The Benefit of an Online BS Degree
An online BS degree can be the key that opens the doors for advancement, earning power and personal fulfillment. When all three are achieved, it can be one of the best decisions a person ever makes. Luckily, the challenge of successfully achieving such a goal need not become an inconvenience or a distraction.
The decision to return to college or obtain a bachelor’s degree is a personal decision that can be based on many factors. Time and money are often two of the largest issues that come up for a majority of people. As many are beginning to see, the advent of online learning has taken those issues and made them much less formidable.
As many jobs move their requirements to include secondary degrees, the bachelor’s is typically a necessary prerequisite for many jobs. Having the necessary education and training is also essential in order to obtain or advance in a career. With advancement comes a higher earning potential.
Achieving an online BS degree means no longer having to rearrange a full life in order to fit time in for rigid, inflexible school plans. With an online degree program, the classroom is always open, which means learning can take place anytime, anywhere. This is an attractive option for those who steadily work at balancing both a career and home life.
An online degree program can mean no commute times, no uncomfortable classroom environments and no need for relocation. Because a student chooses their learning time in an environment they are comfortable in, it can be easier to retain knowledge, making for a smoother learning process. Unlike conventional learning, it also allows the student to progress at a rate that is comfortable for them, with no worries of falling behind should life get in the way and a class is missed.
Online classes tend to stay at one price with no unexpected rises in tuition. It also means that materials are likely to cost less than those of a conventional onsite program. Just like with the issue of time, those who choose to achieve their online BS degree also save themselves the extra expense of commutes and relocation.
Financial aid is often readily available to those who qualify. In some cases, previous credits or work experience can also count towards arranging an online degree program that is both time and cost effective. For many, this can make opening the door to advancement or an increased earning potential much closer than anticipated.
As online learning has taken wing in recent years, a number of employers have found online degrees offer everything a degree earned at an onsite campus could offer. Employers also take notice of employees who take the time to improve themselves with online learning. It shows an audacity and a willingness to find a way to improve their situation despite an already full life.
In keeping with the ease of online learning, basic computer skills are often all that are necessary to earn a degree online. A tech support team is readily available should the need for help ever arise. However, students can expect clear and concise directions throughout the online program.
With an online BS degree, students can look forward to creating their own positive learning experience. The results of their dedication can lead them right through the door of advancement, higher earning potentials and best of all the confidence of knowing that they can achieve. As online learning continues to gain in relevance for the working adult, many are hearing their own call and heeding the challenge. When all is said and done, it is a challenge that few regret taking.
Andy West
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/the-benefit-of-an-online-bs-degree-138176.html
February 9th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Comparison Chart for online degree costs? Is there a place where I can compare the different school’s fees?
I’d like to look into online degrees…masters or Phd, but it takes so long to get to the place where they disclose the fees. Does anyone know a site that has that up front? Since all the major universities have them now, I can understand the benefit of saying I have one from say, Penn State, but at the same price as an in-class one? I don’t see it as the same at all – no matter how hard they try to sell that concept.
February 9th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
I do not know of a comparison website for the cost of online programs (I have spent time myself looking for any types of comparisons relating to online programs). I am continuing to look.
About the pricing, I think you will generally find online programs to cost the same as or more than on campus programs. It has nothing to do with how good an online degree might be versus on campus, or with the fact that you are likely to take less of the instructors’ time if you are online than if you are on campus.
It has to do with the cost of delivering online programs.
1. Someone has to videotape the lectures, and that requires someone to be there, running the equipment, the whole time.
2. More preparation has to be done by the instructors, because online is actually an extra class section that they have to keep track of and grade (in some cases, instructors are compensated extra for their online work).
3. The lectures have to be made so that they can be streamed to you, on demand. The technology for doing that is readily available, but it is not yet cheap.
4. Separate websites have to be maintained where you can get class materials, check on homework assignments, get special announcements, etc.
5. The online programs that are run by online only universities are typically part of for-profit enterprises, so they must cover all of these costs and make a profit margin!
You sometimes see online programs with corporate sponsorships, and this helps to defray the cost. But without that, things can get tough for the school.
I know of one program at a major (nonprofit) university that operates at a loss, even with good enrollment.
Bottom line is that you, the student, pays heavily for the convenience of not having to physically attend class.
References :
Online MS degree student