How to Give Yourself a Raise with an Online College Degree

There are many people today from all walks of life who are getting an online college degree from home. Dollar for dollar, an online college degree or post graduate work pays off.

The quickest way to give yourself a raise is to receive your certification in an area in which you are all ready working. Examples where board certification is pertinent include technical and vocational fields to name a few.

Sometimes an online college degree is very necessary in these instances. In some cases you have previously learned the information required of you for these various certifications, but will need the necessary degree in order to advance in your particular field.

So, let’s discuss possible uses of a college degree via distance education. Many who are presently working in technical and vocational fields enroll in online courses to restructure and enhance their careers, and receive additional certification status.

Examples of this occur on an on-going basis. A thirty year old immigrant from South America began working as a nurse’s aid, and is presently in her second semester of training from home at an online college.

A 50 year old white male enrolled in an online technical college to study electronics when the factory in which he had worked moved to Mexico early last year.

During a downsizing exercise at a psychiatric facility in Missouri, an education staff member returned to an online virtual classroom to gain continuing units of education, and add a minor to her present degree.

Thus, you can see with the use of those brief examples that continuing education can be useful as well as critical to your intellectual growth base.

An online college degree is more important than ever for several reasons.

1. Employers feel that we are presently in an employer’s market. This means that they can be more selective in individuals they hire.

2. Jobs that glean more pay are more specialized. Specialized jobs require more training/education. This is true because these jobs require the manipulation of facts, figures, and/or technology which is often times sensitive, adaptive, or computerized.

3. Our current jobs in the U.S. are becoming more and more service oriented. These jobs have relatively low pay and our labeled unskilled work. Thus, one must retool to prepare his or her self to obtain a job requiring more skill and offering more pay.

4. Finally, we have entered a global economy. Such an economy demands higher prices for homes and automobiles without providing numerous gainful employment opportunities.

How do you know if an online college degree is for you? First, if you lack a high school diploma, a college degree is a must. High school non-graduates make 25% less than starting salary employees with a high school education.

Secondly, you may presently hold a position that would pay you more if you held a degree from an online technical school or online community college. You may know this information from coworkers or acquaintances in your line of work.

Thirdly, if you are considered a non-traditional student. Financial incentives are available to attract such students. So if you could be described as a non-traditional or a minority student, smaller financial payout is a good incentive to continue your education.

Check out an online college degree portal and invest in your future. Give yourself a raise.

Gerald Maccoux is an online college recruiter and presently recruits college students via his college portal http://www.locate-a-college.com

Online College Programs - How to Apply

The first step to getting your online degree is to apply to colleges. Research several colleges offering the degree program you need. Once you have decided on a school, you are ready to begin the application process. While the requirements may vary slightly, most colleges have similar processes. You will need to fill out an application, either online or on paper. Check with the university for application deadlines. Just about all schools charge an application fee; these fees are usually small.

You will need to include any supporting documentation required by the school where you are applying. You will find this information included with the application. All schools require original transcripts from all schools previously attended. This will include both high school and college transcripts. A few schools look for college preparatory courses in high school. Send your requests early to allow enough time for transcripts to arrive at the college. Some schools will require SAT test scores and immunization records as well.

You will have to meet the admission requirements of the college you will be attending. The requirements vary by school and in some cases can be different based on your major. Be sure to check with the university to determine the requirements. Many schools have a minimum SAT score requirement for admission, although some waive this for some programs or for non traditional students. Non traditional students are defined as older students who have been out of high school for at least five years and have work experience. Students transferring from other institutions are in this category as well.

Many schools require students pass placement tests prior to registering for classes. These tests usually have English, math and writing components. This is to determine if potential students have the reading, writing and math skills necessary to succeed in college. If you don’t pass one of the placement tests, you may be required to take remedial courses prior to starting your degree; this is not unusual for people returning to school after many years. Graduate programs will usually require additional testing, such as the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

When you apply to the school, you can also apply for financial aid. Talk to a representative about programs available to students in the form of financial aid and scholarships. Start the process by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Complete the application even if you don’t think you will qualify for federal aid. Most other student loan programs use the same application. To be able to accept federal financial aid, the school must be regionally accredited. Accreditation is a voluntary process and matters mainly for financial aid and transferring credit to other universities. Check with an admissions counselor if you’re not sure about accreditation.

Once you have completed all applications and testing, you will find out if you have been accepted into the program. Once you have been accepted, you will be eligible to register for classes and begin the journey toward your college degree. The admissions counselor at your university can assist you in scheduling your courses. There is often an order in which classes should be taken. Once you have registered, you pay for your classes, get your books and attend orientation, if required.

Katie Robbins is a professional writer, providing content to help the online student. Check out her other articles, including accredited online universities, education master degree online and criminal justice online degrees.

Distance Learning: Balancing Your Education and Busy Lifestyle

Distance Learning is a priority for most who have already set their lives out in one way or another in that their responsibilities have been laid out, and in quite a few cases, would not allow for regular College schedules. This is taken into consideration when looking for a place to study, and this shouldn’t mean below par education. It should mean convenience for those interested in education and furthering their portfolios.

Student Commitment
Distance Learning requires a certain amount of commitment as the student must schedule the time to study. This is also reflective in their work as they are not going to afford the time unless genuinely interested in the subject matter. The work from these students shows a clear interest in their progression, and therefore their time is not wasted on courses that they are only taking for UKAS points.

Flexibility
A high standard is reached as there is very little disruption in the pupil’s life, and therefore they find that they are able to concentrate on the subject matter fully. These courses are not as expensive as those that have to hire out a classroom, and with the ‘email’ style of assessment, the cost to complete their course assignments is inconsequential. There is no waiting for weeks for their assessments to be returned to them, and this makes it easier for the student to get on with their work at their own pace. These courses fit into lifestyles as it is usually humanly impossible to gauge when a situation will arise that takes a student away from their studies, but with the Distance Learning option, these students do not have the worry of catching up, or even having to loose out on their whole course and fee because there has been a glitch in their schedule. The course can be put aside, and picked up when the situation is eradicated. For those who travel for work, their course can be taken with them, affording them the time to continue on with their studies.

Different options for different lifestyles
This form of education is taking a front seat for those interested in continuing study after settling into a career, or starting a family. There are numerous reasons for not being able to put your life on hold to study a preferred topic, and this option is sometimes the only way people are able to get the training they need. This should not mean that these people have to put up with inferior courses, or exorbitant fees. For those who are unable to leave their homes, or not able to physically enrol on classroom taught courses, this form of education plays a paramount importance in their lives. Oxford College ODL and Oxford Distance Learning have devised a scheme for the visually impaired by designing their courses specifically for these people’s needs, and they are in the process of setting up a program to fit into those people’s lives that have difficulty in finding a course that caters for their special needs.

Grading
Distance learning courses are not easy. Because the student is not required to attend classes, it is imperative that a sound assessment of their absorption of the materials is obtained by the tutor, and this is only obtained through assignments that are usually more in depth than the usual grading process that is awarded through classroom taught courses. This takes it’s form by enabling the student into not just learning about a given subject, but also showing their understanding of each individual step in essay form which lends to their overall grade. This is particularly important to the student, as the material is not the only information that needs to be taught in a given subject. The student needs to be able to question the material, and use their own reasoning when it comes to analysing what they are asked to absorb which keeps them interested in the course work and sees that they feel more involved with the process of their learning.

In the words of Mike Tomlinson, former chief inspector of schools, ‘Too much time is spent preparing for exams which could be used for learning’.

Written by Angela Williams, Education Standards Reviewer ‘UK Education Today’. Distance Learning Courses can be enrolled via http://www.oxforddistancelearning.com. This online college has been recognised in the UK for offering the “best tutoring program to date.”

The Pros and Cons of an Online College Degree

Getting a college degree online seemingly appears to be a very convenient way to gain further education without having to inconvenience your home life. An easier way to obtain an edge in the working world is by getting that online college degree that you’ve always wanted, without having to leave the comfort of your own home. All of this may very well be true, but there are a few things that a person should consider before becoming financially tethered to an online college or university.

Can you make the time?
Take a moment and evaluate how much free time you really have in your personal life. After tending to your work, house chores, possibly children, and making time just to relax, how much time do you have left to study and work on assignments? This involves hours reading which can be very time consuming.

How comfortable is “the comfort of your own home”?
Do you have the peace and quiet necessary to read and study? Are the people in your house (spouse, children, friends, etc.) willing to give you the time and space you need? More times than none, this is the biggest problem. Everyone around you might not be willing to put there life on hold for your betterment. This is a hard reality, but when you are at home, people will be tempted to confront you with home issues that will interfere with your studies. If you were in a classroom setting, this would not be a problem. Unless you are one of those individuals you can’t turn their cell phone off.

How credible is the online college degree you are pursuing?
There are now several online colleges to choose from, but how credible are they once earned? Will the college degree earned online hold any weight in the working world, or did I just put all this time and effort into a worthless piece of paper? You may want to research via online bulletin boards or websites. Even word of mouth to some extent. It’s not my place to tell you which online college is worthy, but rather to advise you to take the time to see if the college you select will get you the job that you want.

Can I afford the loan to get my education?
Certain online universities have government loan programs set up where you don’t have to pay back your loan if you complete your schooling. These sound great in theory, but what if you don’t complete your schooling and have to pay it back? They are usually very expensive and here’s the catch: Once you get the loan, the school gets paid in full. So they get their money no matter what, and you get stuck paying the government back the remainder of your loan for nothing in return. The online colleges are making a fortune off students under these circumstances. From information I gathered off of different online studies, the freshman dropout rate is over 25% higher for online students. The overall dropout rate is nearly equal that number.

What are the “pros” to online college degree courses?
Under most circumstances, people who say they don’t have the time to attend traditional college classes do so mainly because of family issues. Children involved and no sitter available. Unfortunately like I said earlier, the children can make it difficult to concentrate at home. I am not trying to discourage any parent in getting further education, but trying to prevent them in finding themselves in a hard financial situation because they couldn’t make it work for them. More than half the time, if you don’t have time to go to classes, you probably won’t have time to do them at home either. There have been many parents as well as other individuals who have made this work successfully though. These are just things to consider. A big convenience for most to online class is not having to partake in the social aspect of college. If you are an aging adult, sitting in class with pimple faced kids can be annoying. It can also be distracting hearing about all the parties and other gatherings that take place at school. If you have any health issues that make it difficult to leave the house, online college is a fantastic option.

I hope this knowledge has helped some of you in your decision making process. I have been fortunate enough to have an insider’s look at online colleges classes and ultimately I believe any education is good education. Your knowledge is the one thing nobody can take from you, I just want you to be sure that your newly acquired knowledge can be put to good use and benefit you and your future.

Timothy D. Arnold recruits students via his online college portal http://www.choosing-your-college.com

Accredited Life Experience Degrees - Accelerate Your Progress Online

Chances are you are pursuing an online degree to reap benefits in the workplace. For this reason, you may be interested in accelerating your progress to get your degree faster. This article will explain seven ways to finish your degree faster. Keep in mind that you will work harder to finish faster and must be willing to make this commitment.

Check with an admissions counselor to see if you qualify for the Credit for Life Experience Program (CLEP). Experience in the business world can translate into college credits with this program. You will have to show documentation of your work experience. The school will verify this experience to determine how it fits into your degree program in terms of college credit. The credits you receive from this program can shorten the time you spend earning your degree. This program isn’t offered at all schools or for all degree programs.

The Proficiency Exam Program (PEP) is similar to CLEP. This program allows students to earn college credit for independent study or other training received without college credit. You may have learned the subject matter in another forum and not need to take the class. You will have to show documentation and pass an exam to qualify for credits with PEP.

Many online universities offer shorter semesters. Some will give you the choice between six, eight and ten week semesters. Shorter semesters allow you to take more classes throughout the year. Keep in mind that these shorter semesters still carry the same requirements. The work load will be more intense, but the time period will be shorter. Be sure you have the time to devote before you choose shorter semesters. The pace is faster and you will need to work faster to keep up.

You can take more classes each semester. Even taking one additional class each semester can take a year off the time you will spend in school. You will have to make time for an additional class each semester, but you’ll finish faster. When you plan your classes, schedule a mixture of subjects you find easy with more difficult courses. This way, you won’t end up with all the subjects you find difficult at the end of your program.

Some online universities don’t require students take general education classes. Your program will focus entirely on your field of study. Often, this structure results in a shorter time spent earning the degree. If you plan to transfer your credits to another university, check before enrolling in the program to make sure the credits are transferable.

Saturday Scholars Programs are offered at many large universities. Students entering this program should hold an Associates degree before applying to the program. You travel to the university on Saturdays, usually from eight in the morning until five in the evening. These programs allow you to finish your degree in two years of Saturdays.

Self paced programs are offered through some online colleges. These classes can be started at any time and finished at your own pace. You can work through the material more quickly than is possible in the typical college semester. Quite a few of these programs set a minimum time you must take the course. Usually they require a six week minimum time frame for completion.

Katie Robbins a freelance writer for degreeclick.com, a web resource where she regularly publishes informative articles about online education. Some of the topics she covers include online universities, education master degrees and criminal justice degrees.