As many Americans know, a college education is no longer an opportunity that presents itself to anyone who may be intelligent and willing to further advance their knowledge and skills. Tuition costs in both public and private universities have skyrocketed, and, as such, it’s now no longer about how is the smartest and most hard working. Rather, it’s about how much money you are your parents have.
Although I do believe that the system as it is progressing is becoming more and more unfair, especially toward minorities, there are other options beyond pursuing a degree at a typical traditional university. The most interesting option to emerge from 21st century technology is the online school and getting degrees from Strayer accredited universities online or other online schools. Here are a few ways that enrolling in an online degree program can save you money as opposed to attending a traditional “brick-and-mortar” school.
1. No transportation costs.
Having the ability to do all your coursework from the comfort of your home, or wherever wireless internet and a computer are available, you incur absolutely no transportation costs. You won’t have to drive anywhere, pay for parking, or move around in any other way that is usually associated with spending money on transport.
2. No moving or room and boarding costs.
Many schools require that you stay at the school for at least one year, or that you purchase a meal plan and pay “student fees” to use facilities. In fact, this is precisely why so many schools are so expensive—maintaining the extra-academic physical facilities costs a lot of money, and students must pay to use them. An online school obviously does not have any of these costs.
3. You can pursue a degree while still keeping a full- or part-time job.
If you’ve taken even the most basic economics course, you know that for every decision you make, there are lost opportunity costs. When you pursue a full degree at a traditional university, taking on a full-time or even a demanding part-time job while studying is next to impossible. However, when you pursue an online degree, it is very common to be able to keep your job while completing your degree. As such, you do not lose the funds you normally would have had you decided to attend a traditional school.
4. Tuition costs are often lower if are careful about selecting your school and program.
Although online schools can be just as expensive as traditional schools in terms of the tuition, if you do your research carefully and avoid some of the bigger, more corporate schools, you’ll find a program that suits your interests and your budget.
These are just a few ways to save money while still being able to pursue a degree that could lead to better career prospects or even career change. Any sort of education is always worth it, but an online degree is more worth it considering the considerably fewer costs.
Author Bio:
This is a guest post by Nadia Jones who blogs at online college about education, college, student, teacher, money saving, movie related topics. You can reach her at nadia.jones5 @ gmail.com.