Feeling unable to study and reach your full potential due to cost can be very frustrating and lead to unnecessary stress at work. You might find yourself wondering why many qualifications seem to be so expensive! But believe it or not, going with the cheapest option isn’t always the simple solution it seems and there are many good reasons why some learning providers might charge more for their courses than others.

Often the more expensive course providers might be so partly because they have recruited the most experienced tutors to help them create and teach the course.

As well as the top academic tutors in the field, top course providers may even have developed relationships with and secured teaching from industry experts working in marketing who will be able to give learners real life current insights into the field and what skills are most valued by them or other businesses and employers.

Choosing a course with an all-star cast of tutors will really benefit you as a student, as no one is better qualified than these individuals to provide you with unique insights into how you can apply what you’ve learned in the real world of work.

Ask:

• Approximately how many years have the tutors been teaching?
• Are they experts in their field?
• Do the tutors have both industry experience and tutoring experience?

Another big factor which might drive price up on a course is whether or not it’s accredited and who it’s accredited by.

When searching for a study centre it’s important to remember some study centres will be backed by powerful accreditors. For example some of the top marketing courses will probably be accredited by the CIM, the leading international awarding body for professional marketing qualifications, and a global champion of best marketing practice.

Accredited courses will often cost more as some fees will need to go to the accreditor to pay for the assessments, which they provide. However these higher fees can be more than worth it for the benefits undertaking an accredited course will reap for students. The fees will often include membership to the accrediting organisation which can provide a wealth of extra benefits in the form of access to resources like e-books and webinars and powerful alumni networks. Gaining a qualification from a well-respected accreditor like CIM can also dramatically increase your employability and career prospects as being able to put it on your CV will win you instant brownie points with employers.

When you consider some study centers have been accredited for years or even decades this can be a powerful indicator of the quality of their courses, as in order to remain accredited they will probably have to undergo yearly reviews and rigorous tests to prove they are maintaining their standards encouraging them to constantly innovate and improve.

Ask:

• Is this course accredited?
• Who by?
• How long for?

Another factor you should take into account when looking for a course provider is how their qualifications are delivered. 

Courses which offer the best, most up to date content which is going to teach you the relevant skills to make a difference in your field, are likely going to be more expensive as the provider has probably conducted extensive market research and consulted with specialists and employers in the industry in order to create content which is really going to benefit students and their future employers.

Likewise course content needs to be delivered in an engaging and innovative way if students are going to really make the most of it and learn from it. The best course providers will deliver high-end learning materials such as professionally shot videos with expert presenters, audio-content and more, which understandably comes at a higher cost.

You can make sure the course is going to cover the learning that you need by sampling a course brochure, most reputable study centres will make these available to download on their website so you can see what you’ll be learning.

You can also check the quality of the material beforehand as many courses will offer a free trial of their teaching resources which will give you an indication into the quality of the learning experience you can expect.

Ask yourself:

• How do the learning materials look?
• Is this a good fit for my learning style?
• Am I going to be engaged by and enjoy this content?

A good learning provider won’t just try to sell you a course, they will actually get to know you as a person and care about you succeeding, offering you the support you need to pass.

In general, higher-quality learning providers will provide you with far more assistance. They will take the time to talk to you to understand your needs, look at your CV, and demonstrate honesty and integrity by making sure you’re studying at the right level and in the right subject before they sign you up, as if you study at the wrong level or take the wrong subject, it will only waste your time and money.

Better course providers will also recognise the need for continuous tailored support, the help won’t stop once you have signed up to one of their courses. Top courses might offer personal onboarding meetings or calls to ensure you’re properly embedded in your course, as well as a dedicated support person who you can contact with any queries and get a quick response from perhaps within 24 hours. 

You might receive one on one sessions not only with dedicated support staff but also with your tutors too.

Of course putting in place the resources to facilitate this tailored support for each student does cost and will drive up fees, especially when you consider help may not be limited to issues surrounding the course, but extend to your career prospects beyond the course.

For example, you might be offered help with your CV or LinkedIn profile or even get help on interview techniques, or aspects of your job you’re struggling with. Its important to remember the often invaluable nature of this added support may balance the cost.

Ask yourself:

• How will I be supported by this course provider while researching my options?
• How will I be supported during my course?
• Will the learning provider respond to my queries quickly?
• Am I going to be able to pick up the phone and talk with a real person?

Often more expensive courses will be so partly because they care about their students learning and opportunities and offer extensive extra resources, for example, e-books or marketing templates you can use in your organisation or industry updates and networking opportunities with alumni. 

It’s important to check what’s included in the core learning package, but you should also take a look at what extras are included with the qualification and what else you get for your money that might be valuable to you.

Ask yourself: 

• Do I get more, if I pay more for this course?
• What extra resources and benefits are being included?

It stands to reason that older learning providers who have vastly more experience and many years practice delivering courses will often be better quality than those newer to the market who are still ironing out kinks. These well known and respected courses can be more expensive as they are more popular and can charge a little more for their prestigious services due to demand.

However their prices are often justified by a proven track record. These courses will usually be able to boast having seen thousands of students through their training to gain highly respected qualifications. These kinds of courses will also usually have very high pass rates and generate excellent student feedback.

You could think about this from the context of a business transaction. When you hire someone to do a job, you often pay more to hire a specialist because they will do the best job.

Choosing a course is similar, there are some learning providers that offer hundreds of courses in a variety of subject areas, and therefore probably won’t offer the best quality specialist training in any of them. Specialised providers will pick one or two topics or courses and focus on specialist, quality delivery.

Ask:

• How long has this learning provider been in business?
• Does this learning provider has a track record of helping students attain top qualifications?
• Does this learning centre adhere to professional standards formed over many years of experience and research?

Undertaking a training course from a well-known and well-reputed institute which has connections in the industry and will help you get a job via their support systems and reputation will likely be more expensive, but it’s probably worth the cost in that you’ll likely get the boost you need to secure a job. It’s easy to see how you’d probably be getting a far better return on your investment by paying a little extra and going with them.

The best courses are likely to be able to provide demonstrable evidence of how studying with them has supported, progressed and improved the careers of past students. They will also have very high pass rates and excellent student feedback.

Ask:

• Will I be getting expert careers advice from a provider who knows what they are talking about?
• Will this learning provider and course help me achieve my dream goals?
• Is this course worth my investment?
• What do past students say? What have they gone on to do?