Is The Online College Program Legit? Online college will be the future of education; this is an inevitable fact. It’s been a slow and steady climb, but distance learning is making strides to becoming the new norm of higher education. But despite its progress over the years, not all online programs are as good as they advertise themselves. If you are planning to become a distance learner, here are some of the ways to tell if an online program is good or not.
Accreditation
If you’ve been reading about online colleges, then you might’ve seen this word a lot. Accreditation is the biggest factor that determines whether or not an online program is legitimate. This will also be considered once you have earned your online degree and are applying for a job. Diploma mills and shady online schools are still out there, so having the government’s thumbs is vital for these educational institutions.
Support services
If you are a distance learner, it doesn’t mean that you need less support from your school. Ensure that the online college you want to study at provides sufficient support to their distance learners, especially if the online school you wish to study at is based in another country. Accessibility is of key importance since distance learners may only be available at night or early in the morning.
Financial aid pressure
If an online college program is pushing for you to get financial aid, you should be wary about them. This decision should be up to you, and if ever you choose to take out a loan, they should be answering all of your questions about it. Watch out for red flags like unanswered questions or details that aren’t in black and white.
Graduation rate
Sadly, the online college has a higher dropout rate compared to a traditional college. As a prospective distance learner, you should find out the graduation rate for the online school you are interested in. This will help you assess whether or not the online program is a good fit for you, or perhaps you should enroll somewhere else.
Check out another article by Clubonline College: First-Time Online College Students Tips
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