| Online degree programs are leading a boom in | | | | • Accessibility. Not every student has the |
| distance learning that has made a college education | | | | option of pulling up roots and attending college in |
| more accessible than ever before. In fact, distance | | | | another part of the country. In the past, this would |
| learning has taken a place alongside classroom learning | | | | have meant that your educational options were |
| in the mainstream of American education. | | | | limited to programs that happened to be offered in |
| In the near term, advantages of online degree | | | | your area. This is no longer true. With online |
| programs include lower cost and greater convenience. | | | | education, academic programs from all over the |
| Over the long term, earning a college degree online | | | | country are now as close as your computer. |
| can pay off with substantial financial benefits over | | | | • Flexible schedule. Traditional college |
| the course of your career. | | | | programs typically represented a rigid time schedule. |
| Growth of Online Degree Programs | | | | For people with work or family obligations, |
| Online degree programs are a prominent part of the | | | | conforming to that kind of schedule is an impossibility. |
| trend toward distance learning which has changed the | | | | Online programs both increase the number of |
| face of post-secondary education. | | | | scheduling options you have, and the flexibility of |
| According to U.S. Department of Education statistics | | | | many of those options. |
| for the 2006-07 academic year, 65 percent of | | | | • Affordability. Online education gives you |
| colleges offer some form of for-credit distance | | | | more low-tuition options to consider, and in particular |
| learning programs. In total 12.2 million people were | | | | eliminates the room, board, and transportation costs |
| enrolled in these programs, with just over | | | | associated with an on-campus education. |
| three-quarters of those participating via online | | | | Financial Benefits |
| courses. | | | | Accessibility, flexibility, and affordability are all |
| This proliferation has led to wider choice, with 11,200 | | | | short-term benefits. If these make the difference in |
| college programs designed specifically for distance | | | | allowing you to pursue a college degree, then the |
| education. For the most part, these are not just | | | | long-term financial benefits are considerable. |
| continuing education courses, but rather | | | | Simply obtaining an associate's degree can bump the |
| degree-oriented programs. 66 percent of all distance | | | | average person's annual earnings up to $34,000, |
| education programs were degree-oriented, with the | | | | compared to $29,000 for people who didn't get |
| remainder representing certificate programs. | | | | beyond a high school degree or equivalent. Obtaining |
| As with any college program, it is important to look | | | | a bachelor's degree raises the earning level by an |
| for online accredited degrees--those that are | | | | even greater margin, to $43,500, and these income |
| recognized as meeting a certain threshold of | | | | gaps have been getting wider over time. |
| educational standards. Fortunately, with so many | | | | Those are just one-year differences. Project those |
| accredited colleges now adding online programs, online | | | | income differentials over the course of a career, and |
| accredited degrees should not be hard to find. | | | | they add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. |
| Why Earn a Degree Online? | | | | That's the long-term financial benefit of a college |
| Today, millions of people are earning a degree | | | | education, and online education may be your best |
| online. Why should you consider joining them? There | | | | chance at capturing that benefit. |
| are a variety of reasons: | | | | |