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Contributed by Mary Jackson
 Check to ensure
the college is accredited by a legitimate accrediting agency.
Accreditation means the college and its programs meet certain
set educational quality and standards. This also means courses
and credits acquired can be easily transferred to another accredited
institution, whether online or brick and mortar college. You
will stand a better chance of securing employment or promotion
at work if you have an accredited degree.
Degree mills and
fake colleges - today the internet is flooded with fraud and
fake accrediting institutions that give "accreditation"
to any willing organization at a fee. Be safe and stay on the
look-out for such institutions when you're choosing your online
distance education college. There are always "tell-tale"
signs of institutions that are not legitimately accredited. If
in doubt, check with the United Stated Department of Education
or CHEA to find out if the college you are interested in is accredited.
Does the college
and degree program you wish to pursue fit with your long-term
goals and career? if you are thinking let's say, enrolling in
an online associate degree program and later hope to earn a bachelors
degree (online or campus), find out how likely it is that your
associate degree coursework will transfer by looking for a list
of colleges which have accept transfer credits.
Just like in a
traditional classroom, class size is important. You want to be
in a class where your voice can be heard. So check the class
size of the college you're considering.
Find out if the
faculty hold any credentials and if they are qualified to teach
the program you want to enroll in. If you can dig further to
find out what degrees they hold and if they are experienced in
teaching online students, this will save you the distress of
finding out later that your instructor is a fellow un-qualified
student with no education skills.
Support is very
important to your success of online distance education program.
Make sure you find if any and what level of support you will
get from instructors, faculty and technical staff should you
have problems with your classes or experience technical difficulties.
Select a college that meets your standards of expectations.
Most colleges
have their online classes rolling out all the time. This is a
great thing and makes learning flexible. As such you should not
feel pressured by the admission office or anyone else to start
your program right away. You should start only when you feel
your mind is set to it. This will ensure you stay motivated and
put the effort you need to succeed with your classes.
Be sure you understand
whether a certificate or degree can be completed entirely online
or whether on site projects, class meetings, or residency periods
will be required.
Many online colleges
have some form of financial aid or tuition assistance, loans,
grants, scholarships available to their online students. You
will be surprised at what you can qualify for. Many online schools
offer tuition payment plans and employee reimbursement programs.
Make sure you ask what tuition programs are available to you.
Your research
for a good online college should not be a hurried task. Invest
time in it and ask lots of questions. Quality education is crucial
to your career advancement thus you should not get less than
you deserve. New and traditional colleges are coming up with
online programs every day. You have more choices than ever before
to get your best education online.
About the Author:
Mary Jackson is an editor for (http://www.distance-learning-college-guide.com/index.html)
online distance education colleges and programs where you can
begin your search for accredited programs and degrees. Find more
(http://www.distance-learning-college-guide.com/distance-learning-resource.html)
distance learning resource and tips for success with distance
education. |
