses? Are they really worth the time and effort? If so, what’s the catch?
The Rise of Free Online Education
A growing number of leading distance learning providers now offer free online college courses in a variety of subjects. With comparatively few restrictions (age, language skills, internet access etc.), anyone wishing to do so can sign up.
In most instances, these free courses are relatively short and cover subjects at a remedial level. Nevertheless, the quality of the course content itself can be surprisingly high. In addition, there’s sometimes the opportunity of claiming (or requesting) an endorsed certificate at the end of the course.
Free courses can therefore be great for exploring new subjects for the first time. For members of the workforce, free courses can be useful in the pursuit of continuous professional development. When there’s no money on the line, there’s technically nothing to lose, though perhaps a lot to gain.
Free Online Colleges: How Does it Work?
Most free online colleges follow the same basic principles with their free courses. The candidate enrols online, gains access to a digital learning platform and downloads the learning materials. Online assessments are subsequently carried out to gauge the candidate’s understanding of the topics and concepts communicated.
After which, the candidate is free to put their new skills and knowledge to use in the practical setting of their choosing. Or perhaps, take their studies to the next level with a more advanced course.
There may be the option of requesting an endorsed certificate for a small fee, but this isn’t mandatory. A basic certificate of course completion will usually be issued by the college for free.
What’s the Catch with Free Online College Courses?
This is where things get surprising, as there really isn’t one. Free online college courses can be ideal as a starting point for a new career direction. You may be interested in trying something new, but you’re not yet ready to commit to it. In which case, you could take a short free course online, see how you get on with it and take things from there.
Far better than enrolling on a paid two-year college course and quickly realising it isn’t for you.
Here at Brentwood Open Learning College, we’re proud to offer an extensive range of exclusive free online courses. Just a few subject areas covered by our free courses include:
Our free courses are based around the same high-quality materials and learning resources as our paid courses. In addition, all candidates benefit from the nurturing support of our dedicated team of advisers.
Free online college courses may seem too good to be true, but they’re as real as it gets. If you’ve been thinking of trying out something new, there’s never been a better time to get started!
Enrol online, or contact the student support team at Brentwood Open Learning College for more information.
