Читать книгу Online Learning For Dummies - Susan Manning - Страница 20

If you’re an adult learner, you may remember the lengthy college application process where you filled in forms, wrote an essay, took exams, and so on. Your high school guidance counselor probably walked you through the steps. Some of that process is the same online, just web based. Other processes are slightly different. For example, you may not need entrance exams, such as ACTs and SATs. Transcripts can be sent electronically.

Chapter 6 provides an overview of the whole process. It may surprise you that applying to an online program and then following through with registration still involves a guidance counselor of sorts. In the digital world, this usually involves continual communication with a representative from the school. For example, if you need to know more about a program, you may be asked to fill in a web based form. That form generates a phone call, and you quickly have a personal counselor or advisor working with you.

Not only do you have to think about the application process, but you also have to consider the cost of classes. College isn’t cheap if that’s the direction you’re headed. However, just as you may consider financial aid for traditional courses, you should explore this area for online programs (see Chapter 6). Your financial options may include

 Scholarships based on academics, demographics, or other criteria: These do not have to be paid back.

 Grants awarded by the federal government based on financial need: To qualify, you must first complete the same financial aid paperwork as all other students, available at https://studentaid.gov.

 Loans, via either the government or private lenders: When you need to pay these back and at what interest rate depend on the lender.

Are online courses less expensive than traditional on-ground courses? Yes, probably. Tuition may be the same, but you save money by not having to pay transportation costs. Other expenses, such as childcare, may or may not affect you. For example, one parent may be able to study while children nap or do their own homework; another may need childcare to keep a busy toddler occupied so that they can focus on schoolwork.

If you study more than part-time at a regionally accredited institution that receives federal financial aid, you may be eligible for assistance. You have to be part of a degree or certificate program, however. Check with the school for the details of what may be available, as well as its process. This is where selecting a school with a full suite of student services pays off, literally.