ls Online Education Right for you? I BEGAII MY
or^riine
acacenric car'eei'
sire rrrv f'4BA irsn tne Ul,,,er'sitv
lf
ir',
Decen rbs:r 2Oljii wirerr i :e,-lrcec
Phoerix. At 1r;at
ttr-.re |
.ad jJsl begi:r wl;rx:nq
irtr-a r-rrajor'air-line as a aiistot]ei ser\iice ilge.1 rtaning les.s lltrtr-, $'lJ
i.j nlv al'rarqing wci'h sitirer.t:ile, il r\,'
i_rr:line eC.rr-raiii:rr
sltijatiila a.c,--.o/Iiplete a .3ralii:arc
Due to my changing work schedule, online education was the better choice to irtrprove my situation and complete a graduate degree.
ic pri.
at
wils t;re bette: crlice
ao.ii.. Due l;-; intLlr3,,,s
d
egi,ee.
Just like me, millions of American.s are looking to online education as a more convenient alternirtive to the traditional class-
roonr settirrgs, N,tany African Americans are often behind the curve in the higher education pursuits accounting for only 12 percent of the U.S. population rvith onlv 17 holding coliege degrees, according
per:cent
to LISATodatl.
For African Americans seeking to advance their educational opportunities, rrnline education, known as distar.rce "rlso learning, offers same unique options. For sorne. it's more eflective tlran traditional universities and colleges, but it is important to understand the follolqing to ensure the right online universitv is selected. Above all things, research. I failed to pertorm the research needed to remain in the first online university I enrolled in. Soor.r after I begau my course, I was left to figure out the learning envilonment on mv o$r11. I eventualll, left the university :rnd enrolled in ihe University of Phoenix. While ir-r attenassistance from enrollment io financial aid. When researching online universities and programs/ you -slxruld set realistic gtrais and objectives for holv Vou plan to compiete yoqr degree and your expectations upon completion. Ask questions and ensure your questions are answered to l'our understanding.
Understand the enrollment counselor,s role. During my online experience, I heavilv
j :::',fi1 . Fall 2009.www.nomoaa.org i
i quickly realized enroliment
counsei.ors
are only sales specialists
dance at the University of Phoenix, I receir.'ed
66
relied on the assistance of enrollmelrt counsel.rrs because I thougirt thev would understantl rny educationai goals and assist me r,vith reaching those goals. Unfortun.rtely,
who have to maint.rin sales goals - daily', rveeklv or monthlv - and .rre usuallv onlv proficient in the enrollment process. To make an infor.med decision regarding your degr.ee plans, cor.tsider m;rkirrg an appointrnent with an academic advisor of the oniine university or at
traditional university or college. Know the costs to attend..As I continue rnlr online academic career, I h'ant to stress that atterlding an online university can be more expetrsive tlr;rn a traditional university or college because you're paying on a
a per-course cost basis. The cost trr attend
online universities range fr-om 9420-92,200 per cledit hour or course. Knorving the difierence between per credit courses and ctlst per course will enable you to determine the final cost of attendance. Do not be afraid to ask for details regarding all of the cosis associated r.viih online learning and cornparing those costs to a traclitional college or u.nrversitl'.
Know the workings of the
school
before enrolling. Online universities are generally structured in the same f'ashion as a traditional colleee or ultiversity with the oniy difi-erences beins that a physical campus may r-rot be avaiiabie in your area. When gathering infonnation about online education, ask the enrrihnent counselor about horv the university works once you are completely admitted into the utriversitl'. You shoukl strive to understand:
.
- some online r,rniversities assign an academic advisor to assist you with next course pr.epar.rtion while Cours? stlecf iott
others allow you to select !'our olvn courses. Also. sorne oniine universiiies require a first course, wtich is a coursâ‚Ź to determine your abilitv to lealn online.
Uniztersittl librnry accessibilitu
knowing and understanding
the
use o{ an online librarY r.siil assist you with maintaiaing your learning
curriculum. Ottline polides - these poiicies are oiten the same as those of land-
based universities
I'hich
stresses
the impoltance of plagiarism, r+'ith-
drau'al, financial aid and other issues -vou maY exPerience while learning online.
.
Coursâ‚Ź lerryth
- some universities
oifer three-, five-, six-, eiglrt-
.
ten-week courses. Adrrissiott retluiremellts
and
- urrlike tra-
dition;rl land-based universitiet marw online universities do not require GM,A,T or CRE scores but rather retluire a GPA as ion' as 2.0, a personal statemer-tt and employ-
online education may be expensive, but aid is available and sorne employers may provide tuition reimbulsement assistance for certain onlille degree pl'ograrns. Remember thai the longterm impacts of having a degree outweigh the costs. Research first and then make an informed decision about the rich+
nrnorrm
mbC
ment and oi{icial transctipts, if appiicable. Learnit-rg is not a luxury ihat onlv a few should be afforded' With online universities, many are now abie to pur-
sue the goals of starting ot colnpleting their degrees while maintaining their f:rmiiy and rvork lives. Financing
Iztrl
N. Carter, ivIBA, is a doctoral student,
L)?uner
ttnd
a
of Diaini: Cortsttltutg Group, LLC
iredanct writer. She
has
been'orit-
ing axLl consultitry fttr rnore tlLatt 7A t1ears thraugltort the Ll.S. She ttpernles her WeL' site, u'ittw. dirtifieco n sultingg rotLpllc.c an, a consulting conpsny lbr -<nnll busitesses.
;:;a:::,fllf
.
Fall2003
I6?