| Many people who used to be just too busy working to | | | | Another common variation among distance education |
| further their education are finding that in the Internet | | | | programs is how they deliver course material and |
| era they can now get an advanced education in their | | | | lectures. Some use mostly online text presentations. |
| spare moments. This is leading to a much more | | | | Some offer online multimedia presentations. Some |
| educated society than ever before. As a result, many | | | | have online login discussion areas. Some still will mail |
| hard working people who have done well in their | | | | you audio or video tapes or DVDs. Some use |
| careers can get that extra degree online to help them | | | | old-fashioned telephone teleconferencing. Others use |
| take the next step up in their career paths. | | | | the latest Internet video conferencing software to link |
| The trend is not just for online schools to offer | | | | everyone together in a virtual classroom. Most of the |
| degrees online, but that there is a scramble among | | | | distant education programs now use a combination of |
| traditional colleges and universities to have online | | | | the above techniques and can alter their offerings to |
| degree offerings. The latest statistics available indicate | | | | meet individual student needs. |
| that around 60% of colleges and universities now offer | | | | As a prospective online education student you might |
| some kind of distance education or online degree | | | | want to look over the following tips: |
| program. That means there are now more than 2,000 | | | | 1) It is even more important that your online educational |
| colleges offering distance education in the United | | | | institution be accredited because employers are |
| States alone. One of the best known distance | | | | increasingly wary of online education scams and many |
| education universities is the University of Phoenix. The | | | | state licensing credentials require accredited |
| University of Phoenix alone reports that its enrollment | | | | educational programs. |
| tripled from 1998 to 2003. But, you don't have to just | | | | 2) Don't neglect applying for financial aid. Many online |
| attend a distance education college anymore. Several | | | | education students forget or don't realize that financial |
| ivy league schools now offer online degrees. | | | | aid is available for any type of student, provided your |
| As alluded to before, the success of online degree | | | | university of choice offers financial aid programs. |
| programs is related mainly to its convenience for busy | | | | 3) Before beginning your educational program, check |
| people and the advent of the Internet era. So it stands | | | | with your employer about educational incentives. Most |
| to reason that the main growth in student population is | | | | corporations and many small business owners are |
| driven by busy professionals with full-time jobs or busy | | | | willing to contribute financially to improving the |
| people with full-time family obligations. Another trend | | | | education of their employees. This is especially true |
| corresponding to the growth in distance education is | | | | when your classes are related to your job. |
| the growth in single parent homes. Online degree | | | | 4) Online educational curriculum is just as hard as |
| programs offer a great opportunity to single parents | | | | offline curriculum, but requires more maturity and better |
| who might otherwise get trapped in poverty by | | | | time management skills. You probably won't have a |
| full-time low paying jobs. | | | | professor looking you in the eye and asking you about |
| It is important to note that different distance learning | | | | turning in your reports or quizzing you in class about |
| programs have different distance learning student | | | | things you don't understand. If you aren't self-motivated |
| requirements. For example, some require that students | | | | and self-disciplined, online classes will be much harder |
| visit the campus or a satellite campus a few times | | | | than traditional classroom classes. |
| each semester, some require once per semester, | | | | 5) Make sure you have at least 10 hours of free time |
| some require only an initial college orientation, and | | | | during the course of each week per class you are |
| some don't require that you ever step on campus. | | | | taking. This applies to all normal people, but not |
| However, almost all distance learning programs | | | | necessarily to the elite among us. Take a tough online |
| associated with a campus allow you to visit the | | | | course and you'll soon know which category you fall |
| campus and meet with professors and deans. | | | | under. |