“Are Private Learning Institutions more expensive than Public Learning Institutions?”
It’s always a mission to find a suitable institution for your studies, isn’t it? Well after you have read the below article, you should be able to tell which option is best for you.
Students are usually looking for quality and a reputable brand that is well known. They will first shop around to see which college is best and most affordable then they will invest in their education because they want a good education and at the same time save some money. On a personal level I find that very often it is not the institution that matters, it’s a case of your education really starts at home and it’s how you grow up which ultimately makes you who you are.
There is a perception that private colleges are generally considered out of reach for the average college bound student because of high fees. However, that is not always the case and depending on the institution in question it may be as affordable if not cheaper than any average state funded college. Private colleges offer students the benefit of smaller class sizes, one-on-one attention allowing for more focus on the curriculum. Some private colleges are more expensive because they have a better student to lecturer ratio giving a more personal learning and teaching experience.
Colleges and universities each offer different educational experiences. Doing a certificate or diploma course requiring one or two years of study at a college as opposed to three to four years of study at a university means you can get employed much faster and gain some life experience, but ultimately the choice to be made as to where to study is largely influenced by the personal circumstances (mostly financial) of the individual student and whether they meet the entrance requirements for the different institutions.
Private colleges offer a number of benefits for some students, but as with anything they do come with a few disadvantages as well. Smaller private colleges often have smaller departments and cannot offer the facilities, faculties and qualifications that are available at larger public institutions such as state universities, universities of technology or FET colleges. For students wishing to pursue a postgraduate or doctoral degree, these options might not be available at a private college and it will thus be necessary to transfer to another university to complete their studies. Most private colleges typically only offer up to degree level.
Before deciding on a college or university, it’s important to consider what your requirements are in terms of learning and which institution will suit you best in terms of meeting those requirements. Entrance requirements to the different learning programmes and affordability will also play a big role in your choice of institution. Most institutions want their fees upfront or most of the time they want deposits and student don’t always have the money to pay for their studies. There are financing options available for studying. For more information on study finance options you can read Debt Management for Students.
Your choice of studies must ultimately equip you with the knowledge and skills for the career you wish to pursue. In some cases your planned career is in high demand because of a huge shortage of qualified people at the time, however, consider whether this will still be the situation by the time you have finished your studies.
When deciding on which institution you want to study at, look at both private and public universities and colleges and see which institution come closest to meeting your requirements in terms of what you can study for and whether it is affordable and practical for you in terms of your personal circumstances.
So do you want to study at a Private Institution or at a Public Institution? The ball is in your court…
The views expressed in the blog post are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the South African College of Business.