5 Tips before you start an Online Degree
A great Q&A article from the New York Times features common questions about online degree programs.
The five tips that can be taken from the article are:
1. Make the time to learn – You’ll need 10-20 hours of work each week for a year or two, in most online programs. So take that into consideration before enrolling. Will you be able to make the time in order to learn.
2. Be prepared to sit a lot in front of the computer – recorded lectures, discussion groups with other students, reading a lot of material. In the core of online education lies the participation of the students.
3. Online degrees can cost as much as regular degrees – but there are savings in the form of gasoline from the unnecessary trips to the university. Anyway, you can always find programs that meet your budget. Take into consideration that you will might want to take a few days off from work from time to time, so you might need to consult with your employer first.
4. Check if the program is recognized by your employer – you will also want to find a program that will show the added benefit of education to your current position. Many online program are recognized by employers for tuition reimbursement.
5. Beware of fake programs – You can check the accreditation of the programs with the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Don’t be fooled by promises to a quick and easy online degree. If it looks too easy – it’s probably not the education you want.
More [NY Times]
80,000 students duped in $31m online college fraud
It’s seems that getting a degree could be very expensive if you don’t check who you give your money to.
Tens of thousands of students in the UK were conned by three men who opened an online college named "National Distance Learning College" and ran away with the money. The men have made millions of pounds from the students, but only 18 students got their qualifications.
The three men told students that the online degree will be accredited by national bodies – something that wasn’t true. They’ve also got some grants from the government as a result of the number of students they had – and took the money to their pockets.