Learn Logic Junction
My Junction Subscribe

The map

Five lines through education and career decisions

Most decisions here fall on one of five lines. Some guides sit where lines cross, because the questions overlap.

System map: five topic lines leaving the Junction, with a guide at each stationCHOOSING A PATHRoutes comparedOnline or in personAfter you askAdmissions questionsPAYING FOR SCHOOLThe FAFSAKinds of aidAid offersNet priceCAREER CHANGEChanging careersSkills gapShort trainingWIOA trainingTRADES & CREDENTIALSCredentialsApprenticeshipsShort trainingWorkforce PellBACK TO LEARNINGFirst 90 daysFinish a degreePrior creditFinish dateYOUAREHEREJUNCTION
Teal Line · CP

Choosing a Path

Degrees, community college, trade school, apprenticeships, certificates: what each route involves and who it suits.

Ride this line

  1. Degree, Community College, Trade School or Apprenticeship? ComparedComparison
  2. Online, Hybrid or In-Person: Choosing a Format You'll FinishDecision guide
  3. After You Ask Schools for Information: Your First Week, Day by DayFeature
  4. Eight Questions to Ask an Admissions Advisor, and How to Read the AnswersQuestions answered
  5. How to Check a School or Program Before You EnrollStep by step
  6. How to Read a Financial Aid Offer: Spot the Loans and Find What You OweExplainer
Ochre Line · PS

Paying for School

The FAFSA, grants, scholarships, net price, loans, and employer help, explained without the jargon.

Ride this line

  1. How to Fill Out the FAFSA, Step by StepStep by step
  2. Grants, Scholarships, Work-Study and Loans: How Each One WorksExplainer
  3. How to Read a Financial Aid Offer: Spot the Loans and Find What You OweExplainer
  4. Net Price vs. Sticker Price: What School Will Actually Cost YouExplainer
  5. Workforce Pell Grants: Which Short Programs Count and How to Check OneQuestions answered
  6. Education Tax Credits: Which One Fits You, and the 1098-T to Watch ForExplainer
  7. Should You Borrow for This Program? Six Questions to Answer FirstDecision guide
  8. Student Loan Rules Changed July 1, 2026: New Limits and Who They HitExplainer
  9. Employer Tuition Assistance: How It Works and What to Ask HRQuestions answered
  10. Keeping Your Financial Aid: The Grade and Completion Rules Schools CheckExplainer
Signal Line · CC

Career Change

Switching fields, finding your skills gap, and careers you can train for in two years or less.

Ride this line

  1. Changing Careers in Your 30s, 40s or 50s: What It Really TakesFeature
  2. Find Your Skills Gap: A Hands-On Workshop for Career ChangersStep by step
  3. 9 Careers You Can Train for in About Two Years or LessCareer profiles
  4. WIOA Training Funds: How to Ask a Job Center to Help Pay for TrainingStep by step
  5. Workforce Pell Grants: Which Short Programs Count and How to Check OneQuestions answered
Green Line · TC

Trades & Credentials

Apprenticeships, trade school, and the difference between a certificate, a certification, and a license.

Ride this line

  1. Certificate, Certification or License? How Credentials Really DifferExplainer
  2. How Registered Apprenticeships Work, From Applying to FinishingExplainer
  3. 9 Careers You Can Train for in About Two Years or LessCareer profiles
  4. Workforce Pell Grants: Which Short Programs Count and How to Check OneQuestions answered
  5. WIOA Training Funds: How to Ask a Job Center to Help Pay for TrainingStep by step
  6. Degree, Community College, Trade School or Apprenticeship? ComparedComparison
Plum Line · BL

Back to Learning

Returning to school as an adult, getting credit for what you already know, and fitting classes around life.

Ride this line

  1. Going Back to School as an Adult: A Checklist for the First 90 DaysChecklist
  2. Finishing a Degree You Started: Old Credits, Holds and Getting Back InStep by step
  3. How to Get College Credit for What You Already KnowQuestions answered
  4. How Long Will School Take If You Work? Find Your Finish DateStep by step
  5. Eight-Week Courses: Twice the Pace, and Who It Actually SuitsDecision guide
  6. Balancing School, Work and Family: Do the Math Before the Semester DoesFeature
  7. How to Study When You Have an Hour, Not an AfternoonExplainer
  8. Online, Hybrid or In-Person: Choosing a Format You'll FinishDecision guide
  9. Keeping Your Financial Aid: The Grade and Completion Rules Schools CheckExplainer