Factors To Consider When Paying For An Online Degree

Online education and online degree programs at Presley University are the most advantageous in this new technological world. This was once a rather conceptual inspiration, and while it provided a substitute to conventional degree programs, it fell significantly short of a complete educational experience. However, that is no longer the case and Presley University’s online degree programs are now richer, more influential, more flexible, more perceptive and more complete than ever.

Undertaking how to pay for an online degree is as complicated as paying for a campus degree. As per Babson Survey Research Group, in 2008, online students paid mostly the same tuition and fees as traditional students. However Presley University offers numerous financial support options to students encouraging them to complete their education.

However an online student should consider the following points when going to pay for online education:

• Tuition

There is not any worldwide procedure of charging students for online programs. While many institutes require students to pay one lump sum for an online program, there are various institutes that require students to pay by credit hours or course. Students can begin with some credits—and hence reduce time in college and tuition charges—if the desired course provide credit for earlier school program or life experience.

Since what needs to pay can be changed enormously by college, it's very important to make arrangements ahead of time, ensuring that one understands how much credit to transfer and how much lengthy the program is. When looking for a graduate program, speak to any counselor to outline a degree track. 

• Fees

Online students are frequently charged with different kinds of fees, occasionally even for services they may never utilize. Fees for equipment, educational activities, resources, and further add up, while students may not even be aware of it until after they have gotten a bill.

When assessing different programs, determine the overall charges of attendance, accounting for the years a program requires completing. Moreover, never overlook to determine the expenses of recommended books and other course materials.  

• Employer Reimbursement

Working professionals usually pursue online degrees with fiscal support from their employer, but many employers wait until students get their results prior to cutting checks. When an employer reimbursement program is a main factor in funding online degree, ensure that the desired college has flexible payment preferences.  

• Loans

Online students also have borrowing chances for financial support. However, online students need to take into account that professional suggest them to turn to all federal loans first prior to going for private loans. Keep up with the plan vigilantly and never take loans more than your requirements.  

• Scholarships and Grants

There are as much scholarships opportunities for online students as there are for campus students. Online students can also get federal grants like the Pell that provides around $5,550 annually for the deserving students. However, online students are also required to complete the FAFSA to get any federal assistance.

Distance Education – Things To Know

Believe it or not, the concept of distance education dates back to the early 18th century, when an advertisement was placed in the Boston Gazette offering students the ability to learn shorthand through the mail. Of course, the face of distance education has changed drastically over the years and many students are finding themselves earning their high school diploma, bachelor’s degree or even a law degree through online courses. There are still many misguided and uninformed individuals that believe distance learning is inferior to a traditional classroom education. Learn about the Top Five Common Misconceptions about Distance Education, some of which might be keeping you from pursuing your online finance MBA through this non-traditional experience:

Employers are Put Off by Distance Learning Degrees

Many students shy away from earning their diploma or degree online because they believe employers will take one look at their resume and toss it into the trash. In reality, the courses taught through online and correspondence courses are the same caliber as those offered in a traditional campus setting. Your employer will only see the academic degree earned on your resume or application, without any knowledge of the road you took you get there. Your prospective employer might even be a graduate of an online university himself.

Online Professors are Inexperienced and Inaccessible

Another misconception about online education is the teachers’ or professors’ lack of experience or accessibility. Because you’re not able to speak to the instructor one-on-one, many believe that their questions will go unanswered, and their grades will suffer for it. In actuality, many university’s online courses are taught by well-educated, renowned professors that are more than happy to correspond with their students through message boards, email and over the phone. You may not have the ability to visit with your professors or academic advisor in their office, but this doesn’t mean that your concerns and questions are important, or will be glossed over and ignored.

Traditional Classroom Education is More Effective

Imagine having the ability to work at your own pace, become self-motivated and learn without the stress of classroom discussions or public speaking? These are just a few of the benefits that distance education offers a student over a traditional classroom setting. Many busy adults with children, spouses and full-time jobs simply don’t have the time to drop everything and rush to a classroom. With distance learning, students have the unique ability to chart their own education destiny by not only learning at their own pace, but also by their own rules.

Online Classes are Less Challenging

Many students opt for online education because they believe the classes are a breeze, and because you don’t have a professor breathing down their neck, they can put forth less effort to achieve the same results. The truth is there are no “easy A’s” in life and this same fact holds true in the world of distance education. You must go the extra mile to earn stellar grades in a traditional classroom and an online school setting. Be prepared to take rigorous notes, read text books and literature, write thoughtful and well-constructed research papers, and put all into your education, because this is the requirement to complete an online education in four years. But keep in mind, with distance learning you still have the ability to work on your schedule, which makes achieving those “A’s” a much more realistic possibility.

Credits from Distance Learning aren’t Transferable or even Legitimate

When choosing an online or distance learning university, pay attention that it’s accredited through a local or regional accreditation agency. These agencies ensure the college or university meets acceptable levels of quality or excellence. If you complete courses through an accredited online university, your credits are completely legitimate and transferable, even if you decide to take classes in a traditional campus setting. The credits are also transferable in many cases to an alternate online university. However you look at it, the credits earned through an accredited distance learning program are no different or inferior to those earned while sitting behind a desk.

As with traditional campus universities, some distance learning programs such as a; finance MBA online, are more academically rigorous than others. Before making any final decisions, speak to an admissions officer or academic counselor, peruse the course catalogue or speak to current students to learn if the distance learning university is a good fit.

Best Extra-Curricular Activities for University

It is no question that extra-curricular activities are essential for higher online education admissions. Extra-curriculars put a human face on an application that is otherwise just numbers and letters. The way that a student chooses to spend his or her time leaves a very large impact on university recruiters and admissions officers. The same is with Presley University. When you apply for an admission in online degree at Presley University, one of the first questions that Presley University’s representatives ask is "what do you like to do during your free time?" We want the most interesting people (who are qualified) to make up the student body.

The first step in using extra-curriculars for online education applications is finding something that you like to do. Experiment! Students should join many different clubs and organizations early on just to get a little taste of everything that the school has to offer. In the long run, this experimenting will also help students "discover themselves" as many psychiatrists call it, during their sophomore and junior years. Besides the mental advantages from finding something to do, Presley University loves to see activity. Although a student will probably not stay in all of the clubs that he or she originally joined, common sense says that students will find a passion for something. Peruse that something! If it just so happens that your school does not have something that you are interested in, then start it. We love to see initiative as well.

So now that students have something that they are passionate about, what is next? Dedicate more time to improve it. For example, I play tennis and am a member of the mock trial team at my high school, just to name my two biggest extra-curricular. Dedicating more time to them would mean practicing more, both alone and with the team, and doing legal research for Mock Trial, so that I am more prepared for next year's competition. In the end, this time translates into better teams and more accomplishments and achievements. There is nothing better for Presley University to have the best tennis or mock trial team in the city. This would really make you unique. This also shows dedication, which is my next big point.

Students need to show their dedication to the team/activity that they are a part of. This might be by participating in tournaments outside of school, performing, or a variety of other things. The point is that students need to have something to show for their time. A few awards never hurt anyone either. These kinds of "showcases" are also great because they give students something to write about in their university essays. Applications are basically brag lists after all.

Students need to take some initiative and show their leadership skills. It is great that you were a member of a team for a few years, but being captain of the team really makes you stand out. We, at Presley University love to see students lead others; who doesn't like leaders? Leadership shows dedication to the extreme. Every group needs a president, from the cheer squad to the robotics club. Students should take this into consideration when they choose clubs to join. One club might have less members, so a student will have a higher chance of gaining a leadership role. The basic point is that students need to show leadership.

Finally, students need to put it all together for their Presley University application. To do this, a student needs to choose the 2 or 3 activities that best represent him or her and write a killer essay about them. Unfortunately, I cannot help with the essays, all I can say is that it must completely own the reader. My key rule of thumb regarding extra-curricular activities is that less is more. Students are better off having 2 or 3 activities and dedicating a lot of time to them than they are spending little time on 7 or 8 activities. The most important thing to remember is that Extra-Curricular put a human face on an otherwise dull and monotone application.

Online University Admission Secrets

This question is on the minds of almost every teen and parent in America. Many are worried about university, and for good reason. University is very important and everyone should go to university. There are so many benefits to attaining higher education; the hard part is getting into one like Presley University. Here are some tips and guidelines that should be helpful to any student applying for online university.

• Grades, Grades, Grades. Unless you plan on going to university on a football scholarship, then focus on your grades. Top online universities look for the smartest students with the best grades for multiple reasons. They do not want to waste a university education on someone who will not benefit from it, especially someone who does not care about education. Grades in High School tell universities how serious you are about learning, so an A student obviously cares more about school than a C student. Grades also make you stand out from millions of other potential applicants. Besides that, school is about learning, so you should try your best regardless.

 

• Extra-Curricular Activities. Activities Outside of School are very important to university applications. They put a face on an application that is otherwise all numbers and letters. Even more than that, they are a way for students to take a break from schoolwork. How depressing would life be if it was all work? - Exactly. While trying a bit of everything at first to get exposure is good, it is important to narrow your list, especially for university. Participating in a few activities shows that you are capable of committing yourself to something, whether it is a sport or debate. Do not ignore the importance of extra-curricular.

 

• Live life. Nothing is more boring that someone who lacks life experiences. Universities know this and look for applicants who live active lives. One of the most important questions that universities ask during the admission process is; "What can this student add to our student body that this other student cannot?" The solution- make sure to live an active life and participate all of the time. Additionally, living life will give you more experience in areas outside of the classroom. You will be a more well-rounded person, thus more desirable to universities. Granted, all schools need some book worms, but that is only a small portion of the student body. Your unique experiences make you interesting and make you stand out among other students. It is important not to let tests or grades completely destroy your life, because it will only hurt you in the long run. Save time for yourself to try something new, or go to the movies, or hang out with friends.

 

• Find Something to Represent You- This is usually an activity or a hobby. This is THE activity that you spend most if not all of your free time on. It is something that you are dedicated to and are willing to practice, even if you have to stay up later to finish homework. For some people it is a sport, for others it is a hobby like juggling or painting, but you need to find something. Do not just party with friends all of the time, do something productive. Why? - because it makes you special. Universities look for special students who would add to the student body, so you might be that student. Come time for filling out applications, this activity will really come in handy. You will probably be able to write essays about it showing that you are willing to dedicate yourself. This "something" is different for everyone so just go out and explore things that you enjoy.

 

• Tests - It is common knowledge that it is important to score well on standardized tests for university, but which tests are the most important? - In my humble, objective opinion the SAT IIs are the most important. They are like a final that is the same for everyone in the world, so everyone is graded on the same scale. No two schools teach or grade material exactly the same way, so SAT IIs provide a way to grade everyone in a fair way. Then there are AP tests, which are also very useful in much the same way as SAT II tests. They cover some subjects that the SAT II does not and are more comprehensive (they have a free response portion). Next is the ACT. This tests on learnt knowledge and is similar to a regular test in school. You do well on this test if you know the material. Lastly, and my LEAST favorite is the SAT. This test is absolutely worthless and does nothing. It is called a "reasoning test" and tests on how well you can take a test. It is possible for an otherwise stupid person (for lack of a better word) to score higher than a straight A student. 

 

• University Visits - Too many people go to or apply to a university just because of the name. That is the wrong reason to attend a university. You want to go to a school because it is the best that you could attend that focuses on your interests. It does not help you in the long run to attend Harvard for Hotel Administration, even though Harvard is the best University in the world. If your interest lies in Hotel Administration, then you would be better off applying to Cornell or even University of Las Vegas. They are the best in this particular field. Additionally, it is important to get a feel for the campus and the surrounding area. Students are going to spend four years of their lives attending the school, so they had better like the feel of it. Visiting universities is vital to get to know the area and make the best choice regarding your education. This is one of the most overlooked parts of applying to university, DO NOT ignore this.

 

• Be Organized!!  University application for early decision is due on November 1st for most students. If students plan on applying to a university via early decision, then they had better meet these deadlines. This will probably require working on applications over the summer, but it is for university, so it's worth it. It is immensely important that students start to work on their university apps in all cases over the summer. Once school starts again in the fall, time just flies by and it will be December in what seemed like a few weeks. Stay on top of your applications!!  Missing deadlines is the WORST thing that you could do for universities. Universities have so many other applicants that they will not fret over one lost potential student; there are 5 others who can just as easily fill that space (and who applied on time). Senior year is tough because many students choose to take multiple AP classes and are leaders in their classes and sports. This is all the more reason to be organized and get applications done piece by piece, whenever possible. There will be plenty of time for students to party and relax come March, when acceptance letters are mailed. Although I do NOT recommend it, from March on, seniors could basically just show up to class and twiddle their thumbs the rest of the year. This would get kind of boring, but you get the idea. The important thing is that students get all of their paperwork in on time and have the time to put into it. So, all that I can say is BE ORGANIZED!

 

• Show some interest in the universities that you want to attend. Although, in the grand scheme of applications interest is not as important as grades, tests, or extra-curricular, it is something that can make the difference between 2 students. University obviously wants students who are interested in what the school has to offer, because above all else, they want students to enjoy their experience. They prefer to have students who will absolutely love the campus than students who will settle for it.  So how does a student show interest in university? The answer is actually pretty simple; sign up for their information. The universities will email students information, and soon they will start to send snail mail. University visits help a lot too. Different universities have different methods, so it is up to students to figure out the best way to show interest. You can find out how to have the university contact you on their official websites. Try to get their attention somehow.