1. Lower Cost:
Typically online schooling tuition fees are less than traditional schools. Although this is not necessarily always the case, you will definitely save on other student expenses such as accommodation, textbooks etc. as enrolled students will be able to download all the materials they need for their classes and study including lecture notes, assignments. Study notes and other materials.

2. Degree Programs and Classes Offered:
There is a vast variety of courses, programs and single classes available to the distance learner. Anything from computer programming through to nursing and all areas of business are catered for online. As well as the courses available, there is a vast array of level of degree that can be attained including Associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, MBA, JD and PhD can all be earned though online schooling.

3. Online Lectures:
As all classes are done through your computer and online, you will never need to attend an actual classroom. This will save time and effort for those who work full- time and will also enable you to earn a degree from an accredited American University outside the USA! Lectures and all materials required will be sent directly to the student and discussions can be made before the commencement of the course to schedule online lecture times to try and suit everyone enrolled in the course. You will never have to leave work early, find parking in a college or miss your precious family time as you can attend classes from the comfort of your own home.

4. Making your own Study Schedule:
Rather than having to work around your study timetable and make adjustments to suit your college, you can do the exact opposite and plan your study around your work and family time. Although it is recommended that students develop a study routine, you will not have to halt your other commitments if your study schedule demands it. We all know that having to work and attend classes with study on top of that can be very stressful so online classes cater to your needs as much as possible by allowing them to study when it is convenient to them.

5. Flexibility in Assignments:
In the online education world, strict schedules do not exist. Generally if assignments are submitted by the end of the assignment everything is fine. They can complete the assignments when they are ready and will not need to take time off work so that an assignment can be submitted at a very specific time. Although tests and quizzes may be given during a week, they can be completed on your own schedule as long it is in that week or whatever the required timeframe is. This will enable students to review materials until they feel they are ready to take the test or quiz.

6. Enhanced Options when returning to the Workplace:
It is often the case that parents who take time out to take care of their children, lose touch with the changes in their job while they have been gone. Not only will a degree help them keep on top of the business changes, but it may give them a greater advantage as it shows your employer you are committed and dedicated to your job and you may well be more knowledgeable when the return to the workplace than you were when you took time off in the first place. Also if they are aiming to start a new career, earning a degree while you are attending to your family will give you a head start when you begin your new job.

7. Keeping your Job while you study:
Many students want to keep their job when they decide to start or go back to school, but this is often not an option when they enroll full time in a college due to conflicting schedules. Online education allows you to work during the day and study at night. Attending classes after rushing from work can be very exhausting, but learning online allows you to be more constructive with your time and be calmer and less exhausted working in your own home and environment.

8. Avoid adverse Weather Conditions:
Classes can often be cancelled or postponed due to snowstorms, thunderstorms, hurricanes etc. whereas if your studying online, you can avoid the stress of having to make up lost time and change your schedule to suit the college. Cancelled classes can often extend the semester which may ruin plans which student s had prior. Even in extreme cases where the internet is shutdown, you will still be able complete your study and assignments on time.

9. More Specialized Degrees:
In most Traditional College Programs, students are required to take elective classes which do not necessarily relate to your degree or area you wish to specialize in. Online degree programs do not require elective classes which will enable you to dedicate more time to the field of study that appeals to you most. This will enable you to save time and earn your degree faster also.

10. Transfer Credits:
Some students may to earn a degree online while also attending traditional college in order to bolster their knowledge and résumé in the future. For students may wish to attend summer classes but want to work or return home for the summer, an online degree is perfect as it allows them to transfer credits from the degree they took in an accredited college to their traditional college course. Therefore you could be off on vacation and earning college credits at the same time!

These are just a few of the many advantages as earning an online degree is just as creditable as a traditional college program, but you can manage your own time, work and study schedule without having your college control your life and how you do things. You can earn your degree faster or take it slower at your own pace. An online degree can also help you advance further in your current job or even help you set out on a new career.

Technically speaking, distance learning is a field of education which incorporates pedagogy (the science of being a teacher), andragogy (engaging learners in the structure of the learning experience) and technology in order to aid the students learn on their own time and through their own self-discipline. Simply put, distance learning is the delivery of an education in which the teacher and student are not in the same classroom. Modern distance learning has roots which date back to 1840 when Isaac Pitman taught Shorthand in Great Britain. Since the development of the postal system in the 19th century, commercial colleges provided distance education to students across the country via mail. Online degrees are simply an adoption of this theory but have simply made it far quicker, effective, cheaper and efficient while keeping a better degree of communication with the lecturer or teacher.

Distance learning via computers has been in existence since the 1980s as the dawn of computers and the internet, but in it was not until the 1990s when computers became more and more accepted in the household that it has grown at a remarkable rate, and now a degree online is widely respected and regarding on equal terms to a traditional degree. The first program to offer courses solely through distance learning-the University of the State of New York's External Degree Program-was founded in 1971 and there are now hundreds and hundreds of accredited online colleges in America today as well as 96% of Large Traditional Colleges offering some sort of online education and degrees.

The level of degree you can earn online through distance learning varies form school to school and on then field you wish to study. They include Associate, Masters, Baccalaureate and Doctorate degrees as well as certificated and Continuing Education Units (CEOs)

• Associate’s Degree: Upon the successful completion of a two year program of study, an associate’s degree is awarded. It usually requires the completion of 60 credit hours to be achieved. And a minimum number of hours may be required in a particular field of study.
• Baccalaureate or Bachelor's degree – For a Bachelor’s degree, 120 credit hours are generally required. 60 of the 120 credit hours may be required to be the student’s major or an upper division course related to the major. To achieve this, it generally takes 4-5 years of full time enrollment.
• Master’s Degree: This is a graduate degree which can be attained after the completion of a Bachelor’s degree. There is no set number of credits or hours required as it varies from degree to degree and school to school.
• Doctorate or Doctoral degree – This is the highest degree that can be attained in the USA. The requirements vary in different institutions and types of degrees. It usually takes about 4 years to complete and may require a dissertation or a detailed exam towards the end of the course.
• Certificate – A certificate is a document showing that a student has partaken and completed a particular field of study or course.
• Continuing Education Unit - (CEO) – This is a standard which measures a student s participation in a field of study or course. One unit is equal to ten contact hours of participation in a qualified course and generally these programs need to be certified.

Online degrees and distance learning are perfect for those who wish to get ahead in their current job with extra qualifications, those who wish to learn but have other commitments and or simply enhance your knowledge and work skills. There are several reasons why you may not be able to attend full time traditional schooling or maybe you simply choose not to, but online degrees can cater to everyone’s needs.

The convenience and financial rewards of online learning are obvious, but before you partake, in order to receive an effective education and degree you should ask yourself some key questions;

• You must be fully committed to learning and studying in your pursuit of your degree. It is wrong to think that the content, assignments and exams will be equally as tough as traditional degrees. In fact in some cases online degrees have been proven to tougher than their traditional counterparts.
• You must be highly motivated and keep the end goal in sight as there will be no-one to push you along the way so you must rely on yourself to get your work done.
• You must organize and discipline yourself to make sure you allot enough time to successfully study and complete your exams.
• You need access to a computer whether it is at home or at work or elsewhere

Research shows College graduates earn 73% more over their working lives than high school graduates, according to the College Board's Education Pays 2004 report. Those with advanced degrees earn double or even triple that of high school graduates. Of the 23 million jobs expected to be created in this country in the next 10 years, almost one third of those jobs will be management based, which means you will need a college degree.

If you are currently working an online degree allows you to still work in your current field, and gain extra knowledge, increase your potential for promotion and an increase in salary. You can work as quickly or as slowly as you so wish and through studying online, you will also learn extra technical knowledge with computers which is invaluable in the modern workplace. It is a fact that those with a higher education have a far greater chance of securing employment, gain a higher income and generally a better life than those with only a high school diploma. You can develop the skills that are rewarded through an on-line degree program. It is worth the investment, but there is no need to worry if you can't afford the fees. Financial aid is available in many cases, especially for active or retired US military personnel.

On of the main reasons why people are skeptical of an online degree is that they are worried of how employers will perceive it against a traditional degree. This negative image of online degrees has been created by “diploma mills” which offer a degree in return for a large fee and minimal or often no study. These degrees if recognized are worthless in the workplace. The fact is that there are hundreds of fully accredited degrees available from major and smaller colleges which are fully respected in the workplace.

Obviously the perception of degrees varies from employer to employer but legitimate online degrees seem to be better accepted for majors that tend to be knowledge-based, such as information technology areas, accounting, etc. Fully accredited online degrees require an equal amount of work, study and dedication so there is no reason why an employer should think any less of it. For example a person working in a company and taking an online degree at the same time will have far more knowledge in that area than a college student who has never worked in the area of business they study, so combining experience with qualification is a great way to get ahead of the competition!

Your first step in applying for aid is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Submit the FAFSA form as soon as possible on or after January 1. Most Credits are the units that measures progress toward a certificate or degree. Credits are generally based on the number of hours per week that it takes to complete a particular course over a specified period of time. There are four ways in which you can earn credits.

• Take a course for credit. By successfully completing a course, it may be online or through traditional methods, you may earn a certain number of credits.
• Life experience. Some schools will allow you to submit a portfolio which will detail your experiences in life to judge your ability to adapt to college and if you are suited to it, rather than purely judge a candidate on grades alone. A board will review your portfolio and award you credits based on your experiences and the relevance they have to the degree or certificate that you seek to enroll in. Some schools will award you credits toward your degree for the training courses you completed in the military or for your job. However, it may be necessary that the life experiences be related to your filed of study.
• Examination. Most schools and institutions will allow you to "test out" certain core or basic courses. You may take an examination about a particular subject and, if you pass that exam, the school gives you credit for it. Each school is deferent in this matter so it may be necessary to contact the school directly to learn more.
• You can transfer credits form an online degree you earned towards your traditional degree. This is perfect for those that wish to return home for summer, but need credits to enter the next year as you can earn the credits at home rather than taking courses during the summer.