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Best College Values

Helping You Find the Best Colleges at the Best Price

By Jeremy Alder

Would an online college be good for me?

When it comes to making decisions, perhaps Shakespeare offered the best advice through his fictional Polonius: “To thine own self be true.” Prospective college students would be well-advised to take Polonius’ advice and give some thought to why they want to go to college and what they expect to accomplish once they have completed their studies.

The aim of this article is to help those individuals determine if online education is right for them by presenting them with some key points to consider prior to enrollment.

What are your intentions? Take a moment to ask yourself why you feel the need to further your education. Do you honestly want to better yourself, personally or professionally speaking, or are you trying to live up to someone else’s expectations? If the latter is true, you could find yourself wasting time and money by “chasing a dream” that is not yours instead of living your life as you see fit. You could also literally make yourself sick.

A study conducted by Noelle Leonard, PhD, an associate of New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN), revealed that stress some high school students experience as a result of trying to meet parental expectations can “contribute to academic disengagement and mental health problems among emerging adults.”

Parents wanting their children to excel academically is commendable; however, there is no conclusive evidence that substantiates the claim that a college education is the only “road” to personal and professional success. For example, there are lists of self-made millionaires and billionaires who never attended college that can be found in a number of authoritative business periodicals such as Forbes magazine.

What are your needs? Many online programs eliminate the need for commuting. This can be very beneficial to busy caregivers and people living with disabilities who want to further their education but may not be able to attend a brick-and-mortar campus.

In terms of tuition and other school related expenses, contrary to popular belief, online programs are not always more cost-effective than those offered offline. Your out-of-pocket expenses will largely depend on what your educational goals are. For example, accelerated degree programs can be very attractive to people dealing with time constraints. Unfortunately, some of these programs may be more expensive than those offered at offline institutions, which can prove to be problematic for individuals who do not qualify for various forms of financial aid. This is just one reason why it is imperative to do some “comparison shopping” before you decide to enroll in an online program.

Have you read the fine print? Sadly, it is not uncommon to read stories about people who unwittingly paid thousands of dollars for a useless certificate or degree because they didn’t know that their alma mater failed to meet standards set by U.S. Department of Education-approved accreditation agencies.

One of the best ways to avoid making the same mistake is to contact a representative of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA.org) to see if the colleges you are interested in have proper accreditation prior to enrollment. If you find that the schools are neither nationally nor regionally accredited, they could be diploma mills.

Do you know what to expect? Now that you know what you want and what to look for, you may want to take advantage of some free online courses to familiarize yourself with online learning.

Coursera (coursera.org) is a popular “education platform that partners with top universities and organizations worldwide, to offer courses online for anyone to take.” As such, a wide variety of free courses that can help you expand your knowledge of several disciplines can now be accessed from your computer. Additionally, some of the courses offered via Coursera are “for credit” and may be applicable to a college degree.

Credit-based courses can reduce the overall cost of tuition and shorten the length of time that you would normally need to complete your studies.

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2016 Best College Values Awards

  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Nursing
  • 50 Best Value Master’s of Nursing
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Engineering
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Engineering
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Education
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Education
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Business
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Business

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?
  • How do I find out what scholarships are available for me?
  • What is the difference between a subsidized and unsubsidized loan?
  • Can undocumented immigrants receive financial aid?
  • How does financial aid work if my parents are divorced?
  • Is financial aid available for homeschooled students?
  • What is the FAFSA and where do I find it?
  • Do I need to know which school I will attend before I apply for financial aid?
  • What are the different types of financial aid available?
  • How do I know if I qualify for financial aid?
  • Should I go to community college first?
  • Would an online college be good for me?
  • How early should I start looking at colleges?
  • How important are college rankings?

Featured Articles

  • Most Affordable College in Each State

Best College Values Awards (Residential)

  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Nursing
  • 50 Best Value Master’s of Nursing
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Engineering
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Engineering
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Education
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Education
  • 50 Best Value Master’s in Business
  • 50 Best Value Bachelor’s in Business

Best College Values Awards (Online)

  • 25 Best Value Online Masters of Education—Administration and Leadership
  • 25 Best Value Online Masters of Education—Curriculum & Instruction
  • 25 Best Value Online Masters of Education—Special Education
  • 15 Best Value Online Masters of Education—School Counseling and Psychology
  • 30 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering
  • 10 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Chemical Engineering
  • 10 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Biomedical & Bioengineering
  • 25 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Civil Engineering
  • 25 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Electrical Engineering
  • 25 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Aerospace Engineering & Aviation
  • 10 Best Value Online Master’s of Engineering in Nuclear Engineering

Online Affordability Rankings

  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Special Education 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Business Administration 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Social Work 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Communications 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Psychology 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Forensic Psychology 2017
  • Top 10 Affordable Online Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Master’s Degrees in Educational Psychology 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Nursing 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in General Psychology 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master of Social Work degrees 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master of Early Childhood Studies degrees 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Supply Chain or Operations Management 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Elementary Education 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Marketing 2016
  • Top 10 Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Reading and Literacy Education 2016
  • Top 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in International Business 2016
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Early Childhood Education 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Public Administration 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Criminal Justice 2017
  • 10 Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees in Software Engineering

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?
  • How do I find out what scholarships are available for me?
  • What is the difference between a subsidized and unsubsidized loan?
  • Can undocumented immigrants receive financial aid?
  • How does financial aid work if my parents are divorced?
  • Is financial aid available for homeschooled students?
  • What is the FAFSA and where do I find it?
  • Do I need to know which school I will attend before I apply for financial aid?
  • What are the different types of financial aid available?
  • How do I know if I qualify for financial aid?
  • Should I go to community college first?
  • Would an online college be good for me?
  • How early should I start looking at colleges?
  • How important are college rankings?

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