Getting Your College Degree Online
While an online education sounds like the perfect solution, there are several things to consider. First, you need to figure out whether you are a good fit for online education. Secondly, you need to find a school. Finally, financing.
Are You A Good Fit
When I taught at the University of Florida, many of my students were very dismayed to learn that an online class is not as easy as it sounds. Online courses usually still require forum posts/group discussions, group work and a significant amount of reading or watching videos. Additionally, you have to be very self-motivated and structured. It is really easy to put-off assignments in online classes. Some teachers, especially in undergraduate courses, still make assignments due throughout the semester. Other considerations include: 1) Do some of the courses you will have to take require campus visits for orientation or once a month, 2) Do the courses require knowledge of how to build an HTML page or any other technical skills, 3) Do the courses (as counseling courses do) require that you send in video and/or audio tapes to the instructor, and 4) Is the class real-time–meaning, do you have to login at a particular time every week or is it asynchronous—you can login whenever you want. Many of my students really crave the structure of a classroom and a face-to-face discussion with a person. This can be worked around in the online environment if the professor has live online lectures that are recorded and posted later for those who could not login.
Choosing a School
1. There are many shady schools out there. Make sure your school is accredited by some recognized body. Many employers will check to make sure you received an actual diploma from an actual university.
2. See if your school gives credit for life experience. Excelsior College is one that gives limited credit for life experience. This can drastically reduce your time and tuition.
3. Compare tuition rates and credits. A cheaper school is not much benefit if you have to take double the credits to graduate.
Financing
1. Many employers have incentive programs where they will pay for part of your education if it realtes to your job
2. If you only need a couple of classes, check with your local community college. You may be able to take classes there—even online classes—for cheaper than whatever university you choose then transfer the credits in.
3. Credit Cards–This is proabably the worst option. Student loans feel daunting, but the interest from those loans is tax deductible, whereas credit card interest is not.
4. Most grants do not cover online education yet, but check with the Foundation Center. They are a nonprofit organization that compiles grants for individual and corporate purposes. If you fall into a special interest group in some way, or have a unique degree/interest you are persuing, you might find help here. I helped many of my clients find grants when I was working in community mental health.
Online education makes it easier than ever to get a degree, but it is still work. If you have had a good experience with an online college, please post.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.