How do you know what online colleges are recognized and are accredited?
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Answer:
Congratulations on thinking about furthering your education, you won't regret it.
When you choose a school, make sure it is at least regionally accredited. You can check accreditation at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.a... You can also check accreditation at http://www.chea.org/search/search.asp... You can learn more about accreditation at http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/i...
Don't bother going to the website mentioned in the answer above mine. It mainly directs the user to for-profit schools and there is at least one school on their site that is UNACCREDITED. You have been warned. Also, the statement, "Ivy league" of online schools, I laughed out loud when I saw that one. The true Ivy League schools are Ivies because they are selective and their graduates tend to be the best. For-profits are only selective to the point of your ability to pay them or how much debt your willing to take on. I'm not saying you won't get a perfectly valid education from an accredited, for-profit school, just that you will overpay for it.
The state universities and community colleges will be the best and least expensive way to further your education online. Usually degrees obtained online from state universities and colleges will be no different than a degree granted to a student sitting in class. You probably won't get a scholarship, but financial aid is possible.
If you are just starting your college education or have less than 60 semester credit hours, try your local community college first. They may have an online AA degree program. If they don't, try other community colleges in your state.
Once you have an AA degree, you can enroll in an online bachelor's degree completion program at one of the state universities. Many state universities now have online degrees. The following are some websites to get you started.
http://www.fhsu.edu/virtualcollege/...
http://www.peru.edu/offuttafb/degreeprog...
http://outreach.uwyo.edu/ocp/
http://www.distance.msstate.edu/...
http://www.distancelearning.ufl.edu/degr...
http://www.apu.apus.edu/index.htm...
http://www.online.uillinois.edu/...
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/ode/collegeover...
When comparing tuition costs, you have to check if the school is on semester or quarter credit hours. To convert from quarter hours to semester hours, divide the tuition by 0.67. For example, if tuition is $180 per quarter credit hour, that is equal to $268.66 per semester credit hour.
Finally, there are a couple of forums online with members who have obtained their degrees online. Some have gone pretty far with their online degrees. The forums are free to join but you can read the forum without joining. You just won't be able to post. http://forums.degreeinfo.com and http://www.instantcertonline.com/forums...
Good luck
Accredited is very straightforward. You go to www.chea.org and search the database. What is much, much more tricky is deciding whether an on-line degree will be held in much regard. About that opinions will differ. Do your own searching. Basically believe nothing about what the school claims about itself. Do a search on this site (use the advanced search function above) on the topic of on-line colleges and the names of specific colleges. Better still, consider distance education through a real public university if you can't attend classes.
Good luck.
Check with your state community colleges and universities. Many of them now have online programs. They'll be cheaper than for-profit schools too.
I'd stick with the top 4 or 5 the "Ivy league" of online colleges.
I find them a while ago when I was doing research. Also, are you looking for an online school that also has an offline campus?
Alot of it depends on the courses you want to take. Just have them send you info on any of the schools you find interesting. When you get it, I recommend you read through it ALOT, then ask if you can can talk to any students who have taken the classes you are interested in at their school. AnswersRoom.com is good but until you get info from schools and talk to people, you can't really make the best decision. Check out http://tinyurl.com/yqs3zm
Good luck!
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