Published: Monday, April 30, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro

Before the iSchool, I had no experience taking classes online. I was a little apprehensive at first, but now I wouldn’t trade it for anything. There are so many advantages to being a virtual student. One that might not seem obvious right away is the financial benefit. With the rising cost of tuition and the burden of student loans, applying to an exclusively online program like those offered by the SJSU School of Information, is a smart move.

Cut Out the Commute
Strolling over to your desk or propping up the laptop in bed doesn’t cost you a thing. Getting into your car, filling up the gas tank, sitting in traffic and fighting for a parking spot on campus costs you time AND money. No thanks! Not to mention the added wear and tear on your vehicle and the price of a parking permit. Being home also means you can watch the kids (save on daycare), let the dog out and avoid getting packages stolen from your front porch. You can be enrolled from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection, which also makes it easy to move, should the need to arise.

No Need to Relocate
Speaking of moving, you don’t have to worry about planning a stressful move, selling your house or leaving your friends and family behind. Moving costs can really add up. So don’t bother researching how much graduate housing on campus goes for or how you’re going to afford a place to live in California, just relax where you are.

Flexibility to Continue Working
The ability to set your own schedule is priceless. This means you don’t have to quit your job if you don’t want to. Participating in classes conveniently works around your schedule. Say you are gainfully employed Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, then you can listen to lectures and do your assignments in the evenings, on weekends or even during your lunch breaks.

There has only been a handful of mandatory live online sessions that I had to attend during my two and a half years at the iSchool; instructors understand that students have busy schedules just like they do. According to graduate student exit survey data, 87% of MLIS students were employees at public libraries, K-12 schools, academic libraries and a host of other types of career environments while they were studying at the iSchool.

Fewer Textbooks
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library has many resources available electronically for distance students. Most classes have at least one required textbook. Sometimes you can find an electronic version or the professor will provide PDFs of the chapters you need to read. This all adds up to fewer textbooks that you have to purchase which can spare you a considerable amount of money over the course of your program. You also won’t need to print your assignments, saving you a small amount in ink and paper supplies. Submitting assignments in Canvas, the Learning Management System used by the iSchool, is as simple as attaching a document in the designated dropbox.

A Smart Move
The lower costs associated with an online program prove studying at the School of Information is both flexible and affordable. Not only are you making a smart move professionally by enrolling at the iSchool, it’s also a sound financial decision. Just think of all the fun things you could do with the money you’ll save!

Check out these previous blog posts for more cash stacking tips:

• Student Discounts to Take Advantage of this Shopping Season
• Tax Benefits for Students: How to Max Out Your Tax Return
• Applications for iSchool Scholarships and Graduating Awards Now Open