Going To College Online Is A Wise Choice These Days!
The populace is getting the message. In order to make a real living these days you really do need at least a Bachelor’s degree. At the same time, many people can’t go to a brick-and-mortar institute of higher learning. So what are people doing? According to a report just published by the Sloan Consortium they are moving to online schools.
The article interviewed every institute of higher learning they could. Sloane reports of the 18.2 million college students getting higher education, 4.6 million were now taking e-learning. This was a 17% growth. At the same time, land-based universities only saw 1.2% growth over the same period. 82% of the virtual scholars were also undergraduates. Making matters more interesting, 75% of the virtual schools have increased the diversity what they teach and 66% of the same learning centers are creating newer courses meet student demands for this virtual schooling. If you need more information about distance learning course, look on the internet.
One of the key reasons for this major growth is the current economic downturn. Many of the students admit they are taking classes to improve their prospects in the working world. Last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the college graduate earns $52,000 annually compared to a high school grad’s $30,000 a year. The four-year grad also has easier access to key benefits such as health insurance and retirement programs. To these, getting a Bachelor’s degree just makes solid economic sense.
If that isn’t enough, getting a virtual education is considerably less expensive. When the national average of a year’s tuition is over $7,000, saving 40% on that amount adds up to literally tens of thousands of dollars. With many students looking at college loans to finance their future, that’s a significant difference and one that more and more students are choosing.
A more modern consideration is time management. Many of the people taking the e-learning route also hold down everyday jobs and have families. They don’t have the time to go to a campus. With online schools they can take their classes when they come home from the job, eaten and put the kids to bed. They also can take the class in the comfort of a bathrobe on a comfy chair or at the kitchen table.
What’s probably a sign of these modern times is the last reason. Many students are afraid of getting sick from the H1N1 flu or something similar at a campus. With a virtual education they can study from the relative “safety” of their house. This may sound paranoid, but just think of the increased sales of hand sterilizers lately. There is an abundance of information about accredited degree on the web.
The schools themselves aren’t the only ones studied in the report, the college professors had a thing or two to contribute. To their students, the thing they liked the most was the informal mentoring and training courses the facilities provided. The report also noted a 30% increase in approval amongst all working professors compared to previous studies.
It should come as no surprise they are also signing up with online universities to continue their education. One shouldn’t be surprised if this trend sticks around and grows as more and more students discover the convenience and cost-effectiveness of an accredited distance learning degree.