| Increasing fuel costs, rising inflation, and continuing | | | | study. The effort focused more on the nature as |
| economic hardships have really made going to a | | | | well as the overall extent of Internet education. |
| formal college difficult and impractical. | | | | Every year, it should be noted that the scope and |
| That is why more and more students these days are | | | | coverage of the study is maintained. The interesting |
| enlisting to earn online college degrees. Attending | | | | results are as follows. |
| school through the Internet is now a viable and more | | | | The annual survey revealed that volume of enrollees |
| attractive option for people who want to continue | | | | in universities and colleges' online degree programs |
| college education but who have not enough time and | | | | have grown faster compared to enrolment in |
| resources to do so. The online college programs are | | | | conventional or traditional tertiary institutions, 12.9% |
| also perfect for people who could not afford to | | | | against only 1.2%, respectively. The study also |
| leave their formal jobs just to attend to school | | | | estimated that more than 20% of tertiary students |
| classes. | | | | or about 3.9 million have enlisted in college-level |
| Hector Milla Editor of the "Best Online Degrees | | | | programs or courses in the Fall season of 2007 |
| Programs" website -- -- pointed out; | | | | semester. This caps the numbers game regarding |
| | | | | volume of online college degree programs. It is |
| "…A recent study conducted by the Sloan | | | | expected that in the coming years, the number |
| Consortium has been one of the many research | | | | would further grow especially in the United States. |
| efforts that aimed to determine the extent by which | | | | More institutions are considering offering online college |
| people are getting to online college degrees. The | | | | programs so it is expected that more students would |
| study, just like all others, tried to see how popular | | | | take the opportunities. |
| earning college degrees via the Internet have | | | | "…What could administrative staff and faculty say |
| become. The findings were not surprising and were | | | | about this trend? According to the study, those |
| literally logical and anticipated. The study was entitled | | | | people see the rise of online college degrees as a |
| ‘Staying the Course: Internet Education in the | | | | positive development. That is because more and |
| US.' It was published in the country in November of | | | | more students are given the chance to complete and |
| 2008. It showed that Internet degree programs have | | | | earn college degrees despite all the odds. Online |
| become readily accepted as an important and | | | | education systems are also becoming more in |
| practical way to attain tertiary education…" | | | | demand and are more developed to cope with the |
| The report was actually part of an annual study. | | | | situation. Thus, in the coming years, expect that |
| Sloan Consortium has been running the same | | | | curriculums and systems of online college degrees |
| research effort yearly since 2002. This has made | | | | would further improve and develop…" added H. Milla. |
| tracking the volume easier and more accurate. In | | | | It is not surprising if in the future, almost all students |
| 2008, about 2,500 universities and colleges have | | | | in the college level are taking courses and programs |
| contributed and participated as respondents to the | | | | online. |