Your Education - Cheaper Online Or Not?

The debates concerning online degree programs continue. For
many people, it is about traditional classroom learning
versus online learning. For others is it about cost. Does it
cost more to study online or in a classroom setting? The
answer depends on the cost of tuition for the school and
what types of computer programs and other materials might be
needed to compete a degree program. Some degrees are less
expensive than others because the overhead is lower. With
other programs, like culinary arts, or even computer
programming, is the latest computer programs are needed, the
cost could be in the thousands. It just depends on what one
will be learning.

Usually the tuition for online classes is the same as
traditional classroom classes. But sometimes, if a
university is trying out a new online class, they will
charge less to take the class because they want to see if it
will be a good class to continue offering online. These
classes are just as good as other classes. Many times,
schools offer some classes online, but not all classes.
These usually cost the same amount of money.

Online classes for medical transcription and other data
entry or secretarial professions might even cost less when
taken online. The need for a classroom is gone, instructors
are paid less because they do not need to prepare lectures
and spend time with a student if they have questions. Online
classes that do not require extra equipment are usually
cheaper. But some schools just charge more. This is because
they do not expect a person to shop around when deciding on
an online class. But this is not always the case. Many
people want the most form their money and will comparison
shop. Many schools offer financial aid, which covers most of
the cost for the classes and supplies.

Some online degree programs cost a lot more than traditional
classroom study. These degrees are usually in math, English,
or history. Many universities offer low residency advance
degree programs where people meet every six months for a
week or so and then go home and work on projects. These
programs, though very beneficial, can cost thousands of
dollars for enrollment costs, and in many cases, cost extra
money in travel costs. But it is a requirement for the
completion of the program, that everyone attend the
residencies. Other programs that do not include meeting
twice a year can also cost money.

Whether or not online classes are cheaper or more expensive,
it is important to choose the right program. Online classes
are more convenient for some people. For others, going to
classes keeps them focused. Research all options before
committing to any program. Ask questions and be sure to know
how much extra materials are going to cost per year. Also,
ask about low residency programs. While more expensive,
students will have the opportunity to meet other students
and instructors. This can create an environment that seems
much smaller than if taking an online class and not meeting
another person. Lots of people are intimidated by not
communicating with other students and instructors. But many
online programs are set-up this way to keep a fast moving
pace and allow people to make their own study schedules.
This is also done to cut down on cost. Low overhead means
they can charge less for the classes. This appeals to many
people who are on a budget, who do not want to apply for
financial aid, or for those who just want to take a class or
two, not complete a degree program.

Before enrolling in any online degree program, find out the
total cost for the program. Decide if not seeing other
students or sitting through a lecture is the right learning
environment. Ask other people who have graduated from on
online degree program and see how they felt and if they saw
the cost as too high. Lastly, try to understand individual
study habits. Online degree programs can be as expensive as
any traditional college program, or they can cost a little
less, it just depends on the university offering it. It is
worth the time to research all options before deciding on a
program.

Online Education College Degrees: Wave of the Future

Getting an online education college degree is the wave of
the future! The increase in adults going back to school
has jumped from 28% in 1970 to 39% in 2006. In 2001, 92
million (46%) adults participated in educational ventures.
(Statistics may be found at eLearners.com) But, the
largest group of online education participants is the one
earning online college degrees. Here is a summary of the
levels of degrees, types of degrees, and majors, as well as
"10 Predictions for Online Education in 2007."

Four Levels of Online Education College Degrees:

Associate Degrees.

Bachelor's Degrees.

Master's Degrees.

Doctoral Degrees.

Types of Online Education College Degrees & Majors:

Arts & Humanities Degrees: Liberal
Arts, Humanities, Design, Writing, Communications, English

Business & MBA Degrees: MBA,
Management, Human Resources, Marketing, Finance, Accounting

Computers & I.T. Degrees: Information Technology, Web
Design, Networks, Technology Management

Education & Teaching Degrees: K-12, Early Childhood,
Administration, Special Education, Curriculum/Instruction

Health & Nursing Degrees: Nursing, Psychology, Counseling,
Health Administration, Human Services

Science & Engineering Degrees: Engineering, Technology,
Mathematics, Aviation

Social Science Degrees: Criminal Justice, Paralegal, Law,
Psychology, Public Administration, Political Science

Some careers require only associate degrees (equivalent to
the first two years of a college education). These
include: physical therapist assistants, dental hygienists,
forensic technicians, veterinary technologists and
technicians, diagnostic medical sonographers, occupational
therapist assistants, cardiovascular technologists and
technicians, paralegals and legal assistants. Considering
that only a two year degree is required for these jobs,
they are well-paid and respected.

10 Predictions About Online Education in 2007

1. Online education programs will continue to grow and
expand. There will be more programs offered online to earn
online education degrees and those already offered will
expand into more areas of study.

2. Technology will advance. Technology is continually
improving and replacing older technologies. Access to
online education will speed up and more options will become
available to students, such as access to online evaluations
of their work, etc.

3. Costs will decrease. As more online education programs
evolve, competition will increase, and costs to students
will decrease.

4. New degree programs will develop. New degree programs,
related to online education will develop. Such programs
might include: online student counseling, online education
site debate/discussion host, etc.

5. More students will enroll in online education programs.
Enrollment in programs has increased each year and will
continue to do so. More than 1.6 million students took at
least one online course in 2002. In 2003, 1.9 million
students took online courses. In 2004, more than 2.3
million students enrolled. In 2005, the number of online
learners increased to almost 3.2 million students.
(Source: Making the Grade: Online Education in the United
States, 2006, Sloan Consortium)

6. Specialized programs will begin to emerge. Special
online programs for students with learning disabilities
will begin to emerge to encourage these students to attend
online education programs.

7. Attitudes toward higher education will begin to change.
People will begin to view degree programs as accessible by
nearly everyone, not just those who are extremely
intelligent.

8. The time to obtain a degree will shorten. It will take
less time to obtain a degree as students will be able to
work year-round, at any time of the day or night, transfer
courses from other programs, and earn course credit by
challenge exams. The minimum amount of time in which degree
programs can be completed is two years, but the time it
takes to complete a degree varies, depending on prior
coursework and whether or not you take time off between
courses. Many students complete a degree in two to three
years, but it can take four or five years or more,
depending on the pace. The more credits transferred, the
faster the degree will be completed. You can earn credits
from professional training, the College Level Examination
Program (CLEP), or previous college courses. (Source:
www.uopxworld.edu., "Frequently Asked Questions")

9. Course credit will be offered for life experience at
most online colleges. More credit will be given for life
experiences, especially to older students.

10. New programs will begin that are hybrids. New
programs will be developed that combine traditional
on-campus education with online education or work/online
study programs.

Getting an online education college degree is the wave of
the future! Use the 10 predictions about online education
in this article to begin your search for the online
education college degree that is best for you.

----------------------------------------------------
Ken Anczerewicz is an author and publisher devoted to
providing time & money saving resources designed to help
students of all ages achieve their financial goals. Learn
how to create your own income stream by clicking here now:
http://www.resourceriver.com

Top FAQs about Obtaining an Online Degree

Obtaining an online degree may be easier than you think.
Here is some information to help you get started.

. Make sure that the school you are considering is
accredited. If a school is not accredited by a U.S.
Department of Education recognized body, then you are just
wasting your time and money on a meaningless piece of paper.

. It is also helpful to see how many degrees and courses a
school offers, as a general rule, the more that is offered
the more experienced a school is. Also look into how many
teachers work with the online courses and how long they have
been working there. Teachers with more experience will have
worked out any problems with the curriculum.

. Consider yourself before applying. Are you self-motivated
and disciplined enough to follow through with online
education? You will be the one responsible for ensuring
that you get all of the information and complete all of the
assignments. You should also not expect online courses to
be any easier than if you were actually attending lectures
in a classroom. You must also have access to, and enjoy
using, a computer.

. Look into class sizes. If the student to professor ratio
is too high, it may be difficult to get personalized
attention or may slow log in for group projects. If the
classes are only sparsely attended it may be difficult to
find other students with whom to discuss projects.

. Tuition varies between schools and degree programs, but it
is often comparable to those of standard classes. Ask about
all tuition costs, as well as any additional fees or items
you will need to purchase in order to complete the class.
You might also look into the possibility of a refund if you
decide not to finish your degree.

. Financial aid, scholarships, and loans are often available
for students who qualify. If you have not planned how you
are going to pay for your coursework, now is the time to do
so. Look into what assistance is available and what you
have to do to qualify.

. You will more than likely need to meet certain technical
requirements in order to take classes. This will include a
compatible operating system, fast enough computer, enough
memory, good Internet connection, access to email, a word
processing program, and the ability to receive sounds and
view videos. Your chosen school will be able to inform you
of the exact technical requirements needed.

. Language and geography are also important to consider.
Most skills require the ability to speak, write, and
understand English. Others are only available to students
within the U.S.

. You will have to submit an application, same as if you
were applying for a traditional college. This may involve
an application fee, essay, resume, letters of
recommendation, and official transcripts.

. If you have attended college before, find out if your
credits are transferable. This will prevent you from having
to retake courses that you had previously finished.

. You will also need to take some standardized tests, and
most of these are only available at a school location.
These might include: the College Level Examination Program
(CLEP) which allows you to earn credits for courses with
passing scores, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) which is
generally required for students entering college, the
American College Testing Assessment (ACT) which is also
generally required, and the Graduate Record Examination
(GRE) if you are planning to enter a non-business field or
the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) if you are
entering business. Check with your desired school for which
tests are required to apply. Additional tests may be
required for specific fields.

. Plan ahead. Once you have gotten accepted, plan out
everything that you need to do to finish your coursework in
the allotted amount of time. Schedule in study hours into
your day. Decide where you are going to work and when. If
you are going to be using the library, look into the times
of day that it is open and find out when the best time to
get work done will be.

Now you are well on your way to earning the degree of your
dreams and reaching your goals!

Six Great Ways To Evaluate Your Potential Onlline Degree Program

Many students who look into online degree programs get so
excited about the idea of being able to get their degree
from home, they rarely think about what type of degree
program they are getting into. When it comes to your
college education, it is important to be sure you are
getting a valid degree that will actually help you, and not
waste your time and money. With several scams being
uncovered over the past few years, it is no surprise that
students should be more careful when choosing an online
degree program. If you are in search of a good program,
take a look at these six ways you should evaluate each
online degree program you look into.

Accreditation

When you look into various online degree programs, you
should know if the school is accredited. Accreditation is a
type of review that the school undergoes. There are actual
accrediting agencies that have sets of standards they use to
review each school. Some of the areas they look at are the
staff and faculty, curriculum, and student services. If
your school meets the specific standards, they will get
accreditation and be required to continue to provide the
same services. When a school is accredited, it means they
offer programs that meet great educational standards.
Sometimes, when you go for job interviews, your employer
will want to make sure your college was accredited. So, you
can see accreditation is very important.

Admission Process

Another thing you should look at when evaluating online
degree programs is the admissions process. When you look
into schools, you should ask them how their admission
process works. If they admit anyone who is willing to pay
tuition, you know you don't want to fall into their trap.
The admission process should be competitive. This will show
you that they take their studies seriously. There are faux
universities out there who could care less what you get, as
long as they get their money. These universities will
accept anyone and will not post statistics on their current
student body.

Location

One thing you should think about is whether or not your
online college degree will be from a school that has a
physical location. This is an important factor for you to
determine whether the university is legitimate or not. Many
scams will not have a physical address for their school,
only a mailing address. You want a school that has a place
where you can come to see if they are legitimate or not,
even though you probably won't ever make the trip.

Cost

With the cost of higher education being higher than ever,
the cost of your online degree program should be an issue
you think about. Many students will pay whatever costs they
have to, just so they can get a degree. They often will
take out student loans just so they can afford to take
online courses. However, few students think about having to
pay those loans back. When you graduate, and your bills
start rolling in, you will have wished you shopped around
for the best tuition costs. So, do yourself a favor when
you start and consider what you will be paying when you look
at online degree programs.

Degree Types

Online degrees are often very specific in there area of
interest. When you are looking for an online degree program
that fits your specific needs, be sure to think about the
type of degree the program awards. Some programs only award
certificates and never award degrees, so beware of these
programs. If you are looking for a bachelor's degree or a
master's degree, you really need to be sure those degree
types are offered through your online degree program.

Success Rate

Few prospective students ever consider checking out the
success rate for specific degree programs. However, knowing
the success rate for your online degree program is a great
way for you to identify if you would be successful yourself.
Even if a program has a lower than expected success rate,
you still might want to give it a try. However, you may
also want to look around for something else instead. If the
program doesn't list its statistics on their website, give
them a quick call to ask if they list them for prospective
students to review.

Beware of Online Degree Mills!

There is more to online education than formal diploma and
degree programs.  There are courses for everyone, including
courses which develop job skills, for general enjoyment,
and broadening horizons.  Why do students take courses
online?  Online education allows students to avoid
commuting, work at their own pace, and work from home or
the job site.  Also, online education courses may be less
expensive than classes taken on a campus.  However, most
students take courses in pursuit of a college or university
degree.  But, if you are considering entering a degree
program, you must beware of online diploma and degree mills!

A degree mill is a fake university that sells college
degrees without requiring the education to earn it.  As you
can imagine, fake degrees have become big business on the
Internet.  Vicky Phillips, CEO of www.GetEducated.com, LLC
states, "Prestigious unaccredited university?  No such
creature.  Not online...Accreditation is the highest mark
of academic quality.  Without accreditation a bogus online
university can begin awarding degrees overnight.  More than
thirty bogus universities currently sell online degrees in
the United States and Canada."  How can you tell if an
online education program is real or bogus?

Online Degree Mills: 10 Warning Signs of a Bogus Program

1.  The U.S. or Canadian online program is not accredited.
An accredited program will state it on the website.  The
website looks flashy, but doesn't mention accreditation.

2.  The online program claims to be accredited, but not by
an agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education
Accreditation (http://www.chea.org).  Bogus degree mills
will claim accreditation, but only CHEA has the names of
valid accreditors.  The U.S. Department of Education Higher
Learning Commission recognizes the following as national
accreditation agencies:

*Middle States' Association of Schools and Colleges

*New England Association of Schools and Colleges

*North Central Association of Schools and Colleges

*Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges

*Southern Association of Schools and Colleges

*Western Association of Schools and Colleges

3.  To be admitted to a bogus program, you are only asked
for your credit card.  Your academic records, GPA (grade
point average), and test scores are not requested.

4.  You are offered a degree based on your resume, giving
you course credit for "life experience."  Accredited
colleges do offer some course credit (up to 30 credits) for
career experience, but no accredited college will give a
degree for life experience only.  "If you encounter an
online graduate school that advertises master's or
doctorate degrees based solely on life experience, check
accreditation carefully. You are almost certainly dealing
with an online degree mill. Degree mills are fake colleges
that "mill" or crank out worthless paper degrees
to...students each year."  (Source: "College Credit for
Career Experience" by Vicky Phillips, CEO, GetEducated.com,
LLC)  There is one exception to this.  Thomas Edison State
College of New Jersey, USA does award an associate or
bachelor's degree based on career experience, military
service, corporate training, and course challenge exams.
To get a degree, all your experience must be carefully
documented and validated.

5.  You are promised a degree (i.e.; a piece of paper)
within thirty days of application regardless of your
background.  Usually, you are not required to take any
classes or tests.

6.  You are promised a degree for a specific cost, such as
$2,000 for a bachelor's or $3,000 for a graduate degree.
Accredited colleges do not do this; they charge per credit.

7.  The program you are considering has many complaints on
the Better Business Bureau website:   http://www.bbb.org.

8.  An employee of the college swears that online colleges
can't be accredited by the CHEA or any agency.

9.  The college has no faculty or lists professors who have
attended colleges that are not officially accredited by the
CHEA.

10.  The college offers degrees to anyone, but is located
in a foreign country that has no accreditation agencies.

If you are considering entering a U.S. online education
program, check it out carefully for accreditation by the
CHEA and avoid the bogus, online degree mills!


----------------------------------------------------
Ken Anczerewicz is an author and publisher devoted to
providing time & money saving resources designed to help
students of all ages achieve their financial goals.  Learn
how to create your own income stream by clicking here now:
http://www.resourceriver.com