A few years ago, before the economy turned south, companies liberally offered employees tuition reimbursement programs. The goal was simple: an educated workforce is a better workforce. But times have changed, and many employers cut such programs to compete in a tougher economy. However, this doesn’t mean you have to abandon your dreams of becoming a more learned person.

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1. Learn With YouTube Videos

Many skills which might be difficult to learn by reading are learned easily by watching. You can learn an array of skills from watching YouTube videos, such as how to use computer software, how to dress or conduct yourself in a job interview, how to prepare meals, and even how to change the oil in your car.

Once you find a helpful video on your preferred subject, see if the producer of the video has a YouTube channel where you can get more information on the topic. Often, people who produce a quality learning video don’t stop at one. Many produce a series of videos on the topic, and you can get tons of skills from the same qualified source.

2. Read Classic Literature for Free

Knowledge of classic literature is one of the pillars of a well-rounded education. What many people don’t know is, the copyrights to most of the classics have expired, meaning it’s completely free to download and share these books online.

You can even get a list of the classics experts consider to be most important, so you’ll know where to start and what to read. Some of the poetry and international novels can be difficult to understand without a teacher to guide you, but you can look for a synopsis of the book to get the gist of its plot and underlying meanings. Synopsis are helpful in understanding unfamiliar literature.

3. Get New Skills at Lynda.com