The Cost of an Online Degree
Bryan Wong

Defined Tag: Tax and Finance.

The cost of a college education is never considered cheap,
no matter if you attend offline or online.  However, online
courses can be more expensive than their offline counterparts
at times, as universities try to make up for the missed
opportunity costs of parking on campus, room-and-board, textbooks,
etc.  Also, the level of your courses, whether it be for
a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree will also determine
the cost of the courses you take.  The choice of university
where you choose to attend online classes can also affect the
cost of your education.

Online courses will sometimes be more expensive at universities
that have better or more prestigious reputations than those
that are not as well-known or well-recognized because employers
look more favorably upon those graduates who have completed
their degrees at universities that are more well-known or have
more prestige.

Because of this, your current employer may be willing to
reimburse you for all or part of your tuition, especially if
the courses relate to your current occupational field and if
you plan on staying at your current place of employment.  In
fact, 40% of students that are attending corporate training
programs are having their employers pay for all of their
tuition.

You should also utilize OneStopEducationSearch.com, as it
provides the cost per credit to help you determine which
universities are providing the most value for your money. 
The cost per credit can vary greatly from university to
university, some costing as little as $150/credit to as much
as $500/credit.  With a difference as much as $350/credit,
the costs of taking a course at one university can greatly
exceed the costs of taking a similar course at another
university.  Of course, you need to be aware of whether
that cost is justified based on the reputations of the
universities and the quality of the instruction at each,
then decide whether the higher cost is worth it or not.

Consider also that tuition at for-profit institutions like
the University of Phoenix and Kaplan University is usually
less expensive than that at not-for-profit institutions like
Saint Leo University and Lehigh University, BUT you might be
eligible for in-state grants by attending a not-for-profit
institution, whereas you wouldn't be eligible if you attend
a for-profit institution.

Something else to consider when deciding between attending
for-profit and not-for-profit institutions:  For-profit
institutions are considered more flexible scheduling-wise
and more focused on job-specific curriculums than not-for-profit
institutions, but not-for-profit institutions are more likely
to be regionally accredited, transfer credits more easily, and
are usually considered to have more name recognition and be
considered more prestigious, which could help to make the
difference when interviewing for a position with a company.

The difference in the costs of private colleges versus public
colleges can also be substantial, due to the fact that private
universities don't receive financial support from state and local
governments like public universities do.  Private institutions
have to rely on tuition, fees, gifts, corporate contributions,
and endowments.  Public universities receive a large proportion
of their budgets from state or local governments because they
are government-run.

Besides the cost of the online courses themselves, you also have to
take into consideration what you will need to complete these online
courses, including a powerful enough computer and a stable Internet
connection.  High-speed Internet connections, which usually cost
more than dial-up, may be advantageous to quickly download the
course materials and be able to play back the video and audio
lectures more fluidly without as many interruptions.

By considering all these factors, you can determine which university
will provide you with the programs you wish to take and the benefits
you wish to receive at the lowest possible cost.