The Online Degree Dorm Room

Poor ecomony sends adults flocking to online degrees

Posted by bposton on July 29th, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

It’s almost a fact of nature that when layoffs go up and the economy goes down, the enrollment at online degree colleges go up.

Case in point. Drexel University recently accounced that it had completed its highest enrollment ever during the 2008-2009 academic year. Drexel Online saw a record 20 percent growth in enrollment from the past year.

A 2008 survey by the Sloan Consortium states that online school enrollment increased more than 12 percent from the previous year. The survey of more than 2,500 colleges and universities nationwide finds approximately 3.94 million students were enrolled in at least one online course in fall of 2007.

So are you considering heading back to school. Well, you’re certainly not alone. Adults of every age are trying to find work in a stable industry or government sector (like teaching), and young professionals are decided to ride out the recession in grad school so they can come out with a more competitive degree when things start to turn around.

And unlike the typical high school senior, these folks don’t care that much about the great the meal plans are or how pretty the campus looks. They care about cost, convenience and flexibility.

So make sure that when you start looking at the myriad of online degree programs out there for adults, keep these options in mind:

Degree programs that offer multiple start dates and evening courses.

For example, online MBA programs typically meet one evening each week with occasional course offerings on Saturdays. Some offer semester-long classes, and other offer inter-session courses that are intense four-weekend electives. 

Hybrid courses that mix online and classroom time:
Another option is to attend a school that offers both online and classroom courses. These may be better accepted by employers.

Ease of testing out of classes and/or credit for experience:
Some colleges allow students to test out of some courses. And the fee to test out is much less that the free for the credits. And of course you can say a ton of time as well.

Now, most schools do not give automatic credit for work experience, but here’s a tip - ask your professors about doing some special research on topics that are based on your background and experience. You can also to demonstrate your knowledge with a presentation or portfolio of your work. And there are organizations who provide training programs that colleges will award credit for, such as the American Council on Education, the American Management Association, etc. 

Scholarships and grants for adult students, financial aid deadlines, and employer tuition reimbursement options:
The full tution for going back to school is a lot, but don’t let that deter you. Make sure to apply for federal assistance by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before April 1. State and institutional aid is also determined by the information on this form. And once you are a student, check into the many institutions that offer recognition scholarships for achievement.

Check into Federal or State programs that offers dislocated worker funding for professionals who’ve been laid off and want to seek more education. 

The online education industry is thriving, and online schools are becoming a popular and attractive education option for prospective students of all ages. So check out your options on how to circumvent the current recession, save time and money — and get a jump on your career goals.

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Capella will participate in the Yellow Ribbon program

Posted by bposton on July 14th, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

You may remember me posting about Drexel University putting up a lot money to help veterans get a free college education. They partnered with the US Government in a program call the Yellow Ribbon program for the 2009-10 GI Bill.

Well, another well know college has decide to participate as well. Capella recently annouced that it will participate in the Yellow Ribbon program for the 2009-10 GI Bill year. Capella already has more than 1,500 Capella students that use some form of VA benefits, and that number is likely to grow even more. 

As with Drexel, Capella’s partnership with the VA in this program will allow veterans eligible for the new Post-9/11 GI Bill to attend Capella with no out-of-pocket expense to themselves. The way it works is that Capella will provide half of the tuition expense not covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill for graduate students, and the VA will make up the remaining balance. That way, the tuition is completely covered. What’s more, Capella has set no limits on the number of students that can participate in the Yellow Ribbon program, and there are no caps on tuition expenses that can be incurred.

For more information, please call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552).

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online degree programs psychology - Union will offer Online Master’s in Psychology

Posted by bposton on July 12th, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Union College in Barbourville KY will soon be offering it’s very first all-online degree program this August.
 
It’s online master’s degree program in psychology online degree program will begin August 25.  The application deadline is August 15.
 
Union has been providing master’s degree for almost 50 years, and it has also been providing online classes for the last six years, but this is the university’s first program to be offerred in a completely online format.
 
This is great new development for Union, because a large portion of their students live in rural areas of southeastern Kentucky. 

But anyone, anywhere, can access this great program at Union. One reason they will is the fact that all Union’s faculty has high level degress and tuition is very affordable. 
 
You can do all of your coursework online, or you can also take on-campus classes as well.  They plan to have a virtual student center, virtual café, and many social networking and community opportunities.
 
If you’re interested in Union’s online Master of Arts in psychology can e-mail them at gradpsych@unionky.edu. Applications will be accepted through August 15. 

Oh, and Union is waiving application fees for students who apply prior to August 15.

Union College is a private liberal arts college related to The United Methodist Church and located in Barbourville, Ky.

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Posted by bposton on July 4th, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Drexel University recently announced that it will offer free to an unlimited number of military veterans. You can be full or part time, and you can get getting your undergraduate, graduate, or even doctoral degree. And, best of all, this applies to both on campus and online programs.

It’s all part of Drexel’s participation in the new GI Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program.

This is a partnership between the federal government and Drexel, and a part of this program, the University will match the government’s contribution to the cost of an education so that eligible veterans can attend Drexel with no out of pocket expenses.

Here’s how it works. The federal government will pay up to the highest in-state school tuition, with any remaining cost shared between the government and the University.

Doing this will offer eligible service persons a free education.

There are under institutions participating in the new program, but Drexel is different because they will have no cap on the number of veterans who may enroll. They are committing 2 million for this program, and it will allow veterans who meet government and University admissions requirements to receive a completely free education at all of the University’s schools and colleges including the Drexel University College of Medicine, Earle Mack School of Law, Drexel at Burlington County College and the Sacramento Center for Graduate Studies.

Here’s another cool thing about the new Yellow Ribbon Program. The government will pay each student’s costs directly to the University rather than requiring those veterans to request a reimbursement, which was what they had to do under the original GI Bill. And the program includes a new set of educational benefits such as monthly housing and textbook stipends.

According to Drexel: “We are proud to be able to give back to those who have sacrificed so much to serve their country,” Greenberg added.

Three Cheers for Drexel!!! 

OK, so here’s the lowdown on who is eligible, per the Veteran’s Adminstration. You must have served an aggregate period of active duty after Sept. 10, 2001, of at least 36 months or were honorably discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability and served 30 continuous days after Sept. 10, 2001.

For information on the new GI Bill and specific benefit questions contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at 1-888-GIBILL-1

For more information about Drexel’s on campus programs contact Drexel University at 800-2-DREXEL For more information about Drexel’s online degree programs contact Drexel Online at 877-215-0009.

For more information about using your military benefits to fund a Drexel education contact Jeffrey Linskens, associate director, Student Resource Center, at 215-895-6413 or jeffery.r.linskens@drexel.edu

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Do I need an IPhone to be a Gator?

Posted by bposton on July 4th, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

OK, since my daughter (and a lot of my money) when to the University of Florida, when I read this story, I just had to pass it along to all my dorm room buddies…

Looks like UF announced recently that for students enrolling in one of it’s programs would be required to own either an IPhone or Ipod Touch. It seems that UF is the second university to require the Apple product.

According to information on the College of Pharmacy website, all students entering UF’s PharmD students must “have a iPod touch (or iPhone) and a computer meeting minimum UF and College of Pharmacy (COP) requirements,” 

Now, don’t get me wrong, UF is a great school (in my humble opinion ). It’s usually ranked in the top 10 every year by US News and World Report. The school began offering its Doctor of Pharmacy online degree program way back in 1994, and now, according to the school, this program has become one of the sought after pharmacy programs around. 

But, an IPhone? Give me a break. Why do I have to go out and get an Iphone (and subscribe to AT&T’s lousy service to boot)?

Sure, health care is one of the more recession proof career paths out there, and evidently, Apple’s developers have added a ton of software apps like medical reference applications, blood glucose monitor accessories, and the like. But why make it required?

UF is the second school to post this type of requirement. Last May the University of Missouri said that beginning this fall, all of its journalism students will be required to own an iPhone or iPod touch.

So what’s going on? Well, a little research uncovered that UF later announced that they would not actually enforce the requirement, and that they only listed it so that students would have an idea of what to budget for in their estimates of financial need.

What? Students actually budget?

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