Archive for December, 2008
Posted by Jeff Davis on December 18th, 2008
I believe that there are many reasons that people exert the effort to pursue an online degree and my reasons are probably no different. My main motivation behind looking for an online degree was probably the fact that I wanted to obtain a better job. A job with more prestige, more responsibility, and hopefully more money!
However, there were also other important factors involved. The right online degree would help me advance in my career so I was pretty choosy when looking over all of the different degrees offered and considering the many online schools which offered them. I wanted my online degree to be something that I could be proud of with a sense of accomplishment and I wanted it to be considered as respectable as a traditional college degree.
I can tell you that one factor which I was not as concerned with was cost. Cost was not a major contributive factor for me in my pursuit of an online degree, especially since I knew that I could qualify for financial aid. More important than cost to me was the quality of the degree program and the educational institution from which it came.
Convenience is probably what originally drove me to seeking an online degree versus taking a more traditional approach. Since I am a busy working adult, I truly appreciated the ability to take courses from home. This allowed me to fit college into my hectic lifestyle with a more flexible advantage.
The first thing I looked for once I found an online degree program that I was interested in was making certain that the institution carried an official recognition. Making sure that the school was accredited almost guaranteed me that I would be getting the best education possible and the best value for my tuition.
Not everyone has career related reasons for wanting an online degree. An education is always beneficial, even if it is only meant to meet a personal goal in life. Getting your degree online can be a rewarding and memorable life experience, so be sure to take the time to research your online degree in order to be certain of getting exactly the college degree to help you meet your personal or career goals.
Posted by Pamela Gustafson on December 17th, 2008
My search for online classes was not about getting a degree; it was more like a fishing expedition. It was about finding courses that would help improve my skills as a teacher. Computers and technology were quickly expanding on the education scene and I wanted to be ready. Having watched my son’s intense interest in computers, I knew computers were a venue to reach unmotivated students (which he was at times). During this time I also switched school districts and found out the new district was ahead of my former district in purchasing computers. I looked for practical courses to enhance my teaching with computers, so I chose courses from different universities.
The search started in 2001. The pond of online courses was smaller then,unlike the sea of online classes available today. The University of Northern Iowa had the biggest lake of online classes for teachers. They understood how many K-12 teachers already had masters degrees and needed courses to improve their skills in the classroom. The two classes I took from UNI were “Excel with Excel” and “Using the Internet for Staff Development”
From a flyer I received in the mail from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, I found an online course titled “Using Computers to Teach Reading in Early Childhood.” This course required two on-site meetings; the rest of the class was online. In all three courses I felt much closer to the instructors than I had ever felt in an on-site college class. Instead of a once a week intense three-hour session, I received feedback and messages in smaller sound bites. I felt like I was able to converse more with my professors, thereby enhancing my learning experience.
At the same time I was taking these classes I had a classroom with five computers. I could immediately apply information I was learning in my classes. In addition, I created other learning experiences using computers for small groups of students. I discussed this with other teachers in my online classes.
So, I went fishing and I was hooked on the quality of my own online classroom experiences and the power of computers as a motivating tool in the classroom. The classes paid big dividends.
Posted by Jen Zeman on December 16th, 2008
When I started my search for an online degree, my number one requirement was my desired program. I wanted to study law and I initially searched colleges and universities within the state where I live (Maryland). I was fortunate because the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) offers a legal studies program that is completely online. Fortunately, having a degree program completely online was my second requirement! There are hybrid programs available at many institutions (where you attend some on-campus classes and take other classes online), but this wasn’t for me. I didn’t want to commute to a single class because it would have been too much of a hassle for me (too far from work and home). UMUC actually offers several programs completely online for those who would be interested: www.umuc.edu. The tuition and fees I paid for in-state were reasonable, which was my third requirement for an online degree. Some institutions will drain your wallet dry with various “technical” fees for online courses on top of the regular tuition, so this is something to research before signing on!
Another requirement for me was the availability of classes. UMUC offers a wide selection of courses to choose from each semester, including the summer session. This was important for me since I had set up a tight deadline to complete my degree and taking summer courses accelerated the schedule. A final requirement was the ability to retain nearly all my credits earned from my associate’s degree. I was fortunate to transfer from an in-state community college to UMUC and was able to retain nearly all my credits. I know not everyone is so lucky, especially when transferring to an out-of-state college or university. I recommend once you are fairly close to deciding where you want to attend, have the university complete a transcript evaluation as soon as possible. This way, you’ll know whether you will have to take more classes than you originally planned, which may make you decide to find another institution who will accept more of your hard-earned credits.
Posted by Sharon Cece on December 15th, 2008
Candidly speaking, when I decided to return to college to complete my degree I did not initially consider online options. I believed that returning to Florida State was out of the question for obvious reasons (the main being a super long commute), and so I looked at local colleges to finish what I started. Since I was used to being a traditional student, I assumed I would return on-campus.
My plans changed, however, when I was clicking through the FSU site out of sheer wishful thinking. Somehow I stumbled on their distance learning FSU Online program, but was dismayed to find a very limited number of degrees offered with none pertaining to my major (unless I wanted to suddenly switch from Business Administration to Nursing, which was unlikely). Yet, the more I thought about it, the more the idea of studying and matriculating online appealed to me. Having small children was my biggest push toward an online curriculum, as well as the appealing thought of taking tests right from home when I wanted or from wherever I happened to be at the moment.
And so began my search for online degrees. Since I had never attended college online I wasn’t quite sure at first what I was looking for in an online program. First and foremost I wanted to apply the credits I already had toward my returning degree. Convenience and flexibility was a criteria, yet pretty much default with most online programs. Cost was another consideration and I did find a wide spectrum of fees with local schools as most affordable. However, I admit that I kept gravitating back to FSU, thinking this was my chance to finish my degree where I wanted, though their online program was more money than most of the local colleges I was considering. As well, I wasn’t sure how I would apply my credits to the online degrees that were offered there. But I suddenly felt determined and, through this new distance learning option I was presented, I saw a chance to get my degree exactly how I wanted (online: the antidote for long commutes) and where I wanted (FSU: my #1 choice).
Fortunately, persistence pays. I snail-mailed, e-mailed and called a number of helpful representatives and assistants and finally reached a wonderful advisor who informed me that most of my Business Admin courses could be applied or converted toward an Interdisciplinary Social Science degree, which was offered through the FSU Online program. Another advantage: even though their online course fees were higher than local online programs, all of my existing credits would be applied to my continuing degree since my prior credits were from FSU to begin with. This would save me both time and money in the long run. That clinched it. Now my course was set, and the rest was easy– just a matter of applying and paying for it. Okay maybe not so easy….but once you decide what you want and how you want it, the rest somehow falls into place.
Posted by Jeff Davis on December 12th, 2008
Since I worked full-time and have a family, I really did not have the free time available that I would have liked to have had in order to pursue the various avenues regarding financing options for school. Therefore, for my financial aid options, I chose to go the route of student loans and to pay any out of pocket expenses that the student loans would not cover. This worked well for me but may not be the right fit for everyone. Overall, I think it really depends on each individual’s needs for financial aid and how that person wants to address them.
There are many ways to obtain financing for college and an online school is no different. Among these are: student loans, private loans, employer tuition assistance, and scholarships. From what I discovered, there are more financial aid options available than ever for students pursuing online programs. If you are unsure of how to get started with obtaining the correct information, then consider your university’s financial aid department. They will have plenty of information on the university’s financial aid policies.
However, one advantage that online schools have over more traditional schools is that they can save you money. If you attend college on a traditional campus, you will have more expenses involved than you originally anticipated. Think about it. You will have to pay for not only tuition, but also you may have housing, food, books, supplies, and gas for commuting. With an online school, these costs are greatly reduced because you are attending class from home. Therefore, your only costs should be tuition and books. You also have no commuting costs since you do not have to drive to class.
Overall, you need to understand all of your options when it comes to paying for college. I would recommend that you take the time to do some careful research and be sure to apply for everything you can including federal and state aid as well as private scholarships.
When I decided to return to school, I knew that I would have to go into more debt to do it. I looked for a school that was reasonable in terms of cost, but that was still about $1000 a month for school. That was money I didn’t have, so student loans were again necessary.
I had worked while going to school for my bachelor’s degree, but wound up taking student loans to supplement my lifestyle. I think the same thing happened with my master’s degree. While my employer paid 75% of the cost, I still took some student loans. I hadn’t planned to pursue my PhD at that time, so I thought I would just pay off the balance as I progressed in the workplace.
The limits for the federal student loans do go up as the type of the degree increases. So I knew the limit for Stafford Loans was about $140,000. I am pretty close to that limit at this point. Now that I’m nearly at the end of my degree program, my cost is reduced to approximately $1000 per quarter and I pay that out of pocket.
I know I should have looked for scholarships, but there just wasn’t time. Also, there didn’t seem to be as many scholarships targeted toward my demographic, field of study, or degree level. I also didn’t think my school provided many resources for financing - they basically presented the bill and expected the student to figure it out.
Knowing what I know now, I do wish I had been more fiscally responsible and minimized my loans (and my lifestyle). I am now still in deferment, but make small payments each month to help bring this balance in line before I graduate.
Posted by Jen Zeman on December 8th, 2008
When considering financing options for school, I compared loans from private financial institutions and the U.S. Department of Education. I decided on the Department of Education and completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. I knew my husband and I made too much money to be eligible for grants, so I secured subsidized and unsubsidized loans. Loans through the Department of Education appealed to me more than a private financial institution loan because the Department of Education offered a better loan rate, better repayment options, and deferral of repayment until I graduated from school. The deferral option is great! Not immediately coming up with the additional funds to pay for school was one less thing to stress about.
The world of scholarships is vast and the amount of money available via scholarships is astronomical. The website www.scholarships.com indicates their database consists of over 2.7 million free scholarships and grants worth over $19 billion. The problem I found with scholarships is that it takes time, a lot of time, to search through them to find ones you are eligible to apply for. During the searches I did conduct, I wasn’t eligible for most of the scholarships offered. I simply didn’t have the time to continue, but if you do have the time, scholarships and grants can be extremely beneficial in reducing your total tuition bill. With enough persistence, you may even accumulate enough to pay all of your expenses! The financial aid office at the institution you will be attending can help you get started in the process. The financial aid office can help you apply for financial aid, advise you of funding available directly through the school, and assist you essentially through the entire process.
Posted by Sharon Cece on December 8th, 2008
The first thing I did after I was accepted to the Distance Learning program in 2004 was celebrate with a huge hot fudge sundae. The second thing I did was to sit down and research financial aid programs. There were two programs I focused on: financial aid specific to my college (academic in nature) as well as FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid (financial in nature).
My situation was the following: married, two children, one income. Since I had been away from FSU for a number of years (I had originally attended on campus from 1987-89), the FSU financial aid academic aid would not have been applicable to me until I received grades for my first semesters. Therefore, I directed my attention to the FAFSA, which I completed immediately and strongly encourage all students to do so. Since everything is done online, it is very easy to track your financial aid status once you complete all the required online forms and receive your PIN.
Based on the FAFSA report, I was eligible for the Undergraduate Stafford Loan. There are two kinds of Stafford Loans, Subsidized and Unsubsidized. Subsidized are based on financial need and interest does not accrue on the loan as long as you are in school at least half time until six months after graduation. Unsubsidized loans accrue interest from the time the loan is dispersed to the school.
Once I started to build a transcript of grades I was then able to pursue academic-based financial aid through my college. Thus, in addition to receiving the Federal Stafford Loan, I also received an academic grant through FSU. This helped quite a bit in paying for supplies and the added expenses germane to the distance learning student.
Though I did worry at first about paying for college, there are financing options available for most college students regardless of status. As well, there are scholarships available in addition to federal and state college assistance. Your academic advisors can point you in the right direction to get you started. More importantly, research is your best friend. Look into all financing options to make the best choices for you and your financial situation. It might also be prudent to consider one final piece of advice: always eat dessert before dealing with finances.
Posted by Jeff Davis on December 4th, 2008
I experienced nothing but a positive reply from my family, friends, and employer once I made the decision to return to school. I believe that this is because I had prepared myself in advance, before school ever started, on dealing with all of the potential issues that might have arisen during any discussions about the topic.
I made sure that I spoke with my family about the impact of my return to school and how things might need to be a little different around the house until I am finished with school. My employer also liked the idea of me returning to school since it would provide me with additional knowledge and skills that could benefit the overall company and make me a more valuable employee. However, I am certain that not everyone’s situation will yield the same results as mine. By nature, people tend to dislike change and by helping your family understand the value of this particular change, you can help them to realize that it is a good decision for everyone. In order to do your best academically, you will need to have the backing of those closest to you. These same people must be willing and able to support your efforts to be a student.
Many careers currently require that an applicant have some type of higher education in order to have a chance at competing for a job in today’s market. So, returning to school to complete my degree was a very rational decision. Today’s workforce is continually growing and in order to be able to compete, you must be able to make yourself stand out. Experience is very important, but I think that by having a college degree, you will help yourself to become a more marketable applicant.
Today, I could not be more satisfied with my decision on returning to school and doing it online. I remain more than satisfied with this life choice that will forever shape my future.
Posted by admin on December 3rd, 2008
Laureate Education announced it has launched an international scholarship initiative named in honor of Richard W. Riley, former U.S. Secretary of Education during the Clinton Administration, and a champion of making higher education accessible to those in need. The announcement was made by former President Bill Clinton and Douglas L. Becker, chief executive officer of Laureate Education at the Clinton Global Initiative Asia meeting in Hong Kong. Laureate will award 1,000 Richard W. Riley scholarships to deserving teachers around the world to help them earn an advanced degree in education, business or information technology.
“These scholarships are named in honor of Richard W. Riley for his global contributions to the field of education and to Laureate,” said Mr. Becker. “Our global network of universities will grant more than 1,000 scholarships to teachers around the world because we know that teachers have a tremendous impact on the lives of students and families and the positive development of society. Providing highly deserving teachers with advanced education empowers them to effect positive change and to make their communities stronger.”
Richard W. Riley served as United States Secretary of Education from 1993 to 2001. He previously served two terms as governor of the state of South Carolina. Recently, Mr. Riley was named one of the 20th century’s “Ten Best Cabinet Members” by Time Magazine. During his tenure as Secretary of Education, Mr. Riley spearheaded initiatives to improve academic standards and expand college grants and loans programs. In 2008, Walden University, a member of the Laureate International Universities network, named its College of Education after Richard W. Riley. The Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University is one of the largest and most prominent teacher education institutions in the United States.
Laureate Education will award the scholarships as part of a broad initiative to further educational opportunities throughout Laureate International Universities, a network of 42 institutions of higher education in 20 countries serving nearly 500,000 students. The scholarships are primarily focused at the master’s degree level, but will also be awarded to some undergraduate degree students. Each participating university will be supported in this initiative by the Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University.
President Clinton announced Laureate’s Commitment to Action initiative before the CGI community, which included world leaders from government, business, and the nonprofit sector such as Lee Kuan Yew, minister mentor and former prime minister of the Republic of Singapore; Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, president of the Republic of the Philippines; and Yuriko Koike, member of the House of Representatives of Japan.
