The Distance Learner

For the student who is really looking to cut costs, here is an informative article contributed by one of our readers. It seems that more and more colleges and universities are offering enough tuition assistance to basically eliminate most or all of the cost of earning a degree. Of course, you typically must meet certain criteria to be eligible for such programs.

The interesting thing here is that, despite common perception, many distance education schools are now offering similar programs. When it comes to scholarships and other financial assistance, distance education programs are no different than traditional college programs.

In fact, one barrier to earning a college degree that was brought up in the article (namely, the inability for lower income students to sacrifice their work income for spending time in school) becomes a moot point when pursing a degree through distance education. Students can study in the evening and on weekends and work during the day. As tuition for distance education programs continues to fall, this option will become more and more viable for a broader range of American students.

Read the full article at U.S. News.