How Much Does ESL Teaching School Cost?
Teaching English to non-native speakers of the language is a fulfilling profession for those who already love to teach and want to work with individuals of different cultural backgrounds. Immigrants who come to the United States with barely enough knowledge of the English language will need the assistance of qualified ESL teachers to guide them in learning the intricacies of the language. There is continued demand for ESL teachers inasmuch as there will always be people who will come to the United States who have no background of English.
If a profession as an ESL teacher sounds like a career you would like to see yourself doing for the rest of your life, you’ll have to get a bachelor’s degree in education and then an ESL teaching certificate or a master’s degree. Of course, the cost of tuition and other fees should be part of your planning if you want to successfully get your bachelor’s and certificate or master’s degree in teaching ESL.
How much you pay for your undergraduate education degree depends on whether you go to a public or private school. Public educational institutions are cheaper especially when you become eligible for in-state student discounts. Private schools charge the same fees to all students regardless of residency status. Generally, tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board for a bachelor’s degree in education can cost anywhere from $8,000 to over $60,000 a year.
However, if you are concerned with lowering costs for attending ESL teaching school, you can consider obtaining your degree online. Although what you pay for tuition and other fees may not necessarily be less expensive, you can save on other costs like housing and food since you don’t have to move to an apartment closer to where you are attending school. Online learning also gives you the opportunity to work so you don’t have to rely so much on student loans just to be able to finance your college degree.
At Drexel University Online, for example, their bachelor of science in education program can be taken online for a tuition cost of $440 per credit. Students have to earn 120 semester credits to graduate from the program. Drexel University also offers Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate online which costs $843 per credit. Arizona State University also offers the bachelor of arts in English degree online. It costs $480 per credit hour without any other additional fees. Arizona State University also offers the master of arts in curriculum and instruction: English as a Second Language program. The program costs $545 per credit hour and does not charge any additional program fees.

Keep in mind that you can still bring down the costs of your tuition and other fees if you apply for financial aid. Online schools also provide scholarship opportunities so it’s a good thing to ask the school’s financial aid advisor if there are scholarships or grants that you can apply for. Members of the military and their spouses may also be eligible for tuition reduction through various programs. The fact that you have the flexibility to work and finance your online education costs is also another plus when you opt to study online.