As you may know, I will soon begin earning my doctorate in literature. I am a lifelong learner who is a big fan of those who are educating others. That is why I was thrilled to interview Matthew Einsohn of Free Education University, an online training course that teaches you what you need to know to get your education for free.
What brought you to start your course?
It first started about 9 years ago when I was talking with friends at a gathering about our time in college and how things are going. One of the conversations that came up is how much we all owed after 4+ years of college.
First friend said,"$20,000".
Second friend said,"$15,000".
I said,"$0".
They looked at me in shock and asked, “How did you do it?!” I went on to explain my story of how I made this happen for myself. As I shared more and more of story my friends expressed shock and amazement in both words and body language. Afterwards, they told me that they are thinking of going for their masters and wondering if I could help them find money. I was not sure I could teach it since I had never showed someone else before, so I told them I could not help them right now. I had many more conversations like this with friends, and noticed it was not something that happens often. I did not know that most people took out loans for school.
Just to share with the readers out there, it took a lot of work for me to figure out how to get a debt free education. A lot of mistakes were made, and a lot of lessons were learned. I know that I said I just made it happen, but it took a lot of work. My hope is that you will start a head of where I was when I was 17 years old.
About a year later, I was going through my masters with no debt, and I was having the same conversation with my friends from the graduate program. This time, my friends asked if I would ever consider doing a presentation at a conference that the graduate program puts on twice a year. This time I said, “Yes". I felt ready to start sharing what I knew because I had taken what I learned during my undergraduate years and applied the concepts to my graduate program, and I had been successful. Additionally, I realized that it was a big deal for people to go through college without loans. No one wants to owe money to another person. I mean, it was such a big motivator for me in high school that I worked my butt off to make sure it did not happen.
Some people will tell you that student loans are an investment, and I can tell you that to most people it does not feel that way. Most people look at it as a necessary burden to move up in the world. Needless to say, hearing and seeing this for the second time, I knew I had to share what I knew.
It was three weeks before I am to give a presentation, and I am working on my story. I am writing down what I had done, and started asking why I did it in the first place. When I was 17 the only two things I knew was that I did not want go to a local college because I thought I would never leave my house, and the idea of owing anyone anything. I felt that if I owed someone money, then they had power over me and that I was not free. I wanted to make sure that I stayed free, and I would do anything to make sure I didn't owe anyone.
After I gave my first, standing room only, presentation I knew that I was giving people the power to do what I did and be free. This was the true beginning of Free Education University. I was inspired to help people free themselves from the burden of student loans, because when they are free from that, they will do what they love and not just do something to make living, but they will do something to make a life.
-How have you helped people with your course?
The goal for the program is to cultivate strategies, outline steps to achieve goals, push boundaries, and create awareness for future funding, all, while erasing the possibility of student debt. I condensed the last decade of experience into eleven courses that help people find the right supplemental financial programs in order to fund anyone's education or any vocational training past high school. As we move through the material, I will be sharing my own stories on how I found money and helped others as well. These interactive courses will help you conceptualize yourself in enabling more success as you focus on those scholarships/grants that have meaning in your life. I will also help you refine your story in order to make you a memorable candidate when applying for scholarships. I will translate every part of your story of who you are into scholarship potential. Not only will you walk away with resources, but I will strengthen your capability to source funding on your own, so that you go through undergraduate and graduate school without taking out loans.
Here is a link to complete details of the program which will outline exactly how I will help you.
-Why is it important to you to help others?
You know what, in my program I talk about finding your passion and going after it. Needless to say, this is mine and I am following it. It took me some time to get here for sure, but I did it. When I first started helping people years ago I would see their excitement and realization that going through their education debt free was possible. Additionally, these students will be doing what they love with nothing to hold them back.
Another reason I started this venture was because I did not like the idea of owing people money and I was certain that others did not like it either. I mean really…Who likes owing money? I don’t. It puts such a burden on people. It can affect how one would act or what that person might do. The biggest side effect I saw were people choosing jobs that they did not really want because it would start making them money now, in order to pay back the loan. It was and still is sad to see that reaction to student loans. It is great when I can show people a debt free education that will enable them the opportunity to do what they love no matter what.
The last reason that comes to mind is story. I love stories. I truly enjoy listening to people tell their stories, where they come from, and what they wish to do. Anyone I have ever worked with has had an amazing story. I love pulling that out and showing them who they are, while I connect their story to money for their education. It is important to me that people express who they are and it is through story that they are able to do so.
What advice do you have for people struggling to get quality education but have no access to funds?
For those struggling to find money for your education, then go to www.freeeducationuniversity.com. Once there, you can subscribe for free to get an exclusive video to my undergraduate story. You will learn a lot about funding and get some ideas to get started with. If you want, you can go even further and enroll in the whole program to get full access to the videos and me. Remember, when you are enrolling you will want to put in the promo code JKC20 to receive a $400 scholarship.
Setting that aside, if you want to get your feet wet, then what I want you to do is write down 4-5 passions and hobbies that you have. Once you do this then go to GOOGLE and type in any of these variations:
· Funding for “INSERT PASSION OR HOBBY”
· Scholarships for “ “
· High School Scholarships for “ “
· College Scholarships for “ “
Go on… Try it out. I bet you will find some money. This is a just a blink into my program, and I do mean blink. I go way more in depth and walk you through everything, but I wanted to give the readers some real advice.
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Free Education University has saved students (and their parents) tens of thousands of dollars off their education. Get more information at http://freeeducationuniversity.com/ Save $400 using Promo Code: JKC20.