With the recent dramatic issues that arose relating to the cost of education in South Africa, the protests and all that, no one would take serious information about getting an education at no cost in the country. It’s simply impossible. But then, we discovered these platforms where anyone who’s willing to be educated but couldn’t afford the cost of education could get educated. Yes, you read it right, it’s almost free – all you need is the desire to be educated.
So, enough of all those talks about not being able to afford school fees, you can even get a certificate on completing a course. If you really need to be educated, internet connection is almost free in the country; get the conventional computer or any other similar gadget and hook up with the listed outlets below. All it will cost is less than nothing.
Check Out: Top 10 South African Universities With The Best Academic Performance
1. Coursera
Founded by Stanford professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, Coursera is an education outlet that works with top universities and educational organizations in the world to offer courses online for anyone to take. The learning platform based in Mountain View CA connects to online courses taught by over 120 of the “world’s top universities and educational institutions, including Stanford, Yale and Princeton.” Offering the opportunity to pick a choice course from more than 1,500 courses “in topics ranging from business to technology to literature.” Courses are open to anyone, and financial aid is available “to give learners who face significant economic hardship the chance to earn Course Certificates.” The platform had over 28 million registered users and 149 strategic partners across 29 countries as of 2017.
2. Lynda
Lynda.com is there to help you build the skills you need to achieve your full potential. As a leading online learning company, Lynda is there to help anyone willing to learn about business, software, technology and creative skills. And as a member, you’ll gain access to Lynda’s video library of “engaging, top-quality courses taught by recognized industry experts.” For starters, you’ll have a 10 days free and unlimited access to Lynda. You’ll have to cancel the free trial before it ends else your paid membership will automatically begin. And before you start blabbing; “it isn’t free,” go take the trial lectures first. There is a lot to learn within the 10 days it will last and who knows, you might find reasons to continue. Established in 1995 in California, the platform has evolved over the years and has seen significant growth in its financing revenue. It has more than 500 employees around the world. The growth is also seen in its technology; broadcasting its courses on Apple TV application since 2015.
See Also: 11 Most Expensive Schools In South Africa
3. Alison
Alison is a global online learning community that is based in Galway, Ireland. The learning provider offers over 750 high-quality courses at both certificate and diploma level. It was founded by serial entrepreneur, Mike Feerick in 2007. The platform’s standards-based and certified online courses provide an opportunity to be successful as they are all free and self-paced. All you have to do is to decide what you want to study and find the right course. Once you’ve found the course of your choice, you’ll be required to register your account, and then kick-start your study. Also, you can take and re-take an assessment at your own convenient time but must score 80% and above to excel. You can order your certificate and download your learner record as evidence of your study as soon as you are through with a course.
4. edX
edX prides itself as a leading MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) provider that is both “nonprofit and open source,” so take advantage of that and learn whatever you’ve ever wanted to learn in “computer science, languages, engineering, psychology, writing, electronics, biology, or marketing.” edX, as founded and still governed by colleges and universities has an “Open edX” platform that powers edX courses which are Freely available. What have you been waiting for?
5. Udacity
Udacity like others is on a similar mission to “change the future of education by bridging the gap between real-world skills, relevant education, and employment.” Like Lynda, Udacity offers a free trial for its courses and “Nanodegree program”. During the free trial period, “you will have access to Coach – moderated forums for your program and all features that come with a paid enrollment…If you decide to stay in the program…Your card will automatically be charged.” Meanwhile, you can cancel your subscription anytime during the free trial, but will not be able to graduate from the program and earn a certificate with the free trial sessions.
