How to Invest in Yourself Without Overpaying
Published February 25, 2026
Teachers are some of the most financially resourceful people in the workforce. You stretch classroom budgets, buy supplies out of pocket, and find ways to make things work with less. For those of you who work in a district that allows for lane changes/ salary step increases through the accumulation of graduate-level credits, you know that moving up in your salary schedule is the obvious plan to secure your financial future.
This article looks at the graduate credit market for teachers through a financial lens. Not just “how much does a course cost,” but what the price differences for courses mean for your long-term wealth, your retirement, and your family’s financial future. Every dollar you save on credits and the sooner you move up your salary schedule, the more your money works for you over the decades.
A Financial Literacy Refresher: Why Small Differences Compound into Significant Money Saved
Before we compare costs, it’s worth revisiting the idea of compound interest.
When you save money and invest it, you earn returns not just on the original amount, but on the returns themselves. A small amount invested today doesn’t stay small, but it will grow exponentially over time. And the longer your money is invested in the stock market, the more it grows. Based on the “rule of 72”, estimating an average annual return of 8% ( which is a conservative number, as it is a bit lower than the historical long-term average of the S&P 500), your money doubles about every 9 years.
This means a $500 difference in how much you spend on graduate credits isn’t really a $500 decision. It’s a decision that could be worth $1,000, $2,000, or more, depending on how many years that money has to grow. Teachers who are early in their careers have the most to gain from this, but even mid-career educators can benefit significantly.
The same principle applies to your salary increase. A lane change doesn’t just give you a one-time bump, but it gives you an annual raise that you can invest year after year. Increasing your salary as soon as possible can help you turn even a modest salary increase into a substantial nest egg over time that can net you hundreds of thousands of dollars if you invest it throughout your teaching career!
What Graduate- Level Credits Actually Cost Across the Market
If you’ve ever searched for graduate credits for salary advancement, you’ve probably noticed a wide range of prices. Here’s what the market generally looks like:
| Provider Type | Cost per 3-Credit Course | Cost for 15 Credits (TYPICALLY 1 LANE CHANGE) |
|---|---|---|
Traditional University On-campus programs | $1,200 – $2,500+ | $6,000 – $12,500+ |
Online CE Providers Some online continuing education providers | $450 – $550 | $2,250 – $2,750 |
Model Teaching | $359 | ~$1,795 |
Traditional University
On-campus programs
$1,200 – $2,500+
$6,000 – $12,500+
Online CE Providers
Some online continuing education providers
$450 – $550
$2,250 – $2,750
Most online continuing education providers charge somewhere between $400 and $550 for a single 3-credit graduate course. Some offer bundle pricing that brings the per-course cost down,which typically save $60 to $80 per course if you commit to buying 5 or 10 courses at once. But even at their best bundle rates,the majority of providers still charge $380 to $420 per 3-credit course,and wind up costing more than Model Teaching,even with bundled courses and seasonal discounts.
Model Teaching’s standard price is $359 for a 3-credit course ($149 registration+$70 per credit),and that alone is the everyday price with no bundle commitment required. With Model Teaching’s own bundle pricing,the per-credit cost drops even further,as is by far the best savings compared with any other major provider offering you graduate-level credits today. In fact,if you bundle a larger amount of credits to move up several steps in your salary schedule,you can earn credits for as little as $85 total,per credit(or,$15 registration fee+$70 per credit).
Here’s the key insight that most teachers miss:Every provider in this space,including Model Teaching,partners with the same types of regionally accredited universities. The credits you earn appear on an official university transcript with a letter grade. Your district’s HR department processes them the same way regardless of which provider you used. The accreditation,transcript format,and acceptance by your district are identical.
What’s different is the price you paid and how quickly you can process your credits. When the end product is identical across providers,paying more only results in a smaller bank account,and that isn’t going to help your bottom line of improving your financial stability.
How the Price Differences Add Up Over a Career
A single lane change typically requires 15 graduate-level credits. But most teachers don’t stop at one. Moving from MA to MA+15 to MA+30 to MA+45 could require 30 to 45 total credits over the course of a career. Here’s what the cost difference looks like at various volumes,comparing Model Teaching to a typical provider charging $450 per 3-credit course:
Credits Needed |
|
| You Save With Model Teaching |
|---|---|---|---|
15 credits 1 lane change | ~$1,795 | $2,250 | $455 |
30 credits 2 lane changes | ~$3,590 | $4,500 | $910 |
45 credits 3 lane changes | ~$5,385 | $6,750 | $1,365 |
30 credits
2 lane changes
45 credits
3 lane changes
Some providers do offer bundle discounts that bring their per-course cost down closer to $400-$420. Even then,Model Teaching’s standard pricing before any additional discounts still comes in lower:
Credits Needed |
|
| You Save With Model Teaching |
|---|---|---|---|
15 credits 1 lane change | ~$1,795 | ~$2,050 | $255 |
30 credits 2 lane changes | ~$3,590 | ~$4,100 | $510 |
45 credits 3 lane changes | ~$5,385 | ~$6,150 | $765 |
15 credits
1 lane change
~$2,050
30 credits
2 lane changes
~$4,100
45 credits
3 lane changes
~$6,150
Model Teaching also allows you to pay your credits in a true pay-as-you-go model so that you can begin processing your credits as you finish up each course-no huge up-front bill and no payment plans that require a credit check and interest payment!
Other providers:Those who even offer bundles require that you must either pay the bundle in full up front,or sign up for a 12-month payment plan (which includes additional processing fees). You also can’t just begin posting credits or requesting your transcript whenever you want.
Model Teaching:Allows for a true pay-as-you-go model. You pay a small registration fee up front in order to select and access your courses. Then you pay the credit processing fee as you wish throughout the year. So,you can get the savings of a bundle while still taking one course,processing your credits,and if you wish,submitting your transcript to your district as early as you’d like.
This distinction matters for your long-term financial stability!Model Teaching’s lower course prices,combined with your ability to break up your payments while still processing your credits as you go,means you are much more likely to earn your salary increase more quickly! You aren’t breaking the bank as you figure out how to afford these courses,and you are able to complete your coursework more quickly. Even if Model teaching’s structure lets you trigger your lane change 3 or 6 months sooner,that higher salary compounding over a 25-year career is worth thousands of dollars in additional long-term wealth. Let’s break down your long-term wealth in more detail now.
The Bigger Picture:What Your Lane Change Is Actually Worth
You’re already saving money by choosing credits through Model teaching. But the long-term savings for you to start your salary step/ lane change increase now have the potential to accelerate your wealth!
A salary lane change typically adds $3,500 to $8,000 per year to a teacher’s salary,depending on the district. That raise is permanent and provides you with an increase in every paycheck moving forward. What’s more is that it also likely increases your pension calculation,too,meaning it will continue to pay you a higher salary in retirement.
Now,as a savvy teacher looking to maximize his or her wealth,let’s take a look at what happens if you invest $3,500 per year (which is an estimated,conservative lane-change raise) at 8% average annual returns:
GROWTH AFTER | GROWTH AFTER | |
|---|---|---|
Total you could contribute over your career after your lane change increase | $70,000 | $87,500 |
Investment growth beyond your contributions | $90,100 | $165,200 |
Total additional wealth in retirement,assuming 8% growth | ~$160,100 | ~$252,700 |
Total you could contribute over your career after your lane change increase
Investment growth beyond your contributions
Total additional wealth in retirement,assuming 8% growth
Over 20 years,your $70,000 in contributions more than doubles to $160,100. But give it just five more years,and it increases to $252,700. Now consider if your district pays an even highersalary increase per year. Those savings begin to add up exponentially and help contribute to your overall wealth. And,keep in mind that these figures don’t even necessarily calculate the additional money you’ll be receiving through your teacher’s pension as a result of your higher salary.
For teachers,this simple example has a direct implication:the earlier you complete your lane change,the more years your higher salary has to compoundif you were to invest it. A teacher who earns a lane change at age 28 has 7 more years of compounding than a teacher who waits until 35,and that difference alone can be worth over $100,000 by retirement. It’s never too late to start saving,but it’s always best to start as soon as you can.
This is why delaying a lane change is so costly,and why overpaying for credits is a double penalty:you spend more money upfront,and you’re more likely to delay taking courses because of the higher cost,which means fewer years of compounding on the salary increase you eventually earn.
What to Look for When Choosing a Provider
Since the credits themselves are equivalent across providers (same type of regionally accredited universities,same official transcripts,same district acceptance) the real differentiators come down to cost,flexibility,and format. Here’s what to prioritize:
The Best Investment You Can Make Is in Yourself
Every dollar you don’t overspend on credit courses is a dollar you can invest. Every month you accelerate your lane change is a month of a higher salary that starts compounding sooner. And every financial decision you make with compound growth in mind moves you closer to the kind of long-term security that every teacher deserves. Couple that with excellent courses and usable resources and strategies in every Model Teaching course,and you get to invest in yourself both professionally and financially.
Ready to get started?
Browse Model Teaching’s build your own graduate credit bundle to start your lane change at the lowest cost available.
Access to All Graduate-Level Courses. The most cost-effective way to earn Graduate-Level credits! Purchase your bundle,then choose any of our university-partnered courses. Access your courses for one year and work at your own pace. Pay the $70/credit fee as you go or when you finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Graduate credits for teacher salary advancement:costs,providers,and long-term value
