After primary (elementary) school and secondary (high) school, there are three main groupings of education opportunities: Continuing/Community Education, Vocational-Technical (Vo-Tech) School, and Liberal Arts College/University. Each of these will offer courses to improve your life and move you along, but each does so with a different path.
Continuing Ed courses are not part of a larger degree program. You take these classes to learn or update a new skill. Some professional courses, such as those needed to keep nursing or teaching skills up to date will help a person who is already in a profession that requires regular educational updates. If you take that sort of class, talk to your tax professional to see if you can write off the expense.
Other Continuing Ed courses may teach hobby skills such as sewing, dancing, art, or others. Depending on the host institution, there may also be various vehicle classes, such as motorcycle or flight courses. These are just for self-enrichment. Often, this is a good way to meet people who share an interest in the same things you like. Couples can take courses together as bonding activities.
In most cases, you will not be able to get financial aid assistance to pay for Continuing Ed courses. However, these courses tend to be less expensive than Vo-Tech or Liberal Arts courses. Continuing Ed courses are a good place to start if you aren't sure you want to take classes and it has been a while since you've been in school.
The Vo-Tech school is designed to teach you to a specific trade/profession. If you want to be an automotive mechanic, you can go to a mechanic Vo-Tech school and learn just that skill in a couple of years or less. That would be enough to get you started in the profession. Of course, mechanic is just one example; there are many others, construction for example.
If you like doing a particular kind of hands-on work and the profession doesn't require a bachelor's degree or higher, Vo-Tech school is a good investment. It can jump start your career and give you better earning potential.
Financial aid is available for most legitimate Vo-Tech programs because they server to create a more productive populace. In addition, if you pay for these classes yourself, you will want to talk to your tax professional to see if you can write off the expenses.
The Liberal Arts College is what most people think of when you say college. This tends to be more academic than the other forms of education. There is also a tendency to cover a wider area of knowledge than the main area of study. For example, whereas a Vo-Tech school will teach classes only associated directly with the profession, the College will also require courses in writing, sociology, art, and other things to provide a wider experience.
The differences between a College and a University aren't well established. Typically, a University offers a higher level of degree than a College. Some Universities act as a collection of Colleges where each College specializes in one area of study and the University coordinates among them. Be aware, though, that having the word "College" or "University" in the name does not really say anything about the quality of the school; you still have to research the reputation of the institution like any other.
If you can get it, there is a lot of benefit to having a Liberal Arts education. The experience exposes you to a wide range on knowledge, wider than most people would see otherwise. The course work requires that you build and strengthen your work ethic. It can be frustrating at times, but the sense of accomplishment is great when you are done.