Question about the actual cost of those 'free' online courses

I was looking at a coding bootcamp's website and saw a tiny note that their 'free' intro class actually requires a $99 software license to do the work. Found it buried in the FAQ after clicking a link labeled 'technical requirements'. Has anyone else run into hidden fees like that with other learning sites?

2 comments

2 Comments

hill.emery1d agoMost Upvoted

Isn't that just the cost of doing business for a real education?

victor_perry9020h ago

The average student loan debt is over thirty grand now. Calling that a simple cost of business, like @hill.emery does, ignores how many people never get a good job to pay it back. It sets up a whole generation to fail before they even start. That debt load changes every choice you make for decades, from where you live to having kids. Framing it as just a ticket price for learning feels pretty out of touch with that reality.