Posts Tagged Colleges

Accelerated College Degree Online – Benefits And Drawbacks

Enough is enough; you are sick and tired of working like an underdog watching youngsters with no skills whatsoever pass you by just because they are waiving a piece of paper containing the word “degree”. No it’s finally your turn, which simply mean; I wanna get out of this. I want the best job a degree can give me!

The thought of going to college or university makes you nauseated, though. It isn’t cheap although you might be able to afford to take a class at a time if you keep on working fulltime. How long time do you think it would take if you study in such a pace? Forever? It is hard to see how it can work logistically as well. You’re at work when most of the classes are offered, and taking evening classes conflict with family obligations. You live too far from a decent four-year college to make commuting practical, and you definitely don’t want to move your family just to go to school.

Do I think you are making excuses? Not at all; these are honest barriers that most established people encounter when they consider getting a college degree. They feel like they absolutely need the degree, but don’t see how it’s possible to acquire it.

Online education makes it affordable and possible for working adults to go to school. Accelerated college degree online programs make it possible to get your degree before you reach retirement age.

Accelerated college degree online programs fall into the following four basic categories.

Pay your fee and attend your degree
These programs offer you a degree in any discipline based on life experience. The only requirement is that you give them your money. That’s it. If you pay more, they will backdate your degree and supply you with a transcript of classes with grades and verify your “education” to your employer. Most of us consider getting an accelerated college degree online through one of these programs to be unethical, and it’s illegal to use it to get employment in some states.

No “residency” necessity
Most colleges require that you take a minimum number of courses at their school to graduate there. However, there are some who do not. They offer accelerated college degrees online but they don’t require that a certain number of credits be earned at their school. You can transfer in previous college and university credits, and gain extra credits through challenging exams, life experience assessments, military service, work training and sustained education. You can also gain credits by demonstrating college-level competence in many areas. Using these methods, you can replenish the final requirements for a college degree in as little as a few months. Schools like these are not considered to be degree mills, but they are suspect and should be examined very carefully before you give them money.

Accelerated University Or College Degree programs
Many schools offer adult learners accelerated college degrees online. You can usually get credit for around two years of college. You can transfer in any previously earned college and university credits, take challenging exams, get military service credit as well as for job training, continuing education and life experience. This cuts the expenses and time to get your degree in half.

Work your legs off
The final way to get an accelerated college degree is to work your legs off. Many degree programs allow you to work at your own pace. You can start up with an accelerated program and work hard and complete one course after another and finish your course work in less than two years. This is a barbarous option, but most often it’s worth it because your life is disrupted for such a short period of time.

Today there a lots of viable alternatives for you to get a college or university degree. Maybe the time has come for you are to figure out what you genuinely want from the rest of your life. Maybe you want to get out of the rut and get a better job, which mean you have to go back to school. Maybe an accelerated college degree program on the internet is something for you.

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Graduate Distance Learning Programs

The American graduate degree is slightly different from the graduate degree conferred in commonwealth countries. Here graduate degree means not a bachelor’s degree like B.A or B.S but a master’s degree like M.A, M.S, M.B.A or a doctoral degree like Ph. D. It is offered by a graduation school or a university. One can earn a graduate degree either from a regular or distance education program.

Many people entertain the idea that enrolling for a correspondence program is very easy. On the contrary, it is as tough as enrolling for a regular program. Most schools adopt the same standards to process the applications for on-campus and off-campus programs. In US each university has its own admission procedure. You should contact the Distance Learning department of the college or the concerned authority of the on-line college you have chosen for the application formalities.

Graduate schools require a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college. The required GPA (Grade Point Average) of the degree differs from school to school. You need to take at least one of the standardized admission tests such as the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogy Test (MAT). Business Administration/Management courses require the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) score. Students from non-English speaking countries will have to get TOEFL score too. Some universities require you to write an essay or statement of purpose while filling up the application. Reference letters also carry considerable weight.

Usually older people find it tough to get good GRE/GMAT scores. Since most of the distance education programs are targeted at the employed people who don’t have the time to attend regular college many schools relax the traditional admission procedure for older applicants. Especially on-line colleges are relatively flexible and give more importance to other criteria such as GPA score, work experience and career achievements.

The time frame to earn the degree varies from school to school. Master’s programs are normally completed in 18 months to two years time in the regular course. But a distance program may take much longer, probably two-three years. Some on-line colleges facilitate faster completion compared to the distant education programs of regular colleges. You can earn an on-line bachelor degree within 13-18 months. Doctoral programs through correspondence may take four-eight years to complete.

Better compensation and promotions are motivating many employed people to pursue correspondence graduate courses. Studies show that graduate employees earn 40-50% more than non-graduates.

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Financial Aid Applications Surge in 2008 As Employment Declines

In tough economic times, individuals often return to education and pursue financial aid opportunities. This year, slowdowns in the employment market and rising costs have created a record surge in such financial aid applications and some wonder if states and colleges have the money and resources to fund the continuing trend.

While businesses have been laying off workers or outsourcing jobs, they are still looking for more qualified job hunters to fill new positions created by advances in technology and shifts in marketing focus. Although customer service and some programming jobs are in decline, employers are seeking individuals with college educations in engineering, nursing, and some types of computer science. Many people who have been laid off see little choice but to return to school and advance toward a career in one of the fields with the biggest demand.

As a result of this cyclical economic trend, the U.S. Department of Education is reporting that college financial aid applications have risen sharply since last year. A total of 1.3 million more students applied this academic year, resulting in a total application growth of 17%. Unfortunately, many state and college budgets are as bad as the students’ finances, and there is no sign that federal relief could be available before the beginning of 2009. Competition for scholarships is increasing in all fields of study, and it is more important than ever that students return financial aid applications as early as possible since many programs are administered on a first-come first-served basis.

Opportunities to earn money for college exist in a lot of places, so despite increased competition for financial aid the most dedicated and resourceful students will find a way to pay for their education. Education is always the most valuable investment a person can make in themselves, and an economic slowdown presents a good time to make those kinds of changes that can pay off in the long run. While the lack of financial resources is a challenge that higher education must face in such an economic crisis, that challenge is still present in employment where wages rarely keep up with cost increases.

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