- The Guardian Ethos
- Recruit Training
- Training Schools
- Active Duty Members
- Local Units
- Visitor Information
- Contact Webmaster
Security Levels
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
COLLEGE STUFF
- College Basics
- Starting Out
- Choosing a School
- College Rankings
- Cost-free Degrees
- Distance Learning
- Selected Schools
- SOCCOAST
- Tests for College Credit
- In-State Tuition Residency Requirements
- Financial Aid
- Foreign Degrees
- Dependents
- Civilians
- Articles
CHOOSING A DISTANCE-LEARNING SCHOOL
OK, you’ve decided it’s time to start working on a degree and are thinking about going with that one you saw advertised on TV or in Navy Times. Before you jump in and write a check for your application fee, take a deep breath and slow down.
Be a Smart Consumer
Why? Because next to buying a house, going to or sending a child to college is the most expensive purchase most Americans will ever make. If you were going to spend thousands of dollars on something tangible – like a house, a car, a boat, a huge-screen TV, or jewelry – wouldn’t you do some comparison shopping and research to find out if you were getting the best deal possible and if what you were thinking about buying suited your needs and wants?
When it comes to higher education, be a smart consumer – even if Uncle Sam’s going to be paying for some or all of it. If you’re paying for it (and if you’re using the GI Bill, you’re paying for it), you want to get the most and best education possible for your money. And don't forget that buying education is similar to buying anything else: the lower the price (all else being equal), the more of it you can buy with a fixed amount of money. So you can take more courses if tuition is $220/credit than if it's $450/credit, given that you only have $4,500 to spend per year.
Other Considerations
But all else isn’t always equal. Other things you should consider are:
-
Accreditation – To avoid buying a worthless degree, make sure the school you choose is nationally or regionally accredited. Also, if you plan to use the degree you’re pursuing to get a particular job or as a stepping stone to graduate or professional school, make sure the credit and/or degree you earn will be accepted by the employer or graduate school you’re interested in. While many regionally-accredited schools are now accepting credit/degrees from nationally-accredited schools, not all are. Make sure you find out before choosing an undergraduate program.
-
Residency requirement and transferability – Find out how many credits you have to take from the school, compared with the number of credits you want to transfer in from other schools you’ve taken courses from and which you’ve acquired through military service. Some distance learning programs require students to attend a one-week on-campus session every so often. This may not be feasible if you’re in the military. Others may not accept all credits you’ve earned elsewhere or may not accept them at full value toward their degrees. Check into this before you plunk down your money. Choosing a SOCCOAST school will make these non-issues.
-
Fees – Although you may be using TA to pay for your tuition, remember that TA doesn’t cover many college-related expenses. Some fees are covered by TA (particularly Internet fees for many distance-learning programs), but most aren’t. And books definitely aren’t. Are you planning to use Top-up to reimburse you for some fees and books? Be sure you’ve activated your GI Bill before you start school – otherwise your reimbursement from the VA will be a long time in coming.
-
Course delivery method – There are many different modes used in distance learning today.
Print-based courses were the first distance learning courses and have been around for more than a century. These are the traditional correspondence courses, and usually entail little contact between student and instructor. Although you may still mail your assignments to the instructor, you might also be able to send it by fax or e-mail.
Audio-based courses may use two-way communications (e.g., teleconferences) or one-way communications (e.g., radio or pre-recorded CDs or tapes).
Video-based courses may also use two-way comms (video teleconferences), one-way video with two-way audio, videotapes, CDs, or DVDs.
Internet-based courses use many delivery methods. For example, some use live content provided (e.g., with web cams and live audio), while others use canned content (e.g., using CD ROMs, DVDs, video and audio tapes). Some allow or require on-line student and/or student-instructor interaction, while others are like traditional correspondence courses but with content being provided over the Internet instead of via hard-copy by mail. Some require all students to log on at a specific time, using a web cam, and are as close as you can get to a traditional classroom setting.
Distance learning courses can be categorized as shown in the following table, taken from The College Blue Book: Distance Learning Programs:
| SPECIFIC PLACE | ANY PLACE | |
|---|---|---|
|
spECIFIC TIME (asynchronous) |
Two-way interactive videoconferences Two-way interactive audioconferences Traditional on-campus classes |
On-line courses (interactive computer conferences, chat rooms, etc.) Radio broadcasts TV broadcasts, satellite, cable |
|
ANY TIME (synchronous)
|
On-line courses (newsgroups, bulletin boards, web sites, e-mail) CD ROMs, DVDs, Videotapes Audiotapes Correspondence courses |
However the course is conducted, though, you should make sure it fits your learning style, your schedule, and your lifestyle.
If, for example, a course requires you to be on camera and on mike at a certain time, your computer will have to be in a quiet, well-lit space. If your home situation doesn’t provide that and you have nowhere else to set up a computer, on-line interactive courses may not be for you.
-
Evaluation – To quote from Military.com, “Will you actually be required to work in order to earn your degree? If students aren’t evaluated appropriately and degrees are handed out with little or no verification that the students have actually learned anything, the program is not likely worthwhile and even less likely to be accepted by employers. A school that offers shortcuts may actually be a diploma mill, and should be avoided.”
-
Library – As much as you might prefer otherwise, you’re probably going to have to write at least a few papers. Again quoting Military.com, “Ensure that the school you are interested in has a good system for providing reference materials and texts—they should be accessible from anywhere. The school’s online references should be up-to-date and available at any time.”
-
Reputation – Many people consider a school’s reputation to be the most important thing. For example, some people consider an undergrad degree from Harvard to be far superior to that available anywhere else. But a great reputation doesn’t necessarily mean that students receive a great education. It all depends on what you value, and since there are no publicly-available studies of just how well students learn at U.S. colleges and universities, students have little to go on but reputation.
You can and should talk with students at schools you’re interested in to see what they like and dislike about it. You shouldn’t be looking for recommendations as much as information. After all, you may like the idea of a raucous dorm but may learn from students that the dorms are dead quiet after a certain hour. Similarly, you may find that it’s nearly impossible to ask instructors questions in one distance learning program while at another students can’t shut them up.
-
Conduct a self-assessment – See your ESO to get an overview of distance learning so you can determine if distance learning is right for you. It’s not for everyone.
-
Use the College Comparison Worksheet – To keep track of what each school is like, consider using the College Comparison Worksheet. Print it out and keep it handy to record notes while you're checking out possible schools' web sites.
Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities
The publisher of G.I. Jobs magazine has created a web site that provides a great deal of information related to education. In particular, it has a list of what it calls "military friendly schools".
CAUTION: Keep in mind that the educational institutions described, discussed, or listed on this site (and many other sites, including military.com) will likely have paid the site’s publisher to get onto it. Don’t assume that because a college or university isn’t on the site that it isn't military friendly. It may be more “military friendly” than others on the site, but just didn’t want to pay or have the money to pay to get onto the site.
On the other hand, don't assume that because a school is included that it's what YOU'D call "military friendly". Beware of sales people disguised as college counselors who talk you into doing something you're really not sure you want to do. This includes taking out loans, using your GI Bill, and taking courses at all.