Disclosure

You may qualify for a financial aid package which can help you return to school. Grants and scholarships can also help pay for your education. Click here to learn more at the U.S. Department of Education website

Not all programs are accelerated, available in all locations, or in both online and on-campus formats. Financial aid including grants, scholarships and loans may be available to those who qualify. Program lengths and outcomes vary according to each institution's specific curriculum and employment opportunities are not guaranteed. This is a consumer information site that offers free information, ratings and recommendations of colleges and universities. While we receive advertising revenue from most of the schools we rate and recommend, our editors thoroughly research each school and offer their honest opinions when rating each one. We are privately owned and operated and all opinions expressed on this site are our own, including, without limitation, our designation of a particular institution as being a "top" school.

Citations 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, full time workers age 25 and over saw median earnings with a bachelor's degree of $24,096 more than the median earnings of full-time wage and salary workers with only a high school diploma. (Based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary.) Source: http://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm (Date Visited: 9/10/20)

According to the 2011-12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:12): Student Financial Aid Estimates for 2011-12, the number of full-time students who received Pell grants in families with incomes between $60,000 to $80,000 increased to 18% in 2011-12 from 2% in 2007-08. Source: http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm

*The Federal Pell Grant is currently an annual award up to $6,345 and is usually given to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or a professional degree. In some cases, however, a student enrolled in a post-baccalaureate teacher certification program might receive a Federal Pell Grant. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan may not have to be repaid if you graduate, except under certain circumstances.
Source: http://studentaid.ed.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/pell

**Occasionally you might have to pay back part or all of a grant if, for example, you withdraw from school before finishing an enrollment period such as a semester. 
Source: http://studentaid.ed.gov/understand-aid/types/gran...

***Typically, the school first applies your grant or loan money toward your tuition, fees, and (if you live on campus) room and board. Any money left over is paid to you directly for other education expenses. Source: http://studentaid.ed.gov/compltee-aid-process/rece...

****Since 1972, more than 60 million Americans have received financial assistance to earn their degree. Source: https://blog.ed.gov/2012/06/celebrating-success-4...