How I Received Financial Aid from Coursera

Coursera is one of the largest educational platforms online. There are over 7000 courses offered. It was started in 2012 by Stanford University Computer Science professors - Andrew Ng (world's leading AI pioneer) and Daphne Koller (Computer Scientist). With just 12 years in the educational industry, Coursera has over 140 million learners.

I began my journey in Coursera in 2018. The university where I was enrolled in, offered free Coursera access. We were allowed to do as many courses as needed, for free, in a year. I was and am interested in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science and the first course I pursued was, "AI for everyone" by Andrew Ng. It is first course of the specialisation and is more of a theoretical course but it provided the basics I needed to understand. I shortlisted many courses to pursue my Data Science journey. But, the year came to an end! The courses weren't free no more!

It was until recently that I came to know about the financial aid that was available in Coursera. It was right before my eyes but I never happened to notice it! I applied for the aid for one Data Science course and received 90% waiver on the total cost. Coursera was really fast in processing the request and am really grateful to Coursera for accepting my offer and helping me save my money. So, here I am sharing the steps to receive financial aid from Coursera and saving your hard-earned money.

Steps to Receive Financial Aid from Coursera

1.Go to your favourite course that you want to pursue.

2. Notice this 'Financial aid available' button. Click it and continue the application.

3. You'll be redirected to this page where you have to enter basic details.

4. There is this prompt "Reason you applied" where you should enter at least 150 words. Here's what you could write: Your name, What you do, What course you are willing to learn, Why you want to pursue that course, How will the course help you in your career, How long will you take for you to complete the course and thanking the team. Here's a sample: I am [Name], a dedicated enthusiast in the field of data science, currently focusing on enhancing my skills in [skills you wish to develop]. My background in [Current Position] has sparked my interest in harnessing data-driven insights to solve complex problems and drive innovation.

I am writing to request financial aid for the [your course] on Coursera. This course is pivotal in my journey as it covers foundational concepts in [what you want to learn]. By completing this course, I aim to broaden my skill set and apply these techniques to real-world projects, contributing to meaningful advancements in data science.

I am committed to completing the course within [Timeframe, e.g., six months] and actively applying the knowledge gained to practical scenarios. Your support in providing financial aid will significantly aid me in achieving my educational aspirations and advancing my career in data science. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to learn and grow through Coursera's esteemed platform.

5. In the next page, using the slider, you would be able to choose how much you could pay for the course. The maximum discount that is provided is 90%. You could choose to pay 10%.

6. There is another prompt where you are asked to write "How will the selected course help with your goals". Mention what you are passionate about and that answer will automatically answer this prompt.

7. Submit your application.

8. You will be notified in less than 15 days.

All the very best to every learner out there! Coursera is a wonderful platform offering great content and also financial aid. Coursera is making sure that everyone has the opportunity to learn from great teachers. Do apply for financial aid if you need it. Please comment if you have any doubts. Happy learning!

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