What is Coursera's financial aid?

If you can’t afford Coursera paid courses, it has got you covered by a cost-effective strategy where it provides you with financial aid as an alternative to the free courses.

But what actually is Coursera Financial Aid? This is a relaxation for career-oriented and ambitious individuals who want to grow academically and professionally but the financial constraints are a consistent hurdle in their way. Considering these problems, Coursera has introduced its financial aid to polish your skills at low costs. In this opportunity, you will be able to grab maximum discounts. This way the course will be offered to you at a price that will not be a burden on your pocket.

The next question arises who is eligible to get Coursera Financial aid? The answer is simple and straight, the deserving people. Previously, the policy to provide aid to deserving people was much more lenient but as a result, people started exploiting it. Therefore, now Coursera has opted for a strict policy where only deserving individuals with an enthusiasm to learn can avail of the premium services at low cost. The transparency has increased but the process has become more complex comparatively.

All students, young learners, and professionals who consider themselves weak financially are eligible to apply for financial aid. The financial status of an individual decides his eligibility. As discussed earlier, the requirements were different a few years ago. Coursera used to offer discounts even to individuals having strong academic records and good professional skills. Now, your bank account decides your discount, not your merit.

As we are discussing the procedure has become difficult now. So, what documents are required for the aid? No official documents or degrees are required to be submitted but only one application can do wonders. It should give your comprehensive introduction indicating your qualifications, experience, expertise, goals, skills, etc. You need to give reasons to Coursera why are you applying for its financial aid. The tricky part is that you can not exceed 150 words. This word limit is given on the website on which the application is submitted. Be precise while writing down the application but do not forget to mention every important detail that might prove to be a reason for your selection. We will provide you with some beneficial tips that you can follow while writing the application:

1. The application should have all the important details about you like your major degrees, major experiences, etc.
2. The clever wordplay comes into action while writing the future goals. Everybody has a number of goals that they consider important but they are not important in actuality. Here only those goals need to be highlighted that match your profession and experience. Also, the details should align with the courses you are willing to take.
3. In the last part of your application, write about the causes that are pushing you to ask for Coursera Financial aid. Writing reasons does not mean you have to request or beg for the discount as it will not bring any result. Instead, give solid and legitimate reasons rather than lame excuses as this part mostly moves the decision of the management.

After writing and proofreading the application, you should submit it. After this step, a pop-up labeled ‘submitted successfully‘ will appear on your screen. You will have to wait for two to four weeks to hear back from them. This is a standard time taken by Coursera management for reviewing the application and formulating their approval or disapproval. If you get selected, you will either get an email or the update will be shared on your application by the Coursera management. For that matter, you should keep on checking your profile about the possible status after submitting the application in the updates section. Once approved, you will become eligible to claim a discount on the selected course.

Just to prepare you for the worst, the other side of the coin could be your destiny as well. You might not get selected and the Coursera management might disapprove your application. Let us see and learn what could be the possible mistakes that motivated their decision:

1. The form might not be completely and carefully filled.
2. The course you have selected might not have enough discount options.
3. Your financial status might not be that low to make you a suitable candidate for financial aid.
4. You might not be credible enough comparatively.

But with every bad news, there is a piece of good news as well. In this case, it is that you can send unlimited free applications to them to claim your discount. Do not worry and apply again with a more powerful application this time. It is a user-friendly platform so if you are not getting aid for one course you might get it for another course. Keep trying.

One last thing that is worth mentioning here is that aid does not come free but with a time limit. If you have got a discount, then you will have to complete the course in 180 days or 6 months. After this period, the discount expires. However, you can apply again for the discount if you have not availed in the first place not otherwise because the screening system has become rigid now because of the misuse of aid previously. It has established an Honor Code, where you agree that all information provided is true. And you also agree to pay legal penalties if you are caught fraudulent.

Another way to access Coursera courses, if the application for financial aid gets disapproved, is to audit the course. In this way, you will have access to the important fragments of the course but not the entirety. Coursera has introduced it for the newbies to learn new things. In this option, you can only avail the bare minimum of the course and will not be able to build skills with practical steps. You will not be able to approach assignments and will not get any personalized feedback. This way you will not get any certificate but if you pay for it at the end then you will also be able to access the entire course.