Academically speaking, September is really like January - the start of a new year. Our youth are returning to school having advanced a grade. High school graduates are venturing off to college. And, for many adults, Labor Day is a reminder that this is a good time to finish what they started – earning a college degree.

According to a 2007 survey conducted by the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help Hispanic professionals at all stages of their careers, Hispanic professionals are better educated than their parents. The majority of the professionals indicated that their parents never completed a degree. This, alone, may be an incentive for degree completion. You also may be considering a return to college to:

a.)    Update your skills

b.)    Apply for a position that requires a degree

c.)    Advance or change your career

d.)   Achieve a sense of accomplishment

e.)    All of the above

So, you make your “new year’s” resolution. You are going to complete your degree. But then reality sets in…you have a job, you have a family, you have….a life. It’s time to look more closely at these perceived barriers to completing your degree and, more importantly, determine how to overcome them. Most obstacles boil down to one or both things: time and money.  So let’s talk about how to get beyond each of these roadblocks.

Time – There are a number of institutions of higher education that recognize they have to provide alternative ways for adults to “attend” class. Night and weekend classes are much more available then they were even ten years ago (However, many programs of study are still offered only during the day.) Distance learning – sometimes called online learning – provides even more flexibility. People find they can work, tend to after-work commitments and complete assignments according to their own unique schedules. And, they save the commute time! While in the past some employers were more skeptical of online learning, the word is out – a majority of employers have a favorable attitude toward online instruction (American Society for Training and Development).

Money – An education is a pretty big investment – but, it is one that definitely pays off! Individuals who possess a bachelor’s degree earn much more than someone without a degree. But what about today – how can you afford to return to college? Financial Aid is available to qualifying students in the form of grants, scholarships and loans. Grants are need-based. You have to be at a certain income level to receive this “free” money. Student loans are offered at reasonably low interest rates to non- need based applicants. And while it may be hard to bite the bullet and take out a loan, your future earnings will offset the costs before you know it.

Now, I am not advocating jumping in over your head. I am simply suggesting that you allocate money for education in your budget just as you would a car payment. The car is going to rust. Your education is with you for life.

Happy September.