Associate Online Degree Programs | My Back is Back…

Posted by bposton on November 29th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Did you miss me? :-)

Sorry I haven’t posted in a while, but this past weekend I managed to pull a major muscle in my back and I’ve been out of commission.

But I’m “Back” in action again, so expect more posts shortly

Ben

, , , , , , ,

No Comments »

Engineering Degree Online | Paying off your Student Loans

Posted by bposton on November 13th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

So let’s say you have a rich uncle and you’ll have no loans to pay off after you graduate…

Well you can stop reading now, if you wish (you lucky dog) :-)

For the rest of us, how to pay off our student loans is a big deal.

According to a recent study by the U.S. Department of Education, 26 percent of college graduates borrow at least $25,000 to pay for their college educations.

So if you see that you’re going to graduate with a large amount of  debt, you’d be wise to take some time and sort of “map out” a strategy for paying it back as quickly as possible.

Here are some tips to consider from American Education Services, a national financial aid services organization:

Consolidate. Consolidating your loans can reduce your monthly payments and maybe even lower your interest rate. But You need to look into this option as soon as possible to lock in a low interest rate. When you consolidate, you’ll get just one bill per month, which makes it easier to keep track of your payments.

If possible, make payments during your six-month grace period. This is a great way to save money on your subsidized loans because any payments you make will be applied directly to the principal balance. This lowers the amount of interest you will owe after the grace period expires. Plus, you’ll be able to pay off your loan months earlier than you expected.

Use direct debit to help you pay your loans on time every month. Direct debit is a free, automatic payment service for borrowers who prefer to make their loan payments electronically. If you use this service, you also may qualify for an interest rate reduction after a specified number of on-time payments.

Make everyday expenses count toward repayment of your loans. When you join Upromise, participating merchants will contribute a portion of what you spend with them to your Upromise account, which you can use to help pay off your loans.

AES has a web site called youcandealwithit.com, designed to help college students and graduates become financially responsible.

Hope that helps

Ben

, , , , ,

No Comments »

Engineering Degree Onilne | The IGeneration prefers online education

Posted by bposton on November 11th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

I had another note on my online dorm room door last night, asking:

“Can you define the Internet Generation?”

Well, I’ve always wondered myself, so I began a search to find out.

What I found was that, officially, it’s anyone born between the years of 1985 abd 1999. It’s also called the IGeneration, which directly followed the MTV Generation.

This iGeneration has grown up with the rise of the Internet, most of whom do not remember pre-Internet times. More than 85 percent of this generation uses the Internet to check and/or send email every day, reports Greensberg Quinlan Rosner, a research and strategic consulting firm.

And here’s another important fact. Studies indicated that 66 percent of them have an interest in online education. Due to thier knowledge of technology, it only makes sense that these upcoming college studens will have an increased interest in online degree programs.

On a side note, it was also found that more than 65 percent prefer to be contacted by email over other methods.

In fact, nearly two thirds (64 percent), of this group agreed with the statement that “I don’t know how I would keep up with my friends or family if I didn’t have the Internet.”

More than 32 percent use email as their primary source to conduct business, communicate with friends, make purchases, and have exchanges with family members.

Ben

, , , , ,

No Comments »

Here’s an example of a “non-traditional” program

Posted by bposton on October 18th, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

Here’s a little information about one college that has an interesting degree program.

Unlike traditional colleges, the average age of a student at Thomas Edison State College is 36.
They can try a handful of different ways to earn credits because they often work full-time jobs while studying

Aside from the normal courses and transfer credits, students can be also be tested on their knowledge of subjects,
and take online lessons or enroll in independent study.

They can also earn credits from taking classes that have no schedule or regular exams,
but instead give one test at the end of the term.

Pretty interesting wouldn’t you say?

 Ben

, , , , , ,

1 Comment »