It’s no secret – rising education costs are a topic of concern for many Americans. Those who are first looking to explore higher education may feel overwhelmed by new challenges their parents didn’t face, while those looking to return for graduate school are struggling to find affordable programs.
This can be a deterrent to making any significant educational decisions in the near future. But choosing to skip professional development may not be a financially sound decision. Investing in your education can actually help you combat inflation and rising costs. With new skills and training, you can increase your earning potential and change or advance your career to higher levels with better benefits.
Four-year universities offer effective and in-depth education, but dedicating time and money to taking full-time classes for four years may not always be feasible for working adults.
An alternative to a four-year degree are educational programs such as accelerated bootcamps. These professional development programs are designed to help you advance your skills and earn a higher salary in less than half the time of a traditional university.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas offers a comprehensive Cybersecurity Bootcamp designed to help working professionals increase their earning potential and enhance their skill set in the evolving cybersecurity field.
Keep reading to discover how you can invest in yourself and see a significant return in as little as ten months.
How to Overcome Financial Obstacles
The cost of everything is rising. The cost of living is rising with rent and mortgage increases. The cost of transportation is skyrocketing, with gas prices hitting all-time highs. Education costs are steadily rising, with tuition costs around $43,000 a year for private universities.
This inflation is causing many to rethink their spending habits and finances. Some people opt for side gigs or additional forms of income, while others may be seeking out upskilling options to help increase their earning potential in the workforce. Making changes like these often require additional training and education, which can be tricky if you are not in a position to commit your time or money to a four-year university.
For those who need options ideal for working adults, a part-time continuing education program like the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Cybersecurity Bootcamp can provide the experience and knowledge you need to start or advance your career in cybersecurity.
This accelerated career-prep program can help you combat inflating education costs, develop new, in-demand skills, and increase your salary with a high-earning career path.
The Benefits of a Cybersecurity Bootcamp
A bootcamp is an educational career-prep program that helps learners develop the skills and experiential knowledge they need to succeed in their desired industries. Learners who enter the program can become job-ready professionals in as little as one year, complete with hands-on training and real-world experience.
Many companies are starting to forgo the traditional requirement of a college degree in lieu of work experience, opening up career opportunities for many professionals who would have previously been unable to apply. Our bootcamp can offer training and experience in place of a degree while offering additional benefits.
Here are several reasons why the UNLV Cybersecurity Bootcamp is worth the investment:
Good Option for Beginners
If you are interested in increasing your earning potential with a career in cybersecurity, but you are worried you aren’t qualified, our bootcamp can help teach the fundamentals and give you the experience you need to apply for entry-level positions in less than one year.
You can learn the basics before working closely with instructors to develop hands-on skills and first-hand experience with industry tools, programs, and practices.
Dedicated Career Support
Even with a four-year degree, finding the support you need to enter the workforce in a competitive industry can be challenging and expensive. Our bootcamp offers 360° support to help guide you through the program and answer any questions you may have about the career field, our curriculum, and more.
Throughout the program, you’ll have access to career services and experts who can provide personalized assistance to help you stand out to employers and increase your chances of landing a high earning position – increasing your return on investment and helping you build a better quality of life.
Traditionally, services like career placement and resume writing assistance can be pricey, costing up to $700 for help from professionals. Career coaches are another popular service, but they can run $100 to $150 a session, meaning you could spend several hundred or even thousands of dollars simply preparing to apply for a new position.
Of course, you can try to enter the workforce on your own by applying for positions or reaching out to recruiters, but using these services can help to greatly increase your hireability – and they are included at no additional cost with the UNLV Cybersecurity Bootcamp.
Live, Online Classroom Experience
To help replicate the classroom experience, we offer live, online sessions conducted in the evenings and weekends to provide the best schedule for working adults. You have the ability to learn anywhere there is a reliable internet connection, which provides flexibility for many who have to juggle home and work life.
Get all the benefits of a real classroom experience without the commute to a classroom. You have access to live Q&A sessions, group learning and peer review, real-time feedback from instructors, and structured classes that follow a carefully defined curriculum.
The Return on Investment (ROI) of a Bootcamp
The term Return on Investment, or ROI, refers to the profitability of an investment. In this case, it refers to the money invested in a bootcamp and how it can translate to a profitable return to make the investment worthwhile for you.
With the UNLV Cybersecurity Bootcamp, learners invest a large sum of money, financed over time in affordable monthly payments, but can expect to see a significant return after starting a new role in the cyber industry.
Our program can help you increase your overall earning capacity. Cybersecurity salaries are at an all-time high in the U.S., with many averaging above six figures.* To better understand your potential ROI with our program, here are some average entry-level salaries for cybersecurity positions:
You could be earning one of the above salaries less than one year after starting the Introductory Course. To break it down further, let’s explore how you could measure your ROI after investing in the Cybersecurity Bootcamp at UNLV.
Let’s say you currently earn an annual salary of $45,000.
If you want to get into the cyber industry, you have the option to invest $16,780 in the UNLV Cybersecurity Bootcamp. In your first year as an entry-level Security Analyst, you could be eligible to earn $73,000.* In this position, you could be looking at an estimated ROI of over $11,000 in just your first year.**
* Source: Salary.com
** These scenarios described above are hypothetical. Salary and career outcomes vary based on many factors, including position, experience level, skills, location, as well as work and personal history.
How to Pay For Your Education
Despite these benefits and potential ROI, it can still be difficult to justify making a significant financial commitment, especially if you have to wait some time to see the return.
At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, we offer financing options to help make our Cybersecurity Bootcamp accessible. Interested learners can schedule a virtual sit down with an admissions advisor to better understand which option is best for you.
- Pay in Full
Upon successfully completing the Introductory Course, learners have the option to pay tuition in full prior to moving on to the extended portion first class. - 0% Interest
Monthly installments with no interest. Available to all learners. - Financing Options
Qualified candidates can opt for private education loans with lenders like PNC, Sallie Mae or our partner, Climb.
Free Cyber Mini-Course
If you’re not sure you’re ready to take the plunge, we offer a free cybersecurity mini-course.
This Cybersecurity Mini-Course features videos from industry experts or instructors and offers quizzes and industry tidbits that can help you determine which career path is best for you.
Invest in Yourself with a Career-Prep Program
Investing in yourself is one of the best decisions you can make for your future. This rings especially true when it comes to education, upskilling, and career prep. Programs that help you advance your career or stay ahead of industry trends can ensure you can always move forward in your career and request a higher salary as you continue to gain experience and knowledge in your field.
The UNLV Cybersecurity Bootcamp can help you prepare for your future while offering high potential for a successful ROI in less than one year.
You can enter the cybersecurity workforce equipped with entry-level skills and hands-on, practical experience. To get ahead of the competition, one-on-one career prep and student success services are available to you and included in the cost of the bootcamp.
Cohorts begin on a rolling basis. You can connect with our admissions advisors at 702-832-4555 to learn more about tuition, payment options, the enrollment process, and our unique course curriculum.
