From Associate's To Master's: Your Degree Choices

Before the government student loans, before the college scholarships for women, even before class registration comes one important decision: what type of degree are you looking for?

This is critical for many reasons, but most importantly, it's because you need to understand the goal you set and the challenges -- and opportunities -- that are ahead. Each degree comes with different requirements, and financial aid opportunities may vary depending on what you're looking at. Things like interest rates for government student loans, Pell Grant eligibility, or application requirements for college scholarships for women may all apply differently to the degree you choose. Let's take a look at what is available:

Associate's Degrees

In general, Associate's Degrees are two-year programs from community colleges. They can act as the first two years of general education for transfer to a four-year program, or they can be an entry point into the work force. Associate's Degrees can vary by type depending on concentration (Arts, Science, Fine Arts), and there are more specific degrees for people looking to fulfill a focused technical or artistic need with the goal of working after two years. For financial aid, government student loans, education grants, and college scholarships for women are generally available, though you must carefully review applications to ensure that they apply to two-year programs.

Bachelor's Degrees

Bachelor's Degrees refer to a four-year university program. These degrees are usually divided into Arts or Science, though some degree programs offer both -- for example, a BA in Geology is more research heavy and less math/physics-intensive than a BS in Geology. More specific Bachelor's Degrees exist depending on the school, program, and state. An Associates Degree can usually transfer over as the first two years (lower division) of a Bachelor's Degree. Bachelor's Degrees are eligible for perhaps the broadest spectrum of financial aid via government student loans, education grants, and college scholarships for women, including our $10,000 scholarship.

Master's Degrees

For women going back to school following a Bachelor's Degree, the next step is a Master's Degree (often known as a graduate program). Like Bachelor's Degrees, these often fall into Arts and Science categories, though more-specific degree programs exist. A Master's Degree can take anywhere from one year to four or more depending on the discipline, and it may require a thesis or dissertation. For Master's Degrees, government student loans are still available but education grants and college scholarships for women are usually harder to come by.

Certifications

Vocational schools and community colleges offer a number of certification programs that train skills for a specific job or industry, such as dental assistant or manufacturing technician. Some of these programs are even available online. The length of these certification programs vary greatly, and if you're interested in one, it's best to look around at what different schools offer to find the best fit for you in terms of length, cost, and class availability. Note that these programs don't include general education courses as they're designed strictly for job purposes, and many people attend them to add on to their current professional training despite already having a Bachelor's or Master's. Because vocational schools can be for-profit entities, they may not fall under federal regulations for transfer units. Also, government student loans, education grants, and college scholarships for women may not necessarily apply.

Which Path To Pick?

Two years? Four years? Certification? Many different education paths lie before you, and the trick to deciding on one lies in weighing your different life and career priorities. In most cases, financial aid in the form of government student loans, education grants, and college scholarships for women are available, though some take more legwork than others. In other words, you should be able to enough opportunities and financial aid to open a number of doors -- it's up to you to take the first step.