Online degrees are popular because students can log into virtual classrooms anytime and anywhere. In 2019, “Inside Higher Ed” reported that 34.7 percent of American college students enrolled online. Nearly 3.3 million take all their college courses online. About 275,000 more sign up for online programs annually.
Online classes are usually asynchronous so students can fit education into a full-time work schedule. Courses online do not require firing up the engine and commuting to a physical campus. Lectures can be accessed via videos, discussion boards, and interactive web conferences.
Nearly all U.S. colleges, including Ivy League institutions, offer some courses online now.
But online programs are not created equally. Unaccredited colleges called ‘diploma mills’ trick students into forking over tuition money for bogus degrees. These colleges have ripped off millions of learners. Therefore, students must be vigilant. Here is the ultimate student checklist for picking the right online degree.
1. Compile Online Colleges for Your Major
Search engines are not usually the best places to look for online degrees. Searching keywords like “best online psychology degree” will return hundreds of results. Ads purchased by less-than-stellar online schools will also be featured prominently. Instead, go to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) website. This database is run by the U.S. Department of Education and updated each year. Click the “browse” button to filter colleges based on your intended major. Check the box for distance education to return only 100 percent online options. Use the drop-down menu to search for schools in your budget range. Export results into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet for easier shopping.
2. Double-Check Accreditation Statuses
The worst online education offenders will not be accredited. What does accreditation mean? Accreditation is a review process conducted by an external organization. Accreditation forces colleges to get in shipshape form to meet curriculum standards. Colleges with poor teaching and predatory financial practices will not pass muster. Though accreditation is voluntary, colleges without this stamp of approval are suspicious. Remain wary of colleges placed on accreditation probation too. Not exceeding the accreditation bar is a flashing red flag. Do not trust an online college’s word on accreditation either. Fraudulent diploma mills commonly manufacture accreditations that do not exist. Double-check each college’s credentials using the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) website. Your chosen online college should have regional accreditation. The best online degrees also have major-specific professional accreditation.
3. Review Online Admission Requirements
Certain online schools, especially community colleges, have open admissions. This means that any student with a qualifying high school diploma or its equivalent can enter. Most online degrees will have stricter admission regulations. Filing multiple online applications can be an expensive task. Colleges commonly charge $25 to $75 per application for processing. It is a waste to apply for online degrees you are simply ineligible for. Narrow down your online college choices by reviewing the admission standards. Ensure you have fulfilled the mandatory prerequisite courses. Determine if your grade point average (GPA) is sufficient. Competitive colleges may require a GPA around 3.5, whereas less selective schools accept GPAs closer to 2.0. The same goes for college entrance exam scores. Unless the college is test-optional, you will need to fall within the preferred score range.
4. Explore the Online College Amenities
Online students do not sign up for campus tours as traditional freshmen and transfers do. Therefore, you will not be using the residence halls or dining centers. Nonetheless, it would help if you gauged which online schools have the right amenities for you. If possible, attend a virtual open house for your online degree program. If not, conduct your tour around the college’s website. Look for supportive services available to digital learners. Online colleges typically provide tutoring, career services, technical support, writing labs, and mentoring programs. Search for online initiatives like free laptops or iPads and cheap eTextbook downloads. Take an online course demo on the college’s eLearning platform, such as Blackboard or Moodle. Tour the online library webpage and see which journals are accessible. Fill in any information gaps by calling the admissions office.
5. Compare Financial Aid Offers
Online education is usually a cheaper alternative to campus-based courses. Your online degree will still cost several thousand dollars, though. Online colleges that advertise super low prices should smell fishy. Do not fall for too-good-to-be-true schemes. Compare online degree tuition fees and choose what seems reasonable to you. Proceed in the same fashion with financial aid offers. Start by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. You only need to complete this form once between Oct. 1 and June 30. The FAFSA gathers critical income information based on your or your parent’s tax returns. It is mandatory to claim government assistance, such as the Pell Grant and Perkins Loan. Further, the FAFSA is used by most colleges to determine eligibility for their need-based funding. More expensive online colleges could become cheaper with scholarships and grants factored in.
6. Crunch the College Numbers
Like most businesses, online colleges have content writers who make programs sound amazing. Flowery language can entice you, yet real numbers cannot lie. You do not need to be a mathematics major to compare college statistics. Dig into the NCES profiles for each online college you are considering. Look up the graduation rate to see how many online students finish on time. Evaluate the student-faculty ratio to determine how big online courses are. Pay attention to the retention rate. Review job placement rates to identify your future chances of immediate employment. Use high student loan default rates as warning signs of post-graduation troubles. Finally, examine enrollment statistics for a picture of how diverse your online peers will be too.
Overall, getting information about an online college should not be like pulling teeth. Stay away from unaccredited online colleges with generic website information and vague answers. Instead, schedule a Q&A session with admissions counselors on the phone or by video chat. Do not be shy about asking tough questions. Inquire about the credentials and training that online professors have. Request an explanation of the college’s credit transfer policy. Ask about the online university’s history and financial position. If you have a disability, ensure the college offers apt accommodations. Treat the online college search like an in-depth homework assignment. Doing research upfront will help you make an informed decision that benefits your lifelong career. Follow this ultimate student checklist to pick the right online degree and excel in electronic education.
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