06.27.06
Posted in Debt at 10:18 am by Matthew Bass
This article published in USA Today earlier this month provides some interesting statistics on college students and debt. Did you know that the average college senior graduates with $19,000 in debt? That’s average. And, as the article highlights, the number of grads with $100,000 or more in debt is rapidly rising. Does this sound like a firm foundation to build a family and a career on? Not to me. Yet students continue getting themselves in debt by taking a conventional approach to earning a degree. By pursuing alternatives like distance education, students can minimize or even eliminate debt and graduate without that burden on them.
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06.07.06
Posted in NCHE, Accreditation, Colleges at 11:16 pm by Matthew Bass
One question I received after the distance education workshop at NCHE this year was if ITT Technical Institute is accredited. I assume the attendee who asked was considering them as a possible distance education provider.
The answer is yes, ITT Tech is accredited, but not by a regional accrediting body. Regional accreditation is what to look for when choosing a good distance education school because regionally accredited schools have met very high educational standards. Also, if a school is regionally accredited it is typically easier to transfer college credit into and out of the school.
This goes back to the question of what your ultimate educational goals are. If you want to earn a degree that will generally be recognized by employers as being from a quality institution, regional accreditation is a must. If your only goal in attending school is learning a skill that you will then put to use in your own business or in an employment scenario that is less strict about such things, regional accreditation becomes less important.
The bottom line is that you should opt for regional accreditation as often as possible. For more information on the various types of accreditation, check out this article.
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06.02.06
Posted in General at 12:11 pm by David Bass
Hello, folks! I’m looking forward to contributing to this blog. Thanks to Matthew, my older brother, for giving me the opportunity to participate.
During a recent one-week road trip with my family, I learned yet another benefit offered by earning a degree through distance education — the convenience factor. I’m currently enrolled in two eight-week summer courses from a state community college. Due to the short duration of each course, the material covered is fairly heavy-duty, yet I was still able to keep up with my assignments even while on the road. With the frequency of wireless internet access points nowadays, it’s a fairly simple task to carry along a portable computer and access email, post to class discussion boards, and get updated assignments. Had I been enrolled in a traditional college program with mandatory classroom attendance, I would never have been able to wing this trip. As it was, all that I needed was a laptop, my books, and some time set aside for study.
Imagine the time saved through distance education – it gives you so much more freedom to pursue other opportunities while still working toward that “piece of paper,” the college degree.
Posted by David
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