With tuition hikes abound at numerous schools throughout the country, many parents and students are finding the cost to attend school a little hard to swallow. Florida college students are looking at possible 15% annual increases to attend school. On the other coast, California college students are already looking at a 30% increase for tuition rates.

According to this Associated Press article, students are dropping out of school to pay off student loans just a few semesters away from graduation. Those that do graduate are facing an enormous debt burden.  It’s a hard hitting reality; and because of this economic climate, many students are seriously rethinking their education options.

However, there are other ways to attend school without sacrificing your bank account or credit rating. Online learning is one great alternative option for those who want a quality education that’s still affordable. Some degrees offered through online schooling, at American Public University (APU) for example, are:

• Bachelor of Arts in Child and Family Development
• Bachelor of Science in Public Health
• Bachelor of Arts in Intelligence Studies

There are over 100 certificate and degree programs offered at APU, which has an affordable undergraduate and graduate-level tuition that compares favorably to most state schools. If a degree online wasn’t something you first considered, take a second look at what these schools have to offer. With the rate of tuition steadily increasing, the online environment may be a better option.

For more information on going to school online, or to learn more about programs at APU, e-mail info@apus.edu.

By Steve Lohr
New York Times Blog Contributor

A recent 93-page report on online education, conducted by SRI International for the Department of Education, has a starchy academic title, but a most intriguing conclusion: “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”

The report examined the comparative research on online versus traditional classroom teaching from 1996 to 2008. Some of it was in K-12 settings, but most of the comparative studies were done in colleges and adult continuing-education programs of various kinds, from medical training to the military.

Over the 12-year span, the report found 99 studies in which there were quantitative comparisons of online and classroom performance for the same courses. The analysis for the Department of Education found that, on average, students doing some or all of the course online would rank in the 59th percentile in tested performance, compared with the average classroom student scoring in the 50th percentile. That is a modest but statistically meaningful difference.

“The study’s major significance lies in demonstrating that online learning today is not just better than nothing — it actually tends to be better than conventional instruction,” said Barbara Means, the study’s lead author and an educational psychologist at SRI International.

This hardly means that we’ll be saying good-bye to classrooms. But the report does suggest that online education could be set to expand sharply over the next few years, as evidence mounts of its value.

Until fairly recently, online education amounted to little more than electronic versions of the old-line correspondence courses. That has really changed with arrival of Web-based video, instant messaging and collaboration tools.

The real promise of online education, experts say, is providing learning experiences that are more tailored to individual students than is possible in classrooms. That enables more “learning by doing,” which many students find more engaging and useful.

“We are at an inflection point in online education,” said Philip R. Regier, the dean of Arizona State University’s Online and Extended Campus program.

The biggest near-term growth, Mr. Regier predicts, will be in continuing education programs. Today, Arizona State has 5,000 students in its continuing education programs, both through in-person classes and online. In three to five years, he estimates, that number could triple, with nearly all the growth coming online.

But Mr. Regier also thinks online education will continue to make further inroads in transforming college campuses as well. Universities — and many K-12 schools — now widely use online learning management systems, like Blackboard or the open-source Moodle. But that is mostly for posting assignments, reading lists, and class schedules and hosting some Web discussion boards.

Mr. Regier sees things evolving fairly rapidly, accelerated by the increasing use of social networking technology. More and more, students will help and teach each other, he said. For example, it will be assumed that college students know the basics of calculus, and the classroom time will focus on applying the math to real-world problems — perhaps in exploring the physics of climate change or modeling trends in stock prices, he said.

“The technology will be used to create learning communities among students in new ways,” Mr. Regier said. “People are correct when they say online education will take things out the classroom. But they are wrong, I think, when they assume it will make learning an independent, personal activity. Learning has to occur in a community.”

This post originated from The New York Times “Bits” blog.

By: Mary Jackson

Along with the growing popularity of obtaining online bachelor degrees, many bogus schools have cropped up to cash in, taking advantage of potential students seeking a genuine education to maintain their current level of employment, or achieve specific career goals. Unfortunately, the sales pitch attracts many students who do not possess the time, or the finances, to gain a college education. The main selling points may include easy graduation, no tests or end of semester exams, credit for life experiences, and lower tuition fees. Some diploma mills even have the audacity to make money through bulk emails offering to sell university degrees.

So, how do prospective students determine whether an online college is accredited or only offering bogus online bachelor degrees? Especially for International students, it can be very difficult to determine a school’s validity. In most cases it is impossible for distance learners to visit the campus, so the website is the only point of contact before making the choice and enrolling, which makes it hard to determine credibility.

One of the best ways to determine credibility is to pay close attention to how the credentials are stated. For example, if an educational institution claims to have nationwide or worldwide accreditation, without revealing which government agency provided the accreditation, it’s possible the college or university probably does not possess the necessary seal of approval to provide legitimate online bachelor degrees.

Read the full story

Usually at the start of each new year a best and worst jobs list is produced. This year the Wall Street Journal got a head start in posting their thoughts on the high demand careers in the job market today. This topic is my Editor’s Pick this week because of the broad range of opportunities, and also its relevance to advanced degrees online.

So to get started, check out my top picks below for jobs this year:

• Software Engineer: If you’ve been thinking about a career in IT, now is the time!
• Historian: To any doubters that a degree in History can get you places, here’s your proof that it can.
• Paralegal Assistant: Try a degree in legal studies to get your feet wet for this position.
• Accountant: If you enjoy numbers then this career should be a good start. It’s something that’s always in high demand, and come tax season you’ll understand more of why it’s high on this list.
• Philosopher: Do you find yourself contemplating life’s mysteries? Turn that passion into a career.

The “worst” jobs this year can be seen as:

• Welder
• Dairy Farmer
• Ironworker
• Lumberjack
• Roustabout

If you know the path you want to travel, or haven’t quite made it there yet, give online education a second thought.

Read for more on the Wall Street Journal’s article, “The Best and Worst Jobs”.