Ready for some real groundbreaking information that you’ve definitely never heard before? Okay, here it goes: college is expensive.
Before you say, “Thanks Captain Obvious,” just know that there’s a method to my madness (although I have captained a boat a time or two during my fishing adventures).
The common stereotype about college is that everything about it is expensive. While, yes, most things about college are pricey (just look at tuition and fees alone), colleges offer all kinds of free services, too.
The best part about this is that many of these services, especially at public universities, aren’t exclusive to students—they’re free and available to everyone!
Let’s take a closer look at some FREE services offered by colleges around the state of Louisiana:
Resume Writing Tips – University of Louisiana at Lafayette
You probably hear this a lot, but there’s so much truth to it—one of the most important factors to landing a job is your resume.
ULL’s Office of Career Services has a staff of professionals dedicated to giving you helpful tips and advice about your resume. This is a completely FREE service for both students and the general public. You can email your resume to resume@louisiana.edu for a quick review or call 337-482-1444 to make an appointment.
They’ll go over how to properly format your resume, check for any grammatical and spelling errors, help you condense your resume to only the important information, and much more.
You can find out more information on their website. While you’re there, check out all the other awesome career services that they offer!
Want to make your resume stand out among the competition?
Check out these tips and tricks from our team!KGRM Tiger Radio – Grambling State University
If you’re a radio listener, you’re sort of faced with two options. Either pay for the ad-free subscription services that cost $10 or more a month, or listen to free radio, which has lots of commercials in between seemingly every song.
Well, there’s a college in Louisiana that gives you the best of both worlds!
Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana, offers a completely FREE radio station without commercials. KGRM-FM Tiger Radio is the university’s very own student-run radio station that provides students and the community a 24/7 live stream of music, news, sports, and public affairs programming.
The radio station serves as a dual-purpose opportunity for mass communication students to get valuable radio experience, as well as a free service for the entire community to enjoy.
From “Wayback Wednesday” (which plays music from the 60s, 70s, and 80s) to the Football Coach’s Show to Sunday morning meditation, KGRM-FM Tiger Radio has it all! You can see their entire lineup of programming by visiting their website.
Small Business Consulting and Training – Southeastern Louisiana University
Running your own business is no easy feat. Maybe you’re a business owner looking to maximize your business’s growth, or maybe you’re an aspiring entrepreneur that just needs some insight on where to start.
Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana, has been providing tools to help local business owners since 1984 through its Louisiana Small Business Development Center.
Funded by the university and the Small Business Administration (SBA), this program offers completely free consulting and training seminars designed to help Louisiana residents attract customers, improve business operations, increase sales, and so much more.
Are you a business owner or looking to become one?
Find out why creating a business plan is important for any business’s success!Anyone is welcome to attend these trainings. You can see upcoming events and learn more about this service by visiting Southeastern’s website.
LSU Science Cafés – Louisiana State University
Technological advancements, environmental conservation efforts, innovations in health and medical practices (to name a few examples of literally millions)—so much of everyday life has to do with science!
LSU Science Cafés, sponsored by the LSU Office of Research and Economic Development, offer really cool ways for people of all ages to learn more about science and the world around them. You can hear from professors and experts in various science industries on a multitude of topics.
These are hosted both virtually and in-person on the last Tuesday of every month. Click here to find out more information and to see all upcoming Science Cafés.
You can also learn more about the national Science Café movement and locate additional Science Café programs in your area by visiting sciencecafes.org.
Adult Education Programs – Delgado Community College
One amazing thing (among many) about colleges is that they’re focused on the betterment of everyone—not just their students and faculty, but the communities they serve as well.
The Adult Education Program at Delgado Community College in New Orleans, Louisiana, is designed to help people sharpen their academic and workplace skills to improve economic and social outcomes. It offers a variety of courses that can help people earn a high school equivalency diploma, get ready for college or secondary education, become prepared for the workplace, and more.
The program boasts nearly 80 qualified instructors and tutors at multiple locations throughout the New Orleans area. Courses are held in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings, making it easy to work around your schedule.
You can learn more about these programs here and register online by visiting dccaep.org.
Virtual Group Exercise Classes – Tulane University
You don’t need me to tell that you fitness is important. Now, I’m not saying you have to be training for a marathon or become a bodybuilder—just simple routine exercise and movement every day is crucial in maintaining good health.
Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, offers various group exercise classes to keep you healthy—all from the comfort of your own home!
These classes are completely free for anyone to access and hosted virtually on Zoom. The university even offers a bi-weekly email reminder program called Wave Fit Movement Breaks, which features quick exercises, outdoor activity tips, nutrition information, and much more. You can even watch instructional videos about different workout types on their YouTube channel.
Say goodbye to that gym membership.
Check out our list of easy home workouts that you can do without having to leave the house!Click here to see the different types of classes they offer and how you can join. You also can follow Tulane Campus Recreation’s Instagram and Facebook to see their virtual group exercise schedule as well as other virtual fitness updates.
Do you know of any free services that are offered by Louisiana colleges that we may have missed? Let us know in the comments below!
Louisiana State University alumnus (Geaux Tigers), fanatic of all things sports, pugs, and Star Wars, and teller of the occasional dad joke. Retired Avenger, current NFL free agent.
