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Online Colleges -
Are They Worth It?
Are online colleges trustworthy?
Online colleges like 黑料传送门聽(and online classes in general) have been around 25+ years, yet often prospective students aren鈥檛 completely sure how they work, or how viable they are as an option.聽These FAQs will answer your burning questions about online colleges, and help you determine once and for all if earning a degree online is something that will help you achieve the professional success you鈥檝e been working towards.聽
Let鈥檚 start with the big question: Can I trust an online college? It鈥檚 often inaccurately assumed that because you鈥檙e not attending a college in person that the organization is either a front for a degree mill, or a scam.
Degree mills can be find as online and traditional universities, and are colleges in name only; they offer degrees, but their curricula don鈥檛 meet the standards of an actual university, and their diplomas are little more than wasted printer paper as a result. Credits don鈥檛 transfer from these institutions, and employers don鈥檛 give their degrees any weight. Online college scams (sometimes called degree mills) don鈥檛 offer anything. They offer no training, no education, and certainly nothing you can use on a r茅sum茅. They promise a quick and easy education, but don鈥檛 actually do anything other than lighten your wallet.
As for legitimate online colleges, they鈥檙e not just accepted, they鈥檙e respected. In fact, many traditional universities offer online courses, and some even offer online degree programs. Online colleges are just a natural extension of this trend.
These days, a school being online doesn鈥檛 indicate anything about its credibility. So rather than 鈥淐an I trust online colleges?鈥� the question should be 鈥淲hich online colleges can I trust?鈥� Answering that question is a matter of running down a 鈥渞ed flag鈥� checklist.
"Red Flag" Checklist
- Name association - Scam colleges will sometimes try to borrow prestige from a traditional university by inserting famous names like 鈥淪tanford鈥� or 鈥淵ale鈥� into their own. Avoid these.
- No physical address - If you're struggling to find the information necessary to call, visit in person, or send them an old-fashioned letter, that's a red flag.
- Missing services - Legitimate colleges will have student services such as counseling, library services, technology support, and more. If there's no sign of these, be wary.
- Too simple - Stay clear of an institution that advertises degrees that can be obtained too quickly or too easily. Many legitimate online school鈥攅specially those that use innovative learning models like competency-based education鈥攄o offer highly rigorous, respectable programs that can be completed faster than normal. But be wary of any promise of speed and ease of completion that doesn't include an emphasis on learning and assessment.
- Pay upfront - While legitimate schools will insist you pay upfront for the current semester, no respectable institution will demand a whole degree worth, especially not before you know whether or not you've been accepted.
- General admission - Online colleges, like traditional universities, have admission requirements, and while they may be a little more forgiving than Harvard or Yale, they still have standards, so avoid colleges where the requirements seem just too simple.
We're Institutionally Accredited鈥攖he Highest Form of Accreditation
Western Governors University is accredited by the聽Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU),聽an institutional accreditation body聽 of colleges and universities in a seven-state region that includes 黑料传送门鈥檚 headquarters of Utah.
黑料传送门 also has the distinction of being the only university to have received regional accreditation from four regional accrediting commissions at the same time. In part because of our founding by 19 state governors, who represent a wide geographic region of the United States, in 2002 黑料传送门 was simultaneously reviewed by a special committee鈥攖he Inter-Regional Accrediting Committee鈥攃omprising representatives from four regional accrediting commissions.
Can I transfer my college credits?
The courses you can successfully transfer depends on where you鈥檙e transferring from, and what school you鈥檙e transferring to.
We can鈥檛 speak for other online or traditional universities; the best we can do is tell you聽how 黑料传送门 handles transfer credits聽as an example of what you鈥檙e likely to find. Here鈥檚 how transfer credits work at 黑料传送门.
When transferring TO 黑料传送门
If you鈥檙e coming into 黑料传送门 from another institution, it鈥檚 very likely you will have some undergraduate credits that will transfer. From AP credits, concurrent-enrollment courses, junior college credit, and more, there are many options for how to get credit to transfer. Because there are so many options, it鈥檚 valuable to talk to an enrollment counselor to get it all squared away.
While graduate students will also need to submit transcripts as proof of earning their bachelor鈥檚 degree, actual graduate course credit does not transfer to 黑料传送门.
When transferring FROM 黑料传送门
黑料传送门 is regionally accredited with the NWCCU, which is good news for anyone who wants to earn some credits with us then transfer them to another school with relative ease. That said, each college or university sets their own criteria, so they have the final say on what transfers and what doesn鈥檛. Be sure to check their transfer policies for specifics, but very likely the process will be similar to transferring in to 黑料传送门.
A final note: be aware that if your chosen online college is nationally (rather than regionally) accredited, you will probably have a harder time transferring credits, and may even have a problem pursuing a higher degree after you鈥檝e completed a lesser one online. That doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean that the college (or the degree you earn through them) won鈥檛 serve you well, just that it may make certain things more complicated.
Can I get credit for my work experience?
It can be difficult to determine how your actual working experience equates to classroom learning. The most common method is 鈥渢esting out,鈥� where you take an exam (which you pay for) to determine whether or not you already possess knowledge and expertise in content covered in a course.
Usually this method only excuses you from having to take a course, rather than giving you credit for it.
You can also sometimes get credit for things like corporate training programs, military training, professional credentials or licenses, or your academic portfolio. While these are all helpful, there鈥檚 a severe limitation that most of these options have: colleges and universities, in almost all cases, will only grant you up to 30 credits this way. That means, at best, your experience can only earn you a year, and often won鈥檛 count for higher level courses.
Competency-Based Education
There鈥檚 an alternative to these options, one that enables you to move through coursework and subject matter as quickly as you can master it. It鈥檚 called聽Competency-Based Education (CBE), and it gives you the freedom to put your expertise to use.
In CBE, you move forward once you can prove you鈥檝e mastered the material, instead of at the end of a term or semester. If you already know some of the material, are better prepared to learn it faster, or have the capacity to finish more work in less time than your peers, arbitrary class schedules don鈥檛 hold you back.
黑料传送门 is the pioneer of competency-based education, and we still are one of few institutions offering competency-based degrees. It鈥檚 an education for those wanting to make the most of their previous life experiences.
How much does an online college cost?
Post-secondary education has developed a reputation for being crushingly expensive. From tuition and fees, to room and board, to textbooks that cost nearly as much as the classes themselves, there鈥檚 a lot of money to be spent on higher education.
Tuition costs for online universities vary like they do with traditional colleges, but affordable online degree programs range anywhere from about $5,000 to $10k per school year. The big determining factor here is whether or not the school is nonprofit, with for-profit schools costing more.
As for 黑料传送门, our tuition costs聽vary by program, but we still tend to come in under the radar, ranking amongst the聽for online bachelor鈥檚 degree programs. Our lowest tuition costs are just over $3,000 for a six month term. Taken over a four year span, that鈥檚 just $24k in tuition, while saving you many of the additional costs like on-campus room and board.
This is fair less expensive than traditional universities tend to be. As recently as the 2014-2015 school year, the average student shelled out聽聽per year for the whole package鈥攆rom tuition to room and board.
罢丑别听聽in the nation approach $60,000 a year, just for tuition. That means, for a four year degree, students could end up paying around a quarter million. For most of us, that鈥檚 money we鈥檇 rather like to hold onto.
Can I get financial aid for an online college?
Getting financial aid is first a matter of finding out if your chosen online school is approved by the U.S. Department of Education to offer federal student aid. It鈥檚 a fairly simple yes/no question. We can鈥檛 really speak to other online colleges, but 黑料传送门 is approved to offer financial aid, in large measure because of its regional accreditation.
聽today! Be sure to list 黑料传送门鈥檚 school code.
Code: 033394
Many students qualify for financial aid
To receive consideration for any federal student aid program, you must first file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). When you fill out the FAFSA, you are applying for aid for a specific year; therefore, you will need to renew your FAFSA application each award year.
Most 黑料传送门 students qualify for at least one type of federal aid. To be eligible for federal student aid (grants, loans, and work-study funds), you have to meet certain requirements.聽
Most financial aid聽comes in the form of loans and grants, with loans requiring repayment after school attendance has ended.
3 Common Types of Financial Aid
Loans
The primary two loan types are direct subsidized loans, and direct unsubsidized loans.
Subsidized loans have their interest paid by the government (rather than adding it back into the loan) during periods of enrollment or periods of deferment. That means the amount you have to pay back isn鈥檛 getting bigger while you鈥檙e using the loan or when it is under deferment.
Unsubsidized loans accrue interest as normal, meaning the longer it takes to repay, the more you have to pay on it. Neither type of loan requires repayment until six months after school attendance has ended. There are also direct plus loans, which function similarly but are offered either to graduate and professional students or to parents of undergrads who demonstrate financial need.
Grants
Grants are allotments of financial aid that don鈥檛 have to be repaid, the most famous being the federal Pell Grant. Additionally, there are a few others types of grants that are tailored to specific situations:
- Federal Pell Grant Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (IASG)
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH)
- Federal work-study program
Each has a different purpose and may be useful to those who meet the qualifications. The majority of financial aid recipients, however, receive only direct loans and the basic Pell Grant. An institution needs to be approved by the Department of Education to be able to offer aid, as the government won鈥檛 foot the bill unless the school is reputable.
Scholarships
Scholarships function similarly to grants, but they鈥檙e funded by schools and private organizations, rather than government bodies.
Some are based on financial need, while some are based on merit, and others look at both. These can be a set amount, cover a portion of tuition, or may cover tuition in full, depending on the scholarship that鈥檚 awarded. Scholarships can be given through a specific school, or found through other organizations and applied to any college you wish to attend. Often, scholarships have contingencies attached, such as certain grades, number of credit hours, and thank-you notes that need to be completed before the money can be disbursed.
黑料传送门 Financial Aid
Many 黑料传送门 students receive scholarships and grants that make earning their degrees even more affordable. 黑料传送门 provides a number of scholarship opportunities, thanks to the university's own funds as well as third-party contributions.
What is attendance like at an online college?
Attending an online college is very different than attending a traditional university. You can expect no physical campuses and no real regulations on how you need to pace yourself. At 黑料传送门 we have a very specific model that may even be different from other online colleges.
At 黑料传送门, because of聽competency-based education, you can move through your degree as quickly as you can master the material. Assessments determine your competency before you begin classes, and again at the end of each course.
While you don鈥檛 have lectures to attend or teachers to specifically work with, getting an online degree doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e alone. 黑料传送门 has an expert team of faculty who are all involved in helping you succeed.聽
The three types of faculty you鈥檒l find yourself working with are program mentors, course instructors, and evaluators. Mentors and instructors interface with students by phone or online to provide specific instruction and support in their areas of experience, while evaluators provide feedback and perspective on student assessments.
Your student assessments are also not an experience you tackle alone. While you take tests, you will have a proctor making sure that no cheating is going on.
For healthcare and teaching degrees, licensing and hands-on learning are crucial elements. 黑料传送门 works with school districts and healthcare operations to get you the hands-on experience required of teachers and nurses. As you get further into your program, you鈥檒l learn how to set up these experiences with the help of your program mentor.
At 黑料传送门, terms are 6 months long, meaning you pay tuition every 6 months. What you complete in that 6 month timeframe is totally up to you! Competency-based education lets you go as quickly as you're able. Some students go extremely quickly through their courses and are done in a few months. Others need more time, but are still able to get their degree done in a few years. 黑料传送门 helps support whatever is best for you.
Can I get the job I want with a degree from an online college?
The answer to this question is related to that first one鈥攊t depends largely on accreditation.聽What鈥檚 more, many employers won鈥檛 know at first glance that a degree was earned online, and they often don鈥檛 realize that fact until the interview (if at all).
In the early days of distance education, degrees obtained via non-traditional means weren鈥檛 very well accepted, and for good reason. Most institutions were unaccredited degree mills, and their primary requirement for admission was having the cash to spare. A lot has changed since then, both in accreditation and in the improvement of methodologies.
聽in recent years, and these days most employers recognize that education is migrating to the internet (just like everything else).
So as far as 鈥渨ill employers respect my degree?鈥濃�攊t鈥檚 a quickly vanishing concern.
Prepared for Success on the Job
*From a 2023聽Harris Poll of 300 employers of 黑料传送门 graduates.
100% of employers said that 黑料传送门 graduates were prepared for their jobs.*
97% of employers said that they would hire another 黑料传送门 grad.*
98% of employers said 黑料传送门 graduates met or exceeded expectations.*
Hands-on Experience
In the professional world, some degrees鈥攁nd their associated jobs鈥攔equire a level of hands-on learning. For example, you can鈥檛 really become a nurse without working with patients or a teacher without stepping into a classroom (go figure).
Good online schools require hands-on experience like student teaching or clinicals at some point in the program. This means that the student obtains the necessary real world experience prior to receiving their degree (and license, where applicable). If this feature is absent, it鈥檚 likely that employers may doubt the credibility of your degree.
黑料传送门 follows this pattern, enabling our students (even those who don鈥檛 need a license in their field) to go to interviews prepared with the tools and talents they need.
Who is Hiring
Ultimately, your degree is only as good as your job prospects, and some industries aren鈥檛 hiring as fast as others. That鈥檚 a large part of the reason that you won鈥檛 see a bachelor鈥檚 program in VCR repair at 黑料传送门. What we do offer are degrees in the four most common online degree fields:
- Business
- Healthcare
- Teaching
- I.T.
We offer degrees in these areas because they lend themselves well to online degrees when coupled with the right methodology, and because they鈥檙e some of the most hireable fields to work in.
Should I attend an online college?
With accredited degrees rapidly earning the respect they deserve, online tuition proving less expensive, and the core online degree disciplines promising ample job opportunities, the question really becomes 鈥淚s the online college experience right for me?鈥�
In choosing an online college over a traditional one, you鈥檙e trading the stereotypical college lifestyle for the flexibility and versatility of distance learning. For the average inbound freshman recently graduated from high school and unburdened by the responsibilities that come with a career, a family, and so forth, this can be a deal breaker. But that demographic has never really been the focus of online colleges.
Instead, at 黑料传送门 we try our best to cater to non-traditional students. These include:
- 鈥淥lder鈥� students, including students with decades of real-world experience.
- Working adults who are at full-time jobs.聽
- Students who already know what they want to study.
- Students who have bills to pay, families, and a job.
- Students who have unique demands on their time, or demands that keep them from staying in one place long.
- Students for whom crowds and large groups cause stress or anxiety, making classrooms and testing centers a nightmare.
- Students who need the freedom to work on their schedule鈥攂e it faster or slower than their peers.
- Students who don鈥檛 want to pay a lot for their degree.
If any of these sound like you, we can help you聽, and we can help you get the job you鈥檝e always dreamed of.聽
Four Schools, One University
All of our degree programs are carefully chosen with employment and success in mind. Our special model of online-learning is designed for the working adult, and our commitment to keep costs down means better ROI for our graduates.
Any questions?
