Education in Oregon has taken a beating the past few months as the economy continues its southward trend. It’s expensive to run schools, and once you get past high school, it’s expensive to attend them.
Well, usually it is. For the absolute cheapskate who doesn’t need a degree, however, there are plenty of ways to get some of that learning going inside the ivory towers without paying a dime.
iTunes has a wealth of free knowledge from prestigious institutions such as Stanford, Yale and Oxford through the iTunes U program. Simply download a podcast and start soaking in an education.
MIT has taken the idea a step further, with online classes in 35 different departments from nuclear science to gender studies. They often include syllabi, reading lists, lecture notes, class assignments and recordings of previous lectures. You can “attend” class wherever and whenever you want, and you don’t actually have to do the assignments or worry about grades.
None of these classes will get you college credit, but if you’re in it just for the joy of learning, the prices can’t be beat.
