Miami, Florida (Press Release) February 12, 2009 — Earning a college degree can be one of the best ways to increase your employment opportunities and earning power. In fact, a recent report from the US Census Bureau estimated that bachelor degree holders will earn, on average, over the course of their working life about $1 million more than a person who has not earned a college degree.

Obviously, earning a college degree will pay off.

However, with growing uncertainty in the economy, and rapidly rising unemployment, now may not be the best time to quit your job and go back to school. For those motivated to earn a degree to get ahead, there is an option – online degrees through distance learning.

Online accredited college degrees have many advantages over the traditional on-campus degree programs, and are offered by some of the top universities and colleges in the United States. All degree types incuding Associate, Bachelor, Master, and Doctorates are available, and in just about every subject area.

Online degrees are much more flexible. Students work around their own schedule to complete their coursework as fast as their schedule and motivation allows. Also, there are accelerated online degree programs from top schools that may be completed in as little as 10 months.

In addition, online degree programs tend to be more cost effective. Students do not have to quit their full-time job in order to attend classes. There is no cost for traveling to a classroom location, or hiring a babysitter.

Choosing an online accredited degree program may be the best option, considering the economic environment. Visit http://www.Classes24Seven.com where you will find one of the largest directories of online degree programs on the Internet. Classes24Seven.com lists nearly 75 different subject options for Associate, Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate degrees.
 

Thinking about pursuing your degree through distance learning?  Worried about how you will pay the tuition and any other costs involved? You may qualify for a scholarship, grant or other type of financial aid.  Distance education degrees are no different, in terms of funding, than on-campus degree programs.  Of course the online degree program must be accredited, but the same holds true for traditional degrees.

All of the traditional types of financial aid are available: Scholarships, grants, and student loans.  What are they and how do they work?

Scholarships:

Scholarships do not have to be repaid.  They are personalized forms of financial aid available for students with particular strengths in academic, artistic, or athletic fields. In addition, students from underrepresented minority groups or students in financial need may also be eligible to receive scholarships. 

Consult with the various schools with programs in which you have interest to determine if they offer scholarships for students in your situation.

Grants:

Grants do not have to be repaid.  Pell Grants are a type of educational grant that is often awarded to students by the Federal government. To receive a Pell Grant, students must meet certain qualifications that have been determined by the government.

Student Loans:

Student loans must be repaid.  There are several types of educational loans available from the Federal government. Two major categories of federal education loans are:

• Student loans (Stafford loans and Perkins loans)

Stafford loans are either subsidized or unsubsidized. Subsidized Stafford loans are awarded to students based on their financial need. Unsubsidized Stafford Loans are not based on financial need.
Perkins Loans are low-interest loans borrowed directly from your school with federal assistance.

• Parent loans (PLUS loans)

  PLUS loans are awarded to parents of students who qualify as dependents

To apply for any form of federal financial aid, you must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid.)  Do this as early as possible.

Students should complete the FAFSA on the Web worksheet prior to filling out the FAFSA; it will make the process go much more smoothly.

Women ask me all the time if online degrees are as valuable as the traditional on campus degree programs. Sometimes it comes down to what you want to do with the degree, or where you are located.

Let’s say you live in a small town in a rural area far from the nearest city with a college or university. Your opportunites are quite limited unless you can pickup and move to that city to attend classes. And it can take at least four years in that situation to earn a bachelor’s degree!

If you have children, a good job, or other responsibilities that make it impossible to stop working and/or relocate, an online degree may be your best bet.

In addition, depending on what you want to do with that degree, earning a degree from a local bottom tier university or college may not help you get ahead. Depending on the profession that you wish to pursue, you may need a degree from a top tier school to reach your goals. Top tier schools, such as University of Phoenix Online, eCornell (Cornell University) and many others now offer coursework online.

With an online degree you can study anytime and anywhere you have access to a computer with an Internet connect. You study at your own pace, so in some cases you can actually earn your degree in a much shorter period of time than with a traditional class setting.

There are a great many benefits to be gained from earning an online degree. Due to these benefits, the number of students enrolling in courses leading to online degrees has risen dramatically since the mid-1990s and due to the help of distance learning programs. The make-up of the student groups is diverse and varied.

The best news of all is that a recent survey shows that 85% of employers surveyed responded that they would be willing to employ someone with an online degree. With this high level of acceptance the way is clear to make an accredited online degree your next move.