With a 16% projected increase in available jobs from 2021–2031, the medical assistant field can anticipate a positive outlook in the coming decade — and career training programs are key not only to continuing along this trajectory, but also to providing the education needed to address skills gaps in the workforce. But the question remains, how to increase access to medical assistant school? Below, we take a look at three impactful ways you and your administration can use to empower more people to enroll in your courses.
Offer various program timeframes
One way to allow more learners to access your programs is to offer a broader range of timeframes over which the program will take place. Full-time courses often mean prospective students would need to leave their current employment in order to attend. By offering part-time options, those who need to keep working to maintain their income or who may have other commitments during regular class hours can still have the opportunity to take your courses.
And still, sometimes even part-time courses that require someone to be in class at certain hours may not fit — that’s where self-paced programs come in. Not everyone has the same schedule, and emergencies can come up that a person wouldn’t be able to anticipate. One of the benefits of a flexible, self-paced program is that learners know they’ll have the amount of time they need to build their knowledge and grow their skills, regardless of what the schedule looks like.
Offer multiple program formats
Because in-person programs necessarily mean having to be in a certain place at a certain time, offering online education in addition to in-person allows more people the chance to access your courses. No matter if someone is located across the country, or if their current work or family obligations mean that they can’t make the commute to the classroom, the barriers are removed by remote options. And if you’re worried the training won’t translate well to an online medium, hear from three schools as they discuss how they managed to do just that!
Offer diverse payment options
Finally, another effective method for how to increase access to medical assistant school is by increasing the number of alternative payment options. After all, those looking to enroll in your courses aren’t one-size-fits-all, so the payment options available to you shouldn’t be either.
Some might be able to afford paying the tuition amount all at once upfront. But for many others, they may need to break up tuition into smaller amounts. By offering various alternative payment options such as interest-free recurring payments or student loans, you can enable more people to get their foot in the door, when otherwise they would have been kept out due to tuition costs.