Benefits Of Online Learning As Experienced Through Ashford University

Wondering about going to school but also wondering where you may find the time to do so? Can you not afford to quite working while seeking higher education. If you are tuning in then online education may be where it’s at for you. You no longer have to settle for those accelerated trade schools that offer mediocre results. Now many schools are fully accredited and are offering various degrees from Associates all the way to PhD’s. There is no reason a person would say they “cannot” go to school.

If the concern is finances then there are multiple programs to assist you with paying for school. If time is the problem you can definitely make it online; I did it and earned a BA in Psychology with five children. So it is possible. The one piece of advice I would give of course, nothing is foolproof and good for everyone but to be productive online it is imperative that you are a self-starter and someone that does not require a lot of guidance.

Of course deciding to go to college includes being able to pay for your education. So things to consider include how will you afford your current living situation and how will you pay for school. Do not forget to do your own research and find scholarships, loans and grants that can help finance your future. Remembering that scholarships and grants do not require repayment, as do loans. So trying to find funds that can help pay for college that does not require you to pay back is ideal. Filling out a FAFSA application will help to put your financial picture into reality.

Once you have decided to go to school and see that the local campus will not do and are seeking out online school beware that it is considerably more expensive. I attended AshfordUniversity, a recommended school but undergraduate credits are $372 per credit plus books. So most classes are 3 credits equaling $1116 per class which is substantially more than your local community college, but also the paid luxury of online school. However, with an undergraduate degree you will likely qualify for financial aid and Pell Grants.

One great perk of Ashford University is they cater to Armed Services members. By being active duty or a veteran, costs per classes are reduced to $750 versus the average $1116 and books are free. Again as mentioned above doing research about financing your education, this is key.

Ashford University is totally accredited by APA and has various other accrediting bodies. Ashford is considered to be an “accelerated program” due to the fact the classes are 5 weeks as compared to traditional college semesters of 16 week courses. Another difference with Ashford is one class at a time is taken and if you maintain a high GPA then you may be approved to take two simultaneous classes in which I did and completed my BA in 2 ½ years.

Hopefully this was helpful information to guide you toward your own college degree and Ashford University can take you there. With many programs available check out their website to see if it fits your needs. Classes begin every Tuesday so you do not have to wait like as if you missed the beginning of semester in a traditional college. You have financial, academic, and enrollment advisors that you keep close in contact with and I have found they are really helpful.

When considering online education be specific in your needs and what is offered at the school. A good checklist would include:

• What program am I looking for: Major and minor if offered and make sure it is detailed to what you are wanting in the end. A lot of advertised schools on television promise a rewarding career in corrections but when you investigate their offered program you get a major in business and a minor in criminology. So how helpful really is this degree.
• What are the schools accreditation? This is extremely important because this ensures your transferability and that your degree means something.
• What degree will you end up with: AA, BA, BS, MS, etc. Do your research of what this degree can be used for.
• Find out how much it will cost even if you get financial aid and loans, you may have a portion to pay back!!
• Do you want to graduate with your class and how will that be possible. With Ashford University they do a graduation ceremony once a year and you can go to Iowa and walk the stage. That is if you want.
• Books. Where to get your books. If you are going to be responsible for purchasing your own books are they available used or only new. At Ashford as with many private schools their books are pretty much proprietary to themselves therefore you mainly have to buy them at the bookstore. However, many times you can sell them back when you are done.
• If you have transfer credits at the time of start how many credits can you transfer into the school. Ashford allows 99 credits to be transferred. You only need 120 for a BA, although not all credits you transfer in may be used for required classes working toward your degree. Some of my credits may be used as just elective classes.

After Your Degree

I have also found that my degree has been easily transferred on to a university to complete my graduate degree. This is likely the concern for the person that wants to continue their education past an AA or BA.

Conclusion

Now is the time to look for online learning and to finally get the education you have always desired. The entire time that I went through Ashford University I held a very demanding full time job, while taking simultaneous classes, maintained a GPA that kept me on the Dean’s list as well as having a family. So if I can do it you can too.

Good Luck!!