The Advantages To Earning Online Degrees

There are several reasons why increasing numbers ofhelp one earn a $22,000 degree for little more than
people are choosing to earn online college degrees. Inthe cost of a widescreen digital television. That is the
fact, as computers and the Internet become moreCollege Level Examination Program, or CLEP. For
and more a part of people's lives, online schools couldunder $100, the online student can "test out" of a
well be the future of education. While there arecourse on nearly any subject in which s/he has
some subject areas - such as performing arts, teamcompetence, earning up to 12 credit hours. When one
sports and sciences requiring hands-on lab work -considers that the average cost of a single credit
that are completely inappropriate to online learning,hour at a traditional university can cost over $200,
many others are. These include a great number ofCLEP credits are an attractive bargain indeed.
online degrees that qualify people for a wide varietyIn fact, increasing numbers of traditional brick and
of jobs and careers.mortar universities are offering online college degrees
The biggest advantage to online degrees is that theyfor a wide variety of programs and levels from the
can be earned at home. Additionally, such programsAssociate's all the way to the Ph.D. Currently, there
typically offer flexible scheduling, giving a student upare 162 institutions across the nation offering such
to one year to complete requirements for a givenonline degrees.
class.Some hesitate to enroll in online schools. This is
With college costs spiraling ever upward as one U.S.understandable; like the airplane and the automobile
Administration after another diverts money andover a century ago, online learning something quite
resources away from education to private corporatenew, and like those whose battle cry in 1900 was
interests, the idea of going off to a traditional college"get a horse!" there are many who are skeptical of
or university has become out of reach for many.the value of online college degrees.
While tuition and cost of books for an onlineIn defending online degrees to prospective
university is comparable to that of a traditional "brickemployers, those who earned such degrees can point
and mortar" university, the traditional student willout that (1) online universities are accredited just like
avoid many extra incidental fees frequently chargedtheir brick-and-mortar counterparts, and are usually
by such institutions. Such a student can also save onclosely associated with such institutions; (2)
living and travel expenses by remaining at home. (Ancompleting online degrees requires uncommon time
online student can also be more productive; one thingmanagement skills; and (3) these programs give
that online virtual university lacks are the "beerstudents tremendous experience with new software
parties" and other types of distractions that canprograms - qualifications that are definitely valued by
cause traditional students to have problems).employers.
There is another secret of online learning that can