SoFi Blog

Master’s degrees are more popular—and maybe more necessary—than ever. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the number of people with a master’s has doubled since 2000 and, on average, a person with an advanced degree earned 3.7 times as much as a high school dropout.

Of course, whether you get a good return on your education and if it results in higher earnings depends on a lot of things: the type of program, the field of study, job prospects. Graduate school is a big time commitment and can be costly, so you want to weigh all the pros and cons. That’s also partially why online graduate degrees have become more popular.

If you’re wondering, ‘Can I get a master’s degree online?’ The answer is: yes, you can. Over 50% of master’s students got their degree either entirely online, also known as distance learning, or partially online.

Online classes can be an effective way to advance your education on your own schedule—and maybe save yourself some money. Graduate-level classes are no different.

A lot of factors go into planning a college career—applying for financial aid, choosing a major, and even figuring out whether you need to get a job. It’s enough to make your head spin.

If you do decide to work, there might be some significant benefits in finding the right part-time job for your college years, including:

•   Paying for unexpected expenses: You might need to pay for membership dues for a club you want to join, clothing, or extra cups of coffee during finals week.

•   Job experience: Part-time jobs might provide you with experience in your chosen field.

•   Advantages in hiring: Employers, post-graduation, might prefer to hire entry-level professionals who already have some industry-relevant work experience.

So, how do you find the right part-time job during college? When is the right time to find that job? It could be when you’re still applying to schools or after you’re already established in at your chosen college. Whenever you’re looking, here are some ideas for finding the right fit for you.

Law school isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes hard work, dedication, passion, and commitment. After undergrad classes and hours spent studying for the LSAT you may think you’re ready for what lies ahead, but law school is an experience unto itself.

Most likely, you’re at a new school and, in addition to a rigorous course schedule and academic challenges, you’re faced with making new friends and settling into a new life. Before you embark on your first year of law school, here are eight things you should know.

You just did something that many people only dream of. You actually ditched the day job, and now you fly solo. You’re the CEO of your own company, party of one. It takes a lot of self-confidence and chutzpah to make this leap, so if you haven’t patted yourself on the back yet, you probably should.

But don’t revel too long, because hustlin’ ain’t easy.

Choosing to become self-employed, whether as a freelancer, consultant, or small-business owner, can be equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. While it comes with the freedom to take long lunches and set your own schedule, it also means leaving the nest and hunting for your own food.

So, where to start? In some ways, setting financial goals for a business will somewhat mirror how you’d set personal financial goals. In other ways, it will be vastly different. Here are a few tips to help you get a jumpstart on being not only your own CEO, but your own CFO, too.

In our efforts to bring you the latest updates on things that might impact your financial life, we may occasionally enter the political fray, covering candidates, bills, laws and more.
Please note: SoFi does not endorse or take official positions on any candidates and the bills they may be sponsoring or proposing. We may occasionally support legislation that we believe would be beneficial to our members, and will make sure to call it out when we do. Our reporting otherwise is for informational purposes only, and shouldn’t be construed as an endorsement.

If you’ve followed Congress even casually over the past few years, you’re probably aware that there isn’t much that flows through the House of Representatives or the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support.

On Thursday, May 16 the House defied expectations, and their recent track record, by passing the SECURE act by an overwhelming 417-3 . True to form, though, the SECURE act stands for the “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019”.

If the Senate and House agree on the bill as it stands now, it could end up being a big deal that changes the way lots of people save for retirement, invest in 401(k)s, IRAs, and other retirement accounts, and even the way they tackle student loan debt.