Online Colleges and Degrees

Online Colleges are a direct result of the slow economy, and it's negative impact on small businesses, real estate, banking, and even college enrollment. Interestingly, the nation’s economic status has had a positive impact on enrollment in online colleges and degrees. This area of education has seen the highest increase in demand of all learning formats.

In 2009, enrollment at online colleges was up 17% among students enrolled in on-campus colleges and universities. This means in 2009, more than 4.6 million students took online courses last year, which is a total of 25% of college students. Growth in higher education overall was only 1.2%. The University of Phoenix reported enrollment of 165,373 students in 2006. This figure is more than triple the number of students enrolled in the top 20 largest degree-granting institutions. In addition to University of Phoenix, there are literally thousands of online campuses across the U.S.

While there are many online colleges and degrees programs to choose from, not all online colleges have been accredited. So when searching for an online college program, you should check the status of each program before applying.

Online colleges that have been accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education have met a certain (high) academic standards In addition, accredited online programs are eligible to participate in federal financial aid programs.

The following are just a few national and regional accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education: Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools New England Association of Schools and Colleges North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Just as important as accreditation are admission requirements and curriculum. All accredited online college programs will have similar, if not the same, admission requirements as on-campus programs. The following is an example of admission requirements for a traditional degree program: A completed application ACT, SAT, GRE Test Scores Transcripts An Application Essay Interview (in some cases) Minimum B average (in many cases, students with lower averages may be admitted on probationary basis)

Online colleges curriculums at accredited schools are not much different from on-campus college curriculums. For freshman, programs should include several semesters of general education courses, followed by several semesters of major courses, electives, and an internship. At the graduate level, course curriculums will consist of advanced coursework in the student’s focus area and advanced foundation courses.

If online colleges lack a coherent curriculum, traditional admissions requirements, and accreditation, it is most likely not a quality program. Finding online colleges and degrees, students may explore the offerings at traditional brick and mortar universities (check the online division) or you may search through comprehensive online directories such as Top Online Colleges. Popular search engines such as Bing, Ask, or Google may be useful as well.

All online colleges and degrees program will offer information on accreditation. To make sure the program’s accrediting agency is listed with the U.S. Department of Education. (Tip: Critics of online college programs argue that in an online environment, there just isn’t enough interaction with classmates or teachers. The opposite is true. In a traditional classroom setting, you can choose to sit in the back of the classroom and remain silent for most of the semester. In an online classroom environment the professor tracks your interaction or lack of). At online colleges, you must interact with classmates and the instructor on a daily basis, post meaningful and articulate responses, chat, and post critiques on a regular basis -- or your grade will suffer.

Online Colleges are more popular than ever before. Whenever you are applying for online colleges and degrees, you still need to go through the same process as selecting a traditional college or university. Only now, you will have the added flexibility of the Internet.

This way, online colleges literally arrive at your front door. Your admissions paperwork can all be completed without ever stepping onto the campus. Here's a brief checklist of things to consider when applying for online colleges and degrees.

1. Make A "To-Do" List

Check the college's admissions page and see what paperwork you will need to submit and when. In most cases this will be straight forward, but some degrees may require letters of recommendation or physicals.

2. Send In Your Application

This will require some common personal information on hand like your address and date of birth as well as your academic history and planned course of study. If you need to include an essay, write it beforehand and paste it from your word processor.

3. Start the Financial Aid Process

Begin by filling out the FAFSA form, the U.S. government's universal form for financial aid. Make sure to include the school code for the college you want to attend; if you have already filled out the FAFSA, you can go back onto your account and add a school code. It takes about two weeks for the school to receive your financial information once you've made this change.

4. Request all of your Transcripts and Test Scores

For previously credits to be applied to your current degree you will need to have official transcripts sent from the institutions you attended. This will almost always require that a written request be mailed to the college. Often getting proof of high school graduation will only require a phone call. If you earned concurrent credit by taking a college course through the high school you will still need a transcript sent from the participating college.
Many colleges will also require ACT or SAT scores. Like transcripts, these will need to be sent by the testing companies. If you have not taken one of these tests, you can sign up for a local test from their websites.

5. Talk to your Advisors

Once the college has your financial and scholastic information you can start working out what you will need to take and how you will need to pay for it. They will help you arrange your education to meet your specific needs.

Start your search for online colleges early, and stay organized. It will pay off in the long run. Good luck with your search for online colleges and degrees.