Online schools, financial aid options, pro's and con's

Having received a degree from an online university, I feel that there are certain people who can make the most of this awesome opportunity, but there are also people who can ruin it for everyone. I went to AIU online. The first step in choosing a school is ensuring that they are fully accredited. Don't select a school that has a random accreditation or your degree will mean nothing. You can check this site to see if your school is accredited. http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html . Many employers provide tuition reimbursment, and in order to receive that reimbursment your school must be accredited.

This will also mean that you should be able to receive federal financial aid. In the worst case, you will be offered loans that will help you cover the cost of your schooling. There are also grants that are provided. The easiest way to see what you are entitled to is by completing a FASFA form. You can do this here http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. There is also the opportunity to apply for scholorships as well.

The pro's related to online schooling are plenty. You are basically able to take classes at any time during the day. This is great for people who have full time jobs, childen, or a lot going on in thier lives. The costs are normally less due to the fact that there is less overhead and the class sizes are typically small. The costs of books are often included in the class fees as well.

On the flip side, there is little one on one personal interaction. If you have to see a professor standing up during a lecture to grasp the concepts, then the online concept may not work for you. You must also have the ability to manage your time accordingly. There are some classes that have specific due dates for papers and projects, while others may just have a time at the end of the class when items are due. If you are a procrastinator, like myself, you may find it hard to get school work done ahead of time. Not having a dedicated school liabrary can be hard, but there is an online liabrary at AIU. Another downfall of no liabrary is the inability to easily sell books back. I solved that problem with e-bay and half.com.

A very good friend of mine enrolled in the University of Phoenix a few years ago for the Masters program. They have several brick and mortor locations and students who really enjoy the interation with fellow students and professors are very appreciative of that aspect. They do also offer online courses that allow you to complete a class online if there is little need for that interaction. For example, I would really benefit from one on one help with an Accounting class, but I would not need that much assistance for an English course.

All in all I think that online schooling has opened up the doors to allow many people who would not typically have access to an education due to time or financial constraints. If you are able to manage your time and progress, it may be the best option for a higher education.