ONLINE DEGREE ADVICE

Distance Learning

ONLINE COLLEGE- A Great Alternative to Traditional College

Going to a traditional campus-based college or university is not for everyone. For those who have family and work responsibilities on a day-to-day basis, getting an online degree might seem more viable. Among other things, distance learning offers greater flexibility, speed, and is potentially a better value. Like a traditional university, tuition for online courses can be expensive. It all depends on the school and discipline. However, what many people are not aware of is that there are numerous grants, scholarships, tax credits and student loans available for helping students pay for their education. So you might ask the question: How do I get started?

A good starting point is to spend some time searching to find resources and agencies that offer financial support. The first step is making sure that the online school you are considering enrolling in is accredited. If the school is accredited, it will be much easier to secure some financial support through private or government programs. Many online colleges also partake in the same programs that offer funding as traditional schools. For example, if you anticipate you will need financial aid, you should complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is a form that determines one’s eligibility to receive aid. The Federal Pell Grant Program is also available for students taking online classes and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. Another type of loan, called a Federal Stafford Loan, helps students pay for their tuition costs as well as other education expenses. Students who can demonstrate academic excellence may also be eligible for various scholarships and merit funding by maintaining a certain grade point average. In short, there are a plethora of resources available that are designed to help students pay for online education. Knowing that tuition costs vary from school to school, make sure you compare each alternative to find the online college that’s best fit for you.

Distance Education Benefits

The Right Fit for you

Benefits: Online degrees can be highly individualized and tailored to the specific student’s needs and preferences. Distance learning allows students to study where and when they want while juggling work, family, and other obligations. Since online education courses are completed at a student’s home, distance education increases the availability of programs and gives students an array of options that they would otherwise not have had. An online degree can be completed at the student’s own pace; some students opt to earn a degree faster than average while others complete it at a slower pace.

Student Profiles: The average distance learning student tends to be older than the traditional college student. A typical student pursuing an online degree is highly motivated, determined and goal orientated. A common profile for an adult learner is someone that already has an associates or bachelors degree and is interested in either changing careers or improving their advancement prospects by pursuing an online bachelors degree or online masters degree.

Available Options: Online schools grant degrees from Associates level to Doctorates in a broad array of subjects. Some courses are entirely online while others are hybrid courses meaning that they are both online and in the classroom.

Student Communication: Online universities use technology to maintain communication with their students. Live chats, message boards, email, and video conferencing are just some of the ways that students exchange ideas and questions with their peers and professors.

Selecting a School: Make sure that the online school is either regionally or nationally accredited by a legitimate accrediting agency. Accreditation means that the school is meeting stringent standards and is providing its students with a quality online education. Also, check to make sure that the school does not have residency requirements if you are out of state along with the specific online program/major that you plan on pursing.

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Distance Education Credibility

What employers think of online degrees

In short, the answer is it depends on the university and field that you attend.

Try to attend an actual brick and mortar school that offers online programs. These schools already tend to have a solid reputation. In many cases, the transcript will not even show that the degree was earned online.
Make sure your school is accredited. To check if an online school is accredited check the directory.
Look into how long the school has existed. While the age of the school does not necessarily mean that employers will give your degree credibility, an online university that has been around for a long period of time will be better perceived.
According to Silvia Guzman, the human resources for ProTech Building Services, having a bachelor’s degree from a traditional university and a graduate degree from an online university is more favorable than just earning a bachelor’s from an online college.
For many fields, online degrees are widely accepted. For example, nursing, criminal justice, and secondary education are very accepting of online degrees. Academia, engineering, medicine, and law are all fields which tend to look down upon degrees from universities that only offer online degrees.
Consult your current or potential employers to see if they accept degrees from online universities.
Some employers like Johnson and Johnson offer partnerships with online schools; considering utilizing such relationships.
If an interview, an employer is skeptical of online degrees raise the following points:
Earning a degree online requires a tremendous amount of discipline and self motivation.
Distance learning imparts time management as many students balance family, full time jobs, and their education.
Emphasize that online degrees give experience communicating and networking on the internet.

How to Avoid Diploma Mills

According to Webster’s dictionary, a diploma mill is defined as an, “institution of higher education operating without supervision of a state or professional agency and granting diplomas which are either fraudulent or because of the lack of proper standards worthless”. This 10 step article will help you when choosing an online school.

The following are a few tips on avoiding diploma mills:

Be wary of schools that advertise earning an online degree in less time than at accredited institutions. For example, a school advertising that students can earn a bachelors degree in mere months is suspect.
Diploma mills offer credit for life experiences; note that offering credit for intern or a co-op is valid.
The school has no accreditation or has bogus accreditation. Check an online university’s accreditation in the directory. You can also look up accreditation agencies on the U.S. Department of Education’s or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation’s websites. Only the agencies listed on these sites are considered valid.
Tuition is paid based on degree. For instance, a flat price is offered for a B.S. Legitimate universities will charge per credit hour, semester, or class.
The address of the school is P.O. box number or a suite.
The name of the school sounds similar to existing institutions.
Little or no work is required to earn a degree. Look at the requirements for graduation; if earning a degree seems too easy, the school is most likely a diploma mill.
There is almost no or very little interaction with professors.
Does the school not provide a list of its faculty?
Look for extremes in price. Is the price for the school significantly higher than normal? Are the fees noticeably lower than other schools?

How to Succeed at College Online

Earning a degree at college online can present more challenges than attaining a degree traditionally.
Whi online college degrees le distance learning is flexible, students are often juggling family, work, and many other obligations. There is great potential to get distracted and loose focus. The following are some tips that will allow you to succeed as a distance learner.

Utilize your professors and peers. Just because you do not have face time with your professors and peers does not mean that you cannot use them as resources. Not understanding a topic? Email your professor with questions or post on your class’ messageboard. Create a virtual study group to review for a test. Your professors and peers are amazing resources. Use them!