How I got over 20 courses approved on Coursera for free
These days, people from all walks of life and occupational paths are engaged in an expanding quest for knowledge. Learning new things is a never-ending process. In the modern world, both professionals and students are searching for opportunities to learn new skills and obtain certificates. Online learning sites like Udemy, Coursera, Udacity, and others provide a wide selection of paid courses nowadays. However, in this article, I’ll walk you through the process of acquiring Coursera courses for free. An example would be made with the Database Engineer Professional Certificate course offered by Meta.
Advantages of online learning
Here are some of the key advantages of learning from platforms like these:
1. It offers self-paced learning, allowing students to progress through the material at their own speed
2. It typically offers a variety of multimedia resources, such as videos, interactive quizzes, simulations, and discussion forums
3. It allows for flexibility in scheduling.
4. It eliminates geographical barriers and makes education accessible to a wider audience
5. It can be more cost-effective than traditional education
6. It equips students with digital literacy and technical skills that are increasingly essential in today’s digital world
These free courses can be gotten through financial aid and it is important to note that not all courses on Coursera have this feature.
Steps For Application
The very first step to achieving this is to have an account with Coursera if you haven’t yet. Click here to register
Next, login into the platform and go to the search box. In the search box, type the name of the course you want to take and click on it when it shows up. From your PC, you would see a thing like this:
Hover your cursor on “Financial aid available” and click on it. It takes you to the next page where you see this:
In this case, there are multiple sub-courses in this course. This requires that you apply for each of them, starting with the first course in the list. Select the first course and click on “Next” and it takes you to this page:
Click on “Continue to the application” and it’ll take you to this page:
Here, you fill in your level of education, annual income, employment status and write your first essay on the reason you’re applying for financial aid.
In this essay, you can write about yourself, your passion to learn Database Engineering and break into tech but you are financially unstable to pay for the course. Explain why you can’t afford to pay for the course (e.g., unemployment, being a student, less than $100 income, high exchange rate(if necessary) etc.). Describe how you find it challenging to amass such a sum of money for the certificate and how Financial Aid will enable you to enroll in this course without having an adverse impact on your monthly critical needs. Describe how receiving the financial aid would enable you to pursue your professional goals and have a beneficial impact on society.
When you’re done writing the essay, click on “Next” and it’ll take you to this page:
In the section where you’re asked “How much can you pay for your selected course?”, type “0” and write the next essay - “How will your selected course help with your goals?”
In this essay, you can describe how you intend to use the course to accomplish your career goals in your essay. Describe your professional aspirations and how this is a milestone in your learning process. You can discuss how it has benefited others, why you think it will benefit you, and how you intend to finish the course. You can explain how getting the certification will help you land an entry-level position or an internship at the company of your dreams.
Click on the check boxes, copy and paste the statement: “I agree to the terms above” in the box beneath it
Click on the captcha and click on “Review”.
You may want to go through your application process and finally, click on “Submit Application”
It takes approximately two weeks to get your desired course approved. You’ll be notified through the email used during the registration phase.
With these steps, you are likely to be granted the financial aid and you’ll have access to the course. Good luck!
