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Education Is A Powerful Force, Especially In A Tough Economy
Additionally, the average annual salary for individuals with graduate or doctoral degrees is $75,000, while bachelor’s degrees command an average salary of $51,000. For those relying on a high school diploma alone, their average salary drops significantly to $28,000.
Therefore, for anyone seeking increased career stability in this shaky economy, higher education is the answer. Now is the best time to pursue an advanced degree to further a career, as demonstrated in a newly released video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfew0YcDTo) by EducationDynamics.
Fortunately, finding the best program to match a prospective student’s interests and goals has become much easier due to recent technological innovations and expanded access. With 4,146 colleges and universities in the United States, both on-campus and online, never have there been more educational options from which to choose.
Expanded Educational Options
Interest in online education has surged as a result of the convenience and flexibility it affords. Online learners can complete their coursework when it is most convenient?after the kids go to bed at night or even during a lunch break at work. Web-based courses also allow students to take classes at home, in effect eliminating time and money spent driving to class.
For others, a traditional campus setting is the preferred environment. Traditional classes allow students to interact face-to-face with professors and fellow students alike, and generally offer more structure than their online counterparts.
The choice between online learning and traditional on-campus programs is simply a matter of personal preference, and there are comprehensive resources, including eLearners.com and EarnMyDegree.com, that help prospective students find their ideal degree program.
Additionally, the eLearners Advisor (http://www.elearners.com/advisor/) is designed to help prospective students determine whether online learning or a traditional educational format best suits their needs and preferences. For those unsure about which academic program to pursue, eLearners.com offers the Career Interest Test (http://www.livecareer.com/default.asp?lp=TG6A&cobrand=ELRN) to help people determine the career that best matches their personality.
Important Questions to Ask
In addition to deciding which format and degree to pursue, it is also important to note that returning to school will affect a student’s personal life. Some important questions to consider when determining whether now is the best time to enroll in a higher education program include:
1. Do you have support from loved ones? To reach optimal academic performance, it is helpful to have the support of close friends and family.
2. Do you have employer “buy-in”? Ask your boss whether he or she supports you completing coursework during lunch hour and whether it is appropriate for you to use a work computer for such activities.
3. What is your plan or timeline? A three credit college course will require, on average, 10 to 12 hours per week.
4. Do you have a home classroom or study area? A separate space for studying will help you concentrate and stay organized.
5. Do you plan to seek financial assistance? Research scholarship and grant opportunities, and tax credits and deductions to help offset costs. The Debt-Free College Guide (http://debtfree-elearners.com/) is a comprehensive resource providing a state-by-state listing of options to help make college more affordable.
Knowledge opens new doors and changes things for the better. Among the millions of people who will enroll in higher education this year, several will be the first in their families to receive a college diploma. Millions more will finish their degrees online. Many single parents will pursue continuing education to improve their earning potential. A newly-released EducationDynamics video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfew0YcDTo) provides fresh inspiration to positively change lives and the world through a commitment to life-long learning.
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Online Education for Disabled Students
Legal Rights
Disabled students should be aware of their legal rights. According to Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), online universities will not have any access to disability records. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act clearly states that online universities cannot discriminate against disabled students when it comes to admission or anything related to study.
As a matter of fact, it’s the responsibility of online universities to make sure that disabled students finish their education without any problem. To attain this objective, online schools and institutions are given the freedom to modify their rules and regulations. For example, online universities can allot extra time for disabled students when it comes to tests, projects or term paper. To make the most of these benefits, disabled students just need to submit an application form to their eLearning institution.
Grants and Scholarships
If the financial condition of disabled students is not up to the mark, it’s the responsibility of online universities to provide them with grants and scholarships. Disabled students also attain quite a bit of discount in tuition fee and project report fee from the online universities.
Benefits of Online Education for Disabled Students
• Disabled students can attend classes from the comfort of their homes.
• Disabled students can attend classes whenever they want. When it comes to online education, what time you attend classes doesn’t really matter as classes are conducted through Internet.
• Disabled students can contact their online faculty even after the class is over. This is quite beneficial for disabled students as they understand things pretty late as compared to other students.
• There are lots of options available for disabled students when it comes to financial aid in online education.
• Most of the online universities provide placement services to disabled students. As soon as disabled students earn their online degree, they will get the job.
• When disabled students opt for online education, they do not need to worry about the study material as it’s the responsibility of online universities to provide them with study material which is prepared by renowned and skilled experts. In some cases, online universities also provide text books and reference books to disabled students.
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How to get a real 4 year degree in less than 3 years.
There are many accredited elearning or distance learning programs available today from reputable colleges. E-learning is a way to obtain the education you need at your own learning speed by attending college through online classes and the use of college level examinations.
Many formal college organizations have even opened a distance learning programs to take advantage of this rapidly growing market. You can obtain not only a 4 year degree but also advanced Masters and Doctorate degrees almost completely online. There’s even specialty certification type programs available from many colleges as well. The benefit to the college is they can support many more students without a large increase in cost for additional staff or physical space.
E-learning is not a shortcut in the quality of your education however. Rather, it’s an educational material delivery method that allows your to work at your own pace. Distance learning uses a variety of strategies to help you learn. Textbooks are used of course as are videos or audio of lectures, along with discussion forums, email and direct support when needed. The big benefit here is that you can go as fast or as slowly as necessary to complete the coursework. This means that it’s possible to complete semester classes in much less time.
E-learning also supports work experience. Many of the distance learning colleges are now accepting word experience portfolios and granting college level credit based on that knowledge.
In addition, if you’re a self learner, you may also want to consider CLEP [college level examination program] exams to collect college credit for basic courses even more quickly. A CLEP exam is a subject matter test given by a nearby educational institution. These are usually undergraduate classes in basic subjects like English, Art, Math and others. The benefit here is that you can study for the exam on your own then simply schedule and take it. If you fail the test or don’t get a high enough grade for your satisfaction, simply retake the exam.
There is no penalty so you can retake the exam as many times as you need to successfully pass the test. Pass the test in English with the minimum score, notify your selected distance learning college, and they award you x number of credits in that subject. I’ve known people who completed almost all their pre-requisite and under graduate courses using only CLEP and DANTES testing.
As distance learning becomes more popular, the number of colleges offering this type of educational environment continues to increase. Some however aren’t as quick to embrace all the levels of distance learning available. For example some colleges won’t give full credit for CLEP examinations though most do. Others require you to attend at least 1 class physically at their campus to be eligible for distance learning opportunities.
The best way to decide if distance learning is for you is to sign up at a local community college for a distance learning or computer based learning class. If you find that this type of educational learning environment is for you, the next step would be to find a college you are interested in attending. New York and New Jersey have several well recognized and accredited colleges that are fully supportive elearning and distance learning.
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