| The dream of completing your college education or | | | | meets your educational needs and career goals. |
| furthering your studies is no longer elusive. The World | | | | Check how current the course work is and whether |
| Wide Web boom has brought education to your key | | | | the textbooks and study materials are relevant. |
| board. Many established and renowned universities are | | | | - Ask if the university has a 24/7 customer service |
| offering degrees in varied disciplines through online | | | | program and whether you will be eligible for any |
| courses. Studies done by the Distance Education and | | | | technical help regarding the software or programs you |
| Training Council in Washington and other regulatory | | | | will need to use. Many universities assign a personal |
| institutions indicate that over 2.25 million people are | | | | advisor to students one who will answer questions |
| registered for online courses at universities in the US. | | | | willingly and take care all nitty gritties like enrollment |
| Before registering for a course you need to spend | | | | procedures, course work submissions and so on right |
| some time thinking. Do I want to do a course that will | | | | until graduation. |
| further my career or learn something that I have an | | | | - Check out the credentials for the faculty, their |
| abiding interest in? Will I be devoted and complete the | | | | qualifications and training to conduct an online class |
| course work in time? Take a look at your schedules | | | | room with ease. Otherwise it may be a question of |
| and find out where you will slot in time for study. | | | | the "blind leading the blind." |
| Online courses offer great conveniences, flexibility, and | | | | - Read the offer document carefully and ensure that |
| a world class education brought to your computer. | | | | the course is 100% online. Some universities are known |
| While choosing a college consider the following: | | | | to use mail, videotapes, and on-campus programs as |
| - What are the basic qualifications you need to be | | | | part of "online course" work. Ask how long the online |
| eligible for a course are there any tests you need to | | | | program has been in place and are there any rough |
| take. | | | | spots they have encountered. Read carefully the |
| - Is the college reliable? Does it have the required | | | | institution's ethical standard document, most reputed |
| accreditations? | | | | schools have a policy readily available for review. |
| - How large are the classes? When the class strength | | | | - Check thoroughly the institutions financial history and |
| is smaller then each student will receive more time | | | | current position. Make sure you are not registering with |
| from the instructors. On the other hand a large | | | | a fly-by-night operator. |
| enrollment indicates success of the course. So you | | | | - Find out what the accreditations of the university are. |
| need to carefully weigh all the different aspects. | | | | In the US accreditations come from Middle States, |
| - Research blogs and other online messaging centers | | | | New England, North Central, Northwest, and Southern |
| to find out about the opinion and experiences of | | | | Western. They have a membership program as well |
| students who have satisfactorily complete courses or | | | | as a system wherein each others accreditations are |
| are disgruntled. Read surveys and analysis about online | | | | acknowledged. |
| education. Ask the college for referrals. Examine | | | | - Most important ask about fees and financial aid. Find |
| alumni success. Find out what percentage of students | | | | out what the tuitions fees are and whether any other |
| successfully complete the program and how many | | | | costs like lab fees, technology fees and so on are to |
| work professionally in the field of study. | | | | be paid. You will also have to cost expenses towards |
| - Study the online curriculum as well as suggested | | | | maintaining your computer and its peripherals like |
| time-frame carefully. Find out how many students | | | | scanners, printers, and fax modem, as well as Internet |
| have been able to complete the course work within | | | | costs and provider fees. |
| the given time. Determine whether the coursework | | | | |