"Who's Got The Time?" Online College Degrees

Title: "Who's Got The Time?" Online College Degrees Author: Jane Harris

If you to ask most people, "What is preventing you from going
back to college?" What might their responses be? For most, a big
reason might be family commitments. Perhaps they have young
children at home to care for. Or they may have elderly parents
who need looking after.

Or you might tell me that you have financial responsibilities
that require you to hold down a full-time job. This is a big
obstacle for many. I know, it's the same for me: every month
those bills come due! And so, like most of us I guess, you
simply cannot AFFORD to take time off from your present position
- let alone quit! - to enroll and attend college.

And yet this situation puts them into a dilemma: while they need
to work, they also need to secure a better job and a better
future for themselves and their families - and this is not going
to happen without getting better educated. So, what's a busy,
committed adult supposed to do? Traditional approaches to higher
education (daily classes on campus) will not meet their needs.
Enter the world of online college degrees.

When you enroll in an online college degree program your entire
educational experience takes place through your PC. You will
view (and can even participate in) your class lectures via the
Internet. Need to communicate with your professor or classmates?
You can exchange e-mails, or participate in chat rooms,
exchanging information, asking questions - even collaborating
with students on group assignments. You will, of course, have to
do some offline reading and other work, but most of it is
handled via online communications.

You might be asking: "Are these schools for real?" Yes they are
- and reputable schools are properly accredited. This means that
if you need to transfer to another school, or complete an
additional degree elsewhere, your coursework will be accepted.
And when you graduate and go job-seeking, potential employers
will accept that diploma. For sure, when you evaluate the
various schools you will need to verify that they are accredited.

What kinds of programs are available - what kinds of courses of
study can you choose from? Well, take your pick: You can enroll
in a business or trade school, or a more traditional college or
university (such as the well-known online programs from the
University of Phoenix). You can find courses in everything from
Culinary Arts to Management, from IT to Engineering, Medical
Assisting to Journalism.

Many folk seem to think that if you are enrolled in an online
college degree program, that you will not be able to secure
adequate financial aid. Nothing could be farther from the truth!
In fact, most of the normal options for securing financial
assistance - such as various forms of student loans - are
available to you if you are an online student, provided you are
studying at a properly accredited school, in an approved course
of study.

So how do you begin? Well, since you want to attend online,
begin with the Internet: do a thorough search of available
schools in your area of interest. Look at the degrees conferred,
and the various courses of study. You might want to contact
someone already working in that field to ask for their opinions
(i.e., would they consider getting THEIR degree from that
school?). Also check for - and verify - each school's
accreditation. Ask for and compare tuition (and other costs).
When you have narrowed your choices down to 3 or 4 then contact
each one and discuss your needs. When you are ready, make your
choice! Congratulations -- and welcome to the ranks of the
educated!