‘Why are some qualifications so expensive?!’ I hear you cry. It’s a fair question, why are some Learning providers more expensive? If other study centres can provide cheaper courses, why can’t they? There are actually many legitimate reasons why some learning providers might charge more for their courses than others.

It is possible that the courses offered by the more expensive providers are so expensive partly because they have recruited the most experienced instructors to build and teach on the modules.

Besides securing teaching from top academics in their field, top course providers might also have developed relationships with Management experts and secured teaching from them. A learner will be able to gain real-life insight into the field and learn what skills are most valued by their employers and other businesses.

As a student, choosing a course with an all-star tutor team will really pay off, since these individuals are uniquely qualified to give you valuable insights into applying what you’ve learned in the workplace.

Ask:

• How many years have these tutors been teaching?
• Are they Management experts?
• Do they have industry experience and teaching experience?

Study centres with powerful accreditation partners may have higher course costs, which is something to keep in mind when choosing a study centre.

Accredited courses often require more fees to cover the assessments that are provided by the awarding body. The benefits students will receive from taking a course that is accredited can, however, make these higher fees more than worth it. 

As part of the fee, you will receive membership in the accrediting organisation, which will provide access to a wealth of additional resources, such as e-books, webinars, and powerful alumni networks. 

You will also earn instant brownie points with employers if you have a qualification from a well-respected accreditor such as Chartered Management Institute on your CV.

Ask:

• Is this course accredited?
• Who is it accredited by?
• How long has it been accredited for?

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

Since the provider likely conducted extensive market research and consulted with specialists, you’re likely to pay more for courses that offer the latest, most relevant content.

If students are going to learn from course content, it needs to be delivered in an engaging and innovative way. A quality course provider will deliver high-end materials, such as professionally shot videos with expert presenters, audio-content, and more.

The best way to ensure the course covers the topics you need is to sample a course brochure. Most reputable study centres have these available for download on their websites so that you can see what you’ll be learning.

Ask yourself:

• Do the learning materials look professional? Interesting?
• Will this style of learning be a good fit for me?
• Is there flexibility?

Rather than just selling you a course, a good learning provider gets to know you as a person and offers you the support you need to succeed.

In general, higher-quality learning providers will provide you with far more assistance. These course providers will recognise the need for continuous tailored support, meaning their assistance won’t end once you’ve enrolled. 

Many top courses offer personal onboarding meetings or calls to make sure that you’re fully immersed in the course, as well as a dedicated support person that you can contact with any questions and get a quick response from within 24 hours.

As you can imagine, installing the resources to facilitate this tailored support for each student costs money, especially when you consider the help may extend beyond the course itself, to your career prospects as well.

It’s important to remember the often invaluable nature of this added support may balance the cost.

Ask yourself:

• How will this study centre support me?
• What guidance will I receive during my course?
• Will my questions be responded to quickly?

Some courses will be more expensive because they are concerned about students’ learning and opportunities and offer a lot of extra resources, such as e-books or marketing templates you can use in your organisation, as well as industry updates and networking opportunities.

While checking the core learning package is important, you should also look at the extras that come with the qualification and what else you might find valuable for your money.

Ask yourself:

• Does paying more get me more if I choose this course?
• What extra benefits are being included?

There is no doubt that older more experienced learning providers will often provide higher quality courses than those newer to the market, who are still ironing out kinks. As these courses are more popular, they can charge a little more for their prestigious services due to the demand for them, which makes them more expensive.

Their prices, however, are often justified by their proven track records, as these courses have graduated thousands of students to highly respected positions.

Think of it from the perspective of a business transaction: when you hire someone for a job, you often pay more to hire a specialist because they are better at their job.

Ask:

• How long has this course provider been around?
• Does this study centre have a record of helping students?
• Does this learning centre adhere to professional standards formed over many years of experience and research?

Some of the more experienced providers and awarding bodies will have a evidence showing that graduates are more likely to earn more and get promoted.

It is likely that the best courses will have very high pass rates and excellent student feedback, as well as providing demonstrable evidence of how studying with them has supported, progressed and improved the careers of past students.

Ask:

• Will this course help me achieve my goals?
• Is this course worth my investment?
• What do past students say about the course? What have they gone on to do?

Less expensive courses will hopefully still strive to provide the best teaching possible, but they probably won’t recruit the best academic tutors and industry experts who cost much more to hire. Some providers who charge less may only hire tutors with subject matter knowledge but may lack the commercial / industry experience.

Some providers will also have trainees, less experienced tutors on their courses. It will still be possible to get the knowledge to pass the qualification at the top level but may lack detail, depth and application to really take command of the subject matter.

There will always be a price difference between accredited and non-accredited study centers when it comes to marketing courses in UK study centers.

Accreditation from an organization like a university or an awarding body who awards the qualification and/or accredits it (i.e. regulates the course content and supervises its creation to ensure top standard learning) incurs assessment and membership fees for the study center payable to the accrediting organisation.

Therefore, centers without accreditation can offer courses at a significantly lower price, but students will miss out on the numerous advantages of an official accreditation on their CV.

Depending on how the course provider delivers it, and the quality and presentation of the learning materials, the cost of a course can vary.

The reason why many companies are less expensive is because they are using learning materials that are less costly to produce, such as recorded webinars or PowerPoint slides with voiceover; such materials can be very useful learning tools but may not be as engaging or informative.

It’s important to sample content from different learning providers before choosing a centre.

In general, course providers will usually offer a basic level of support while you are on the course (for example, you might have a virtual learning environment with a chat function where you can submit your questions to the group and scheduled group calls to discuss assignments) but some will offer a more comprehensive support approach tailored to your needs.

In general, cheaper learning providers are more interested in enrolling you on the course and are less concerned about providing you with support as, simply put, providing more advanced, personalised support is more expensive.

There are some learning providers who will have a dedicated team to respond to students and ensure they answer questions quickly and it can be worth paying more for peace of mind.

A newer provider of learning won’t have the years of experience and track record for driving training standards, investing in and improving courses that comes with being a veteran provider.

Some providers are just catch all providers, so they deliver anything and everything so lack the focus and dedication to provide a high end experience in one specialist area.

Some providers tend to be cheaper because they want to attract as many new students as possible to get them started- and good luck to them! As they’re entering the market in the here and now, they may find new and innovative content and ways of teaching, since they have not been in the game too long to see the bigger picture. Nevertheless, it’s not always a good idea to be guinea pigs for newcomers.

Rather than simply providing you with knowledge and a piece of paper, a course provider who is an expert in your field will help you achieve your goals and think big picture.

Choosing a learning provider is essentially a business transaction. You probably have an idea of what you want from a course and what you need on your resume if you want to grow your skillset or increase your employability.

Finding and securing a job or career opportunity is ultimately up to you, but cheaper courses may not provide you with the networking opportunities and advice you need to secure a job after you gain your qualification.

When you’re looking for a course, you’re probably looking for a provider with an impressive employment rate and a track record of getting people into jobs; these tend to be more expensive.

When you’re determined, choosing a cheaper option won’t necessarily hinder your career success, but it may not help it either, and not feeling like you’re progressing as a result of your studies can lead to demotivation.