How Today’s Degree-Seekers are Turning to Free Universities in Europe and Online

The ever-climbing cost of university tuitions in the United States is often in the news, but it’s hardly news. It seems that every year there are stories about the surge in tuition costs – and yet they just keep surging.

According to an article on CNBC.com, Harvard University’s tuition (upwards of $42,000/year) is more than 17 times what it was in 1971. One would expect tuition to rise with inflation, but even inflation can’t account for such steep hikes in cost.

While online universities maintain low or even free tuitions, students at traditional universities across the board are facing rapidly rising tuition costs. The trend isn’t limited to pricey, private institutions like Harvard, either, but is affecting both public and private colleges and universities throughout the country. Aspiring students, meanwhile, have been left worrying that they will either have to put their educational and career aspirations on hold, or else sign up for decades of student loan debt.

Luckily, these are not the only options available, and today’s degree-seekers are coming up with innovative ways to get the education they desire without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars. Two of the more popular alternatives to shelling out a fortune on tuition are foreign educational opportunities and online degree programs.

A growing number of students are saving big on tuition by travelling overseas. There are many European universities offering free education to overseas students. What’s more, many of them offer a wide array of their programs in English.

Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden are all countries with free education for native and foreign students. Not only this, but they are all countries with top-notch educational systems. Germany, also, is a popular option for ex-pats studying abroad due to the wide range of programs offered at German Universities and the relatively low cost of living in German cities.

As travelling abroad for one’s education becomes a more popular option for students seeking a free university experience, a wealth of online resources have appeared to help would-be ex-pats find the European university that’s right for them.

At Findmasters.com one can take a look at all the Universities in Europe offering Master’s Degrees in English. Other websites as well have tailored lists of free universities in Europe.

While this may be the perfect solution for some, studying abroad in Europe does have a few setbacks. Education may be free, but that doesn’t mean the entire experience will be. There are the costs of living and travel to be weighed, and these can be steep considering that Americans in Europe on student visas will not legally be allowed to work in Europe.

And while studying abroad can be an exciting adventure, one will have to add to one’s studies the extra task of learning a new language, culture and set of surroundings.

For those less interested in jetting off to Europe, but still interested in the prospect of a quality education at a free university, online degree programs are an increasingly desirable option.

An online education allows students to pursue their educational and career goals from any location, without disrupting their current professional and family lives as they work towards their degrees. Online programs can be less expensive than a traditional college tuition, and are increasingly recognized for the quality, competitive education that they offer.

UoPeople, for example, is an accredited online university which offers a range of online degree programs completely tuition-free for those seeking their Master’s, Bachelor’s or Associate Degree. What’s more, when enrolled in an online university, students can study from any location with an internet connection – leaving them lots of time to take a Euro-trip without even missing class.