TechnicalSchool.org » Lesley Sproles

Finding Money In The Couch

Lesley Sproles — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:32:29 +0000

I wrote an earlier post that dealt with filing a FAFSA financial aid report. I also wanted to address other ways to find money for school or to finance your education. Check with your employer. Many times employers offer tuition reimbursement for educational expenses. This amount varies by employer and they may only give you money for a degree related to your current field. They want to make sure they won’t be paying for an education that they won’t get to reap the benefits of. For example, if you work at a hospital they may only cover the expenses if you are seeking a degree in a medical related field, such as nursing or a radiology technician for example.

Scholarships and grants are another great way to get money for school. You don’t necessarily have to have a great ACT/SAT score or great grades to get scholarships. Some scholarships are based on financial need and other factors rather than grades. You may have to maintain a certain grade point average once in school to keep the scholarship, however. There are tons of scholarships and grants available for a variety of things. For example, if you are going into teaching there are many financial assistance opportunities out there. If you are male, a minority, and interested in teaching math, science, or special education, you may be able to get your entire education paid for.

Am I Too Old For School?

Lesley Sproles — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0000

In May of 2007, 95 year-old Nola Ochs graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in History. She is the oldest person to ever graduate college. So the answer to the age question is absolutely not. You’re not too old, you will NEVER be too old to return to school. Sometimes in the day-to-day struggle of working and raising children or caring for elderly parents we think “Is this all there is?” I have asked myself that question many times. Then I realized that it would not be selfish of me to return to school, in fact, I would be doing my children and husband a favor.

By fulfilling my dreams and ambitions I have become a better mother and wife and a happier person in general. That’s not to say that I haven’t wanted to give up or that it was easy to start over, it wasn’t easy and I frequently wanted to throw in the towel. Since you are reading this blog you have taken an important step on the path to your educational future.

Technology has completely revolutionized how we attend school. I finished my BA in English from a really great college completely online. I lived two hundred miles from the school and I never set foot on campus. Not all online degrees offer online options but many schools offer blended programs where some of the classes are at the school and some are online or telecourses.

The opportunities are there for people of all ages to begin or continue their education. Don’t give up on yourself if you think you’re too old. You’re never too old to learn something new.

Funding Your Education

Lesley Sproles — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:15:08 +0000

One of the biggest hurdles people face in starting or advancing their education is finding the money to pay for it. There is a lot of money out there if you know where to look. Depending on your financial status y0u may find ways to get your education expenses entirely covered.

When you decide what you want to do and have narrowed your school options down then you can apply for financial aid. This is the first step everyone should take once they have decided to attend school. You will need your most current tax return, if you live with your parents and were claimed as a dependent on their tax return then you will need their return for the application process. Then go to the FAFSA website, you can either print out an application or apply online. If you choose the online option you will need to apply for a pin number first, this is for electronic signature purposes. It may sound slightly confusing but the website is really easy to navigate and offers a plethora of information regarding student aid. Applying for financial aid does not obligate you to anything. If you are approved for financial aid or a federal student loan you will have to sign papers agreeing with the conditions before you are given the money. You must also specify the schools that you would be attending. You can name more than one school, which comes in handy if you want to see where you can get the most financial aid. Once you receive your FASFA report you do not need to do anything if you choose not to attend school or find other means of paying for your education.

Even if you think you will manage okay financially you may be entitled to some financial aid or grants based on your ethnicity or chosen path in school. It would be a shame to let the money go to waste.

Pharmacy Technicians

Lesley Sproles — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:02:29 +0000

A lot of people don’t realize that most work done in the pharmacy is done by pharmacy technicians and not the pharmacists. The pharmacists do a very important job, without them we couldn’t have medications, but the pharmacy techs also do an important job. When you visit your local pharmacy you don’t often deal with the pharmacists. Often the one helping you behind the counter is the pharmacy techs. What exactly do they do? Well, they get the prescriptions ready to be signed off by a pharmacist. They contact doctor’s offices for prescriptions and help you with any questions. According to the US Bureau on Labor Statistics they make an average of $12 and $20 per hour depending on where and when they work. Hospitals employ pharmacy technicians to distribute and prepare medications within the pharmacy. It usually only takes a semester or two worth of classes to become a pharmacy tech.

Find a pharmacy technician schools today!

Work From Home

Lesley Sproles — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:08:06 +0000

My stepfather had spent thirty years working as a radiology technician at a hospital before he decided to retire. That only lasted about a month before he started to drive my mom crazy. She suggested he look for a small job. He decided to become a medical billing coder. He took an online course and was certified. Then the jobs came rolling in. Unfortunately for my mom, he’s still hanging around the house but at least he’s doing something.

Many doctor’s offices and other medical services outsource their medical billing coder specialist, often looking for those who work from home. A medical billing coder uses special codes for diagnoses and services for billing purposes. This system is used in every doctor’s office and hospital. Medicare also requires physicians to submit coded bills to be reimbursed. For example, the Medicare diagnosis code for an acute appendicitis is 540.0.

Medical biling coders work in a variety of health care settings from hospitals and doctors offices to claims departments at insurance companies and Medicare reveiw offices.

The certification programs are usually set up in series. There are many schools that offer the certification courses, including Heald and Everest College. The online class may require more discipline and study time then a class that you physically attend. Medical billing coders, also referred to as Health Information Technicians, and, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, can make anywhere from $28,000 to $45,000 per year. The job prospects are excellent for this line of work. Jobs are expected to increase 18% over the next few years.

This is type of job is great for stay-at-home parents, those with disabilities, and anyone else interested in working from home. There are also ample job opportunities within hospitals and doctors’ offices.

Search for a school now to find a medical billing and coding program just for you.

Pharm D.

Lesley Sproles — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 02:20:53 +0000

Did you know that pharmacists actually have their doctorate? It’s called a Pharm D. and takes between six and seven years to complete. Until recently pharmacists only needed a bachelor’s degree but that has changed. If you were great at chemistry in high school then you would probably make a good pharmacist because drugs are chemicals after all. If you are interested in becoming a pharmacist you will probably need to get a few gen eds. out of the way first. You can do a simple search on this site to locate a pharmacy school and then learn what the prerequisites are for entrance into a Pharm D. program. Getting into a pharmacy school can be pretty competitive. It’s no wonder since pharmacists make $83,000 to $120,000 per year, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The job prospects look pretty great too. In the next several years there is expected to be a 22 percent increase in available pharmacy jobs. Don’t get me wrong the work to get there is pretty hard but I would tough out six years of school for $120,000 a year. Sweet!

Can you see me now?

Lesley Sproles — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:38:56 +0000

A few years ago I broke my pinky during a softball game. It hurt like crazy and I actually passed out on the pitcher’s mound on my way to the in-field. Pretty embarrassing since it was just one little finger. A friend drove me to an urgent care center where a radiology technician took xrays of my finger. Yep, it was broken. In several places. Did you know they don’t give you casts for your fingers, only splints?

So this radiology technician, what exactly did she do? Well she took an xray of my finger. My step-dad spent twenty five years as a radiology technician. He said it was pretty tough work and he’s seen some pretty awful things but he also said it was very rewarding.

Radiology technicians prepare and take xrays in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other out patient facilities. An xray can save your life.One guy I knew was in a car accident. He was having trouble breathing and the ER docs couldn’t figure out why. An xray showed that a broken rib had punctured and collapsed his lung. They inserted a chest tube and he was all better. Rad Techs, as they’re known in the field, usually get certified in two to three years. Many trade schools offer these programs. Rad Tech jobs are expected to grow 15% in the next few years. According to the US Bureau on Labor Statistics they make anywhere from $40,000 to $70,000 per year. Rad Techs can also go on to become certified CT techs, US techs and a variety of other diagnostic imaging technicians.

To find a radiology technician school in your area, visit our school search page.

Is Accreditation Really Important?

Lesley Sproles — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:06:35 +0000

Trying to find a college or trade school can be a scary task when you think about all the information that’s out there. How do you know which school to choose? What are the “good” schools? How will you know which school will offer you the best education? One way to weed out some of the junk is to look for a school’s accreditation status. What is accreditation you ask? Well, I’ll tell you… accreditation is the process of assuring quality education in various types of schools. Schools seeking accreditation status must meet a set of criteria that deem it worthy of your time and money. Attending an accredited school is important because you know you are receiving a quality education and that your education will be recognized as viable.

There are a couple of different private institutions that do the accreditation and are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Some schools are regionally accredited and some are nationally accredited. Since each school sets their own transfer requirements it doesn’t really matter if it is regionally or nationally accredited.

Some of the schools offering degrees or certificates online are completely bogus and only looking for your money. The other day I saw an advertisement for a school that would give you your medical “certificate” if you paid a hefty fee. This didn’t actually involve any classes or anything just paying for a piece of paper basically. Would you really want someone taking care of you in a hospital who received their education from a school like that? Me either. If you do get your degree or certificate from an unaccredited school you run the risk of not being able to transfer credits.

Find a school and start your pursuit to a new career today!

More Than Just Nursing

Lesley Sproles — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:48:58 +0000

You’d be surprised at how many jobs there are at a hospital. And the majority of them aren’t nurses. Respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists, radiology technicians, and medical coding/billing specialists are just a fraction of the types of jobs at a hospital. Many of them only require two years, or less, of schooling but they pay excellent. Like I’ve said before, health care is growing at a ridiculous pace and there is an increasing shortage of job applicants for these jobs.

You can train for some of the jobs, like a medical coding/billing, with an online program or through certificate programs offered at some community colleges.

Search for a school now to find a successful and rewarding career in health care.

Financing Your Nursing Career

Lesley Sproles — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:42:16 +0000

One of the biggest hurdles of going to school is finding the money. Fortunately, there is a lot of financial help out there for nursing students. Scholarships, grants, loans, and tuition reimbursement all help pay for school. If you start working part-time or fill-time at a hospital many of them offer tuition reimbursement programs. They will give you money to go to school.

Some bigger hospitals are offering big sign-on bonuses for nurses because there is such a huge nursing shortage. Some hospitals will offer as much as $20,000 to help you pay off student loans. Federal loans are another great option. Once you have applied to a school visit www. fafsa.gov to apply for financial aid.