Many adults eager to improve their careers have embraced the idea of distance learning and online degrees. Flexible class schedules and the ability to earn an entire degree online without ever setting foot in an actual classroom make the online learning experience very attractive for students. But are employers willing to accept the online degrees that students are so eager to earn?

The answer to this question is driven in part by the realities of the education marketplace. In one sense, employers have little choice in the matter because of the sheer popularity of distance learning. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), for example, more than 54% of the country’s post-secondary institutions now offer online courses or degrees. The NCES estimates online enrollment could climb to six million in 2006, up from 3 million just a few years earlier. Data from 2004 – the latest available at the time of this writing – put enrollment at the University of Phoenix Online, the nation’s leading online university, at more than 115,000 students.

Given the magnitude of these numbers, it’s difficult to imagine that employers can long overlook online grads as potentially valuable new employees. However, a frequently cited study by Vault.com, the online career information site, showed that not all degrees are created equal. Degrees requiring actual physical attendance at traditional brick-and-mortar universities were still preferred over online institutions by a substantial margin. When it comes time to hire, online graduates can expect to meet with at least some resistance from human resource managers looking for on-campus grads from a big name school.

But there’s more to a degree than name recognition and whether or not that degree was earned solely through an on-campus program. More recent studies – some commissioned by online universities themselves – show that job applicants holding a degree from an accredited online university now enjoy more or less equal footing with graduates from their brick-and-mortar competitors. Accreditation, a voluntary process in which colleges and universities are reviewed by a regional accrediting agency, seems to underlie the change in attitude. Successful accreditation ensures that an online college or university meets a uniform set of standards that applies to all institutions of higher learning – including traditional brick-and-mortar institutions as well as online universities. The Department of Education maintains a database of accredited colleges and universities at www.ed.gov.

There are situations in which employers appear more willing to accept the qualifications that go with an online degree. A case in point is the existing employee eager to improve his or her career qualifications. In a situation like this, many employers are eager to help existing employees become a better-educated and hence more valuable employee. At the University of Phoenix Online, for example, fifty-nine percent of students receive all or part of their online tuition from their employer.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, online learning is expected to grow faster than any other part of the education landscape in the years ahead. Assuming it’s a regionally accredited college or university that grants an online degree, distance learning grads can be confident that their diploma will find favor in the workplace.

Matthew Paolini
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/employers-more-likely-to-embrace-online-degrees-103755.html

Many college graduates and professionals going back to school to earn an advanced degree struggle with how to go about choosing a graduate school. Since there are thousands of colleges and universities to choose from many students get dizzy just looking at the graduate school list of choices. Choosing a graduate school to earn an advanced degree is just like making any other major decision. You have to take a look at the cold hard facts for each school that you are considering and then narrow down your options based on which school is the best option for you.

Request the college brochure from each school that you are thinking about applying. If you do not find your answers there, look at their web site, call the admissions office, and speak with former students of the institution. Here is a list of questions that you should ask in order to make an informed decision about your graduate school choice.

Overall Quality of the School & Your Program of Study

First, you need to research and review the overall quality of the school and the program of study that you are interested in pursuing. The school is not an entity of itself. It is made up of the students that attend it, the teachers, faculty and administrators, the surrounding community, etc. In pursuing an overall rating of the quality of the school you should dive deeper into each of these areas.

Student Body

What types of students are currently enrolled in the program of study that you are interested in pursuing? What is the average GPA for the program? After graduation from the program, where have some of the students gone on to work and what have they been able to achieve? Answers to these questions will help you to paint a picture of what the student body is like and whether or not the quality is at the level that you wish to associate yourself with.

Faculty

When it comes to graduate schools a lot of what shapes the program’s reputation is the faculty. Depending on what your course of study is, it becomes more important to your development to be able to learn from some of the highest achieved and well-known professionals than it is to attend a famous university. The college can provide you with a list of their faculty. Read articles that they have published. This will give you an overall sense of the caliber of the faculty in your program.

Financial Resources

Find out how much funding the school has to provide students with esteemed faculty and the technology and equipment that are needed in your program of study. Are their adequate library resources, meaning does the program have the money that is required to keep the library equipped with the most current information and resources?

Curriculum

Make sure that the overall purpose of the program is in line with what you expect to get out of studying there. Find out what the faculty to student ratio is and make sure that you are comfortable with it. In a graduate program, the curriculum is more than just the actual classes that you will attend. The curriculum in a graduate course of study also has to do with internships and job placement services that will allow you to experience hands-on training while you are studying. The ultimate goal for most graduate students is to further their career and the types of services that your program offers to you with career placement is an important service.

Accreditation

It is important to attend an accredited school no matter what type of degree you are trying to obtain. Accreditation means that a school meets the guidelines to turn out educated graduates whose degrees are recognized worldwide, in most cases. Accreditation plays an especially important role in graduate school because, depending on your course of study, if your career choice requires licensure for you to work, a requirement is typically that you have earned your degree from an accredited institution.

University & Community

You will have to live, work and study on the school campus and within the community that surrounds the school. The size of the school, the location of the school and the surrounding community are also contributing factors to choosing a graduate school. The climate, extracurricular activities and employment opportunities are also things that should be taken into consideration.

Financial Considerations

There are financial resources available for attending graduate school just like there are for undergraduate school. Tally up the total cost for your graduate education for each school you are considering. Cost is a factor when making a major purchase of any kind, and an education is no exception to this rule. Just don’t let the cost alone determine your decision. Try to consider all of the facts before making a decision on which school to attend.

Graduate students can apply for financial assistance that isn’t available to other types of degrees.

Grants and Fellowship Awards

Grants and fellowships award money to graduate students. These are not loans that have to be paid back. Grants are usually given based on a financial need, while fellowships are usually earned as an achievement award.

Teaching & Research Assistantships

Graduate teaching assistants and research assistants can also work in their field of study at the university in exchange for money that can be applied to their education. These are appointed positions by the university that are usually based on academic achievement.

So when you are trying to decide which graduate school to choose, don’t let the list of options make you dizzy. Obtain and take a good hard look at the facts, so that you will make an “educated” decision that will benefit you and your career in the long run.

Kristie Lorette
http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/choosing-a-graduate-school-tips-tricks-87933.html

Paying for any college education, including earning your master degree can be expensive. It is a major purchase that should be considered just like buying a house or a car. You need to comparison shop, check out the bells and whistles, and then once you choose the one you want you have, figure out how to pay for it.

There are financial resources available for earning your master degree just like there are for earning an undergraduate degree. Tally up the total cost that you will need to cover to earn your master degree. Cost is a factor when making a major purchase of any kind, and an education is no exception to this rule. Just don’t let the cost alone determine your decision. Try to consider all of the factors before making a decision on which school to attend.

Graduate students can apply for financial assistance that isn’t available to other types of degrees.

Grants: Grants are money awards given to graduate students. These are not loans that have to be paid back. Grants are usually given based on a student’s financial need.

Fellowship Awards: Fellowships are usually earned as an academic achievement award and like grants these are not loans that have to be paid back.

Teaching Assistantships: Graduate teaching assistants can work in their field of study at the university in exchange for money that can be applied to their education. These are appointed positions by the university that are usually based on academic achievement.

Research Assistantships: Research assistants can also work in their field of study at the university in exchange for money that can be applied to their education. These are appointed positions by the university that are usually based on academic achievement.

Here are more common ways of paying for college, whether it is for earning your bachelor degree or your master degree:

Save: Especially if you are planning to earn your master degree in the future, start saving money now. Put away enough money from each paycheck to ensure that you have enough put away to cover your education while you are earning your master degree. This is especially true if you are planning on returning to school full-time without working.

Go part-time: Instead of completely giving up a job, take on a part-time job to cover costs while you are earning your master degree. This way you will still have some money coming in to pay for school while you are completing your course of study.

Student Loans: Apply for student loans through your school financial aid office or through your local bank. Remember that you will be responsible for repaying these at a certain point after you have earned your degree, so it does create a future obligation for you.

Employee Tuition Reimbursement Plan: Working professionals that are urged or required by their employer to earn their master degree can inquire with their HR department about tuition reimbursement programs offered by the company. Some companies will pay a percentage of your tuition cost based on the grades that you earn in the course. For example, if you an A they will pay 100%, 90% for a B and so forth. The catch her is that you will have to cover the cost up-front and earn a good enough grade for the company to reimburse you. Tuition reimbursement plans do not always cover books and extra fees. They simply cover the cost of tuition.

Research and look into the financial aid resources that you have available to you in order for you to earn your master degree. Choose the options that are the best for you and your personal situation and then put your plan into place. After reading through some options, you may have realized you have more help than you first anticipated.

Kristie Lorette
http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/ways-to-pay-for-your-master-degree-that-you-may-not-have-thought-of-yet-87957.html

Over a hundred and fifty years ago, after years of controversy and struggle, New Yorkers voted by a 6 to 1 margin to establish the Free Academy for the Poor Man’s Children. That trailblazer college removed the barrier of tuition for its first class of 149 college students and over the years has burgeoned into the City University of New York with 403,000 students and 20 colleges.

Achieving a free college was not easy. As early as 1805, concerned citizens had formed the Free Public Society to advocate free, nonsectarian schools in Manhattan. Organized labor joined the struggle to establish free universal education. Opponents of a free college claimed that “truly deserving” students could get scholarships to the two private colleges in the city. Townsend Harris, an outspoken advocate for public education, rejected “charity scholarships.” As the elected president of the Board of Education, he wrote, “Open the doors to all–let the children of the rich and the poor take their seats together, and know of no distinction save that of industry, good conduct and intellect.”

How had the tuition-free City University been transformed (along with other free public universities) into a tuition-paying system that the nonpartisan Education Trust recently described as the “Engines of Inequality”? The Trust also described the best public universities as having come to resemble “gated communities of higher education.”

The first president of the Free Academy, Horace Webster, championed educating “the children of the whole people.” Today’s presidents preside over decreasing numbers of poor and immigrant students. Those now attending these public colleges face mounting tuition and decreasing governmental grants, vie for scholarships, go into debt, depend on family assistance or interrupt or don’t complete their education.

The descendants of the early opponents of free education for qualified students have found clever ways of whittling away these early achievements. In 1950, when I was a junior, City College imposed a $3 dollar Student Activity Fee. Though it was for student activities and rather small, many students saw the camel sticking its nose into the tent. But the politicians wanting to end 125 years of tuition-free colleges for city residents wisely avoided a single coup de grâce that could have destroyed their political careers. They deserve credit for the deceptive and rationalizing ways they dismantled a free university.

In 1961, Albany passed a bill eliminating the “mandate” for free tuition, but they didn’t impose tuition. The second blow came eleven years later, in 1972, when a tuition structure was established. Again, the politicians still did not actually institute tuition. That came in 1976, during the city’s budget crisis when state officials, in return for helping to fund the senior colleges, arm-twisted the City Board of Education into imposing tuition. Of course the politicians promised that federal, state and other financial aid would not deprive poor students of an education. But over the years that promise has been cynically whittled away by increasing tuition, diminishing sources for and amounts of student aid funds and relying on private donors. The disastrous effects that discourage low income and minority students from attending and graduating college is documented in many studies, the most recent the Education Trust report, which as I mentioned, calls public colleges the “Engines of Inequality.” State and City politicians rescinded what had been mandated by a citizen vote. I still wonder at the legitimacy–morally if not legally–at not having had New York City residents again vote on whether they wanted to maintain a tuition-free system.

Mention should be made of the Open Enrollment Program, whose expense had been used as one reason to charge tuition. Initiated in 1970, the program allowed the entrance into the four year colleges of all city high school students who had an average of at least 80% or were in the top 50% if their class. The community colleges would accept all the others. The program had broad support (e.g., the United Federation of Teachers, the Central Labor Council, the Public Education Association, the CUNY senate.) It benefited not only minority students; many white working class youngsters who didn’t consider attending college enrolled. At the time I was on the faculty of Lehman College wshere I helped train the counselors who worked with these conscientious and hardworking students. While the program was expensive and had shortcomings, it enriched the lives of many.

Another reason for charging tuition was the fiscal problems that New York City was experiencing at the time. While I believe that the politicians should not have sacrificed a free university in the first place, it certainly should have been reinstated once the financial crisis was over.

To digress on a personal note, my brother and I, children of immigrants, were able to attend a free City College. Like so many others coming from working class families, I worked after school and summers to earn money for books, transportation and personal expenses. I remember the corridor in the basement of the Main Building where students sold the previous semester’s textbooks to purchase the new ones. Yet I was better off than others who had to work full time and attended part time or evening school.

As an alumnus of both the Bronx High School of Science and City College, I attended a luncheon to raise college tuition money for selected Science students. I had the opportunity to ask the college’s President, Gregory Williams, an outstanding educator, that while I joined with others in contributing to this fund, I was concerned about the many other students who also needed financial assistance. They were not necessarily “stars” but were capable and worthy of attending City College. Afterwards, he wrote that he realized tuition places “challenges and hardships on our students” and that he appreciated my “desire that City College once again offer free tuition.” But “such a plan,” he added, “is not practical in the current political and economic climate.”

While I agree with President Williams about the current political climate, I am hopeful that it is changing. We are the richest country on the planet, yet the government pays only a third of public college costs while other industrialized countries pay so much more. Only recently did I discover that there are those carrying on the struggle started two centuries ago. These include the Professional Staff Congress of CUNY, the Collective Bargaining Congress of the American Association of University Professors, as well as other university groups and unions. Several labor leaders have set up a web site where one can obtain more information (Debs-Jones-Douglass Institute at www.freehighered.org). While opponents of a free university cite its expense, those benefiting from a free university education have, because of their increased earning power, repaid many times over in taxes the cost of their education, with enough to help other students as well. I know that is true for me, having paid taxes for over fifty years. I am not completely certain that I would have become a psychologist if there was not a free City College of New York, which at that time also enabled me to take my first graduate psychology courses.

Hopefully, civic-minded citizens will again raise the early 19th century banner for free universal education to qualified New York City students. And there assuredly will be the leaders like Townsend Harris, who will again arouse our citizens to restore what was established by a public referendum.

Jacob Jaffe
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/from-quotopen-doorsquot-to-quotengines-of-inequalityquot-92745.html

The cost of a college education is never considered cheap, no matter if you attend offline or online. However, online courses can be more expensive than their offline counterparts at times, as universities try to make up for the missed opportunity costs of parking on campus, room-and-board, textbooks, etc. Also, the level of your courses, whether it be for a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree will also determine the cost of the courses you take. The choice of university where you choose to attend online classes can also affect the cost of your education.

Online courses will sometimes be more expensive at universities that have better or more prestigious reputations than those that are not as well-known or well-recognized because employers look more favourably upon those graduates who have completed their degrees at universities that are more well-known or have more prestige.

Because of this, your current employer may be willing to reimburse you for all or part of your tuition, especially if the courses relate to your current occupational field and if you plan on staying at your current place of employment. In fact, 40% of students that are attending corporate training programs are having their employers pay for all of their tuition.

The cost per credit can vary greatly from university to university, some costing as little as $150/credit to as much as $500/credit. With a difference as much as $350/credit, the costs of taking a course at one university can greatly exceed the costs of taking a similar course at another university. Of course, you need to be aware of whether that cost is justified based on the reputations of the universities and the quality of the instruction at each, then decide whether the higher cost is worth it or not.

Consider also that tuition at for-profit institutions like the University of Phoenix and Kaplan University is usually less expensive than that at not-for-profit institutions like Saint Leo University and Lehigh University, BUT you might be eligible for in-state grants by attending a not-for-profit institution, whereas you wouldn’t be eligible if you attend a for-profit institution.

Something else to consider when deciding between attending for-profit and not-for-profit institutions: For-profit institutions are considered more flexible scheduling-wise and more focused on job-specific curriculums than not-for-profit institutions, but not-for-profit institutions are more likely to be regionally accredited, transfer credits more easily, and are usually considered to have more name recognition and be considered more prestigious, which could help to make the difference when interviewing for a position with a company.

The difference in the costs of private colleges versus public colleges can also be substantial, due to the fact that private universities don’t receive financial support from state and local governments like public universities do. Private institutions have to rely on tuition, fees, gifts, corporate contributions, and endowments. Public universities receive a large proportion of their budgets from state or local governments because they are government-run.

Besides the cost of the online courses themselves, you also have to take into consideration what you will need to complete these online courses, including a powerful enough computer and a stable Internet connection. High-speed Internet connections, which usually cost more than dial-up, may be advantageous to quickly download the course materials and be able to play back the video and audio lectures more fluidly without as many interruptions.

By considering all these factors, you can determine which university will provide you with the programs you wish to take and the benefits you wish to receive at the lowest possible cost.

Bryan Wong
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/the-cost-of-an-online-degree-108568.html

Many people are determined to go to an internationally recognized university but lack the money to do so. But don’t worry all is not lost because there is a way to get financial aid through a scholarship. Finding a scholarship can often make the difference between being able to attend and having to work for another year or two.

Have you ever wondered what scholarships cover? You’ll be supervised to know that scholarships can cover almost all the expenses associated with school such as:

1. What Do Scholarships Cover?
– Tuition – Book costs – Dorm fees – Housing – Food – Travel expenses – Other

2. Scholarship Programs

The benefits of a scholarship are clear – you don’t have to pay back any of the money you receive. Most of these programs offer money and other benefits for students. These are awarded, mostly my charitable institutions, company businesses, schools, universities, government and non-government (private) organizations. Scholarships are given based on the criteria imposed by these organizations. The two most common categories are academic and athletic.

3. Free Money

Sometimes you can get a scholarship just for saying you saw an advertisement on the bus or in the paper. The amounts are usually quite small – under $300 usually, but every little bit helps. The best source of information about scholarships will often be your school student advisor. Your school might also have a student financial advisor for just such a need. You can find the student financial officer by contacting the main switchboard of the university and ask to be transferred to the student financial officer or equivalent position.

4. Keep Searching

You will likely have to apply to several hundred scholarships before you get a single one awarded to you. Even then, there are strict guidelines that you must adhere to in order to keep the scholarship, for example, you might have to keep your GPA above a certain level. Be sure to leave plenty of time for searching for scholarships, as it can take months for them to be approved. In other words, don’t start looking for scholarships a few weeks before your intended program of study starts.

We recommend you track your scholarship submissions using a spreadsheet or a binder of some time. You can simply have a worksheet or a divider for each scholarship you have applied for. You can keep track of things like contact numbers, deadlines, requirements etc… This is important especially if you are applying to hundreds of scholarships where you can quickly loose track of important details and mix up scholarships.

John Morris
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/a-guide-to-finding-scholarship-grants-63073.html

Grants Help Students Prepare for Postsecondary Education

Three San Antonio Schools’ high schools have received grants from the state of Texas to aid students in achieving their goals of attending college or university. The Texas High School Completion and Success Grants, totaling $200,000, were awarded to Edison Technical High School, Fox Technical High School and Navarro Academy. Each of these San Antonio Schools will use the funds in a way that will address the particular needs of its students.

Edison Technical High School plans to use the $80,000 grant to create and run the Saturday College Readiness Academy. This is an exciting and innovative program that will be jointly taught by Edison teachers and university professors. This will allow the students to get a feel for what is expected at the university level. The main goal of the Saturday College Readiness Academy is to raise the students ACT and SAT scores in order to better their chances at succeeding in the college admissions process.

San Antonio Schools’ Fox Technical High School is using a portion of its $80,000 grant to implement SAT and ACT workshops that will help the students become ready to take the test. Fox Technical High School also plans to use the funds to help pay for students’ exam fees. A teacher training for the college-preparatory Advancement Via Individual Determination program will be paid for with the remaining funds.

Navarro Academy, which received $30,000 in grant funds, is one of several San Antonio Schools that will establish an Advancement Via Individual Determination training sessions for its teachers. Navarro Academy plans to use the bulk of its grant to institute a transportation fund for before and after school tutoring and mentoring.

Even though each schools is allocating their funds to different services, they like all San Antonio Schools must improve their students’ scores on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. This program has set several important goals for all schools in Texas to increase the number of: 9th-graders graduating from high school in four years, students who graduate college-ready, as demonstrated through enrollment in a college-preparatory curriculum including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual-credit courses, and students who take college-entrance exams.

San Antonio Schools Uses Funds to Build Three New Schools

Starting the 2006-2007 school year, students at Margil Elementary School, Crockett Elementary School and Douglas Academy will enjoy new facilities. Margil and Crockett Elementary Schools have moved to two brand new buildings while Douglass Academy has undergone a complete renovation of its existing facilities.

Margil Elementary, a San Antonio Schools elementary that was originally built in the early 1970’s, has two newly designed features. The school’s striking towers emulate the architecture of Avenida Guadalupe located nearby. The other feature unique to the school is its cafetorium, which is created by a retractable wall that when raised combines the gym and cafeteria.

Crockett Elementary School has moved into a new 104,945 sq. foot building centered on a beautiful courtyard. The newest features for the school will be an improved library, science laboratories, and larger classroom size. The school’s air-conditioning system has also been updated and parts of the school that had previously not been air-conditioned now will be.

San Antonio Schools’ Douglass Academy, a Texas Governor’s Education
Excellence Award winner, has received a needed renovation. The school’s refurbishing has focused on the including the African-American and Mexican-American cultures of the neighborhood in its decorations and design. The added facilities include a new gym, computer lab, wireless connections, an intercom system and classrooms built specifically for the Early Childhood Program and Life Strides for special needs students.

Stacy Andell
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/san-antonio-schools-receives-grants-to-prepare-students-and-build-new-facilities-53139.html