5 Benefits of Earning an Online Bachelor’s Degree
- Save Money
- Interactive Learning
- Convenience
- Accelerated Degree Options
- Continue Working
With the increasing number of colleges now offering online degrees, more and more students are choosing to earn an online bachelor’s degree. A contributing factor to this increase is the number of jobs that now require at least a bachelor’s degree. Online bachelor’s degree programs offer students who might not otherwise be able to attend college the opportunity to advance their education at their own pace. Unlike in the past where online degrees were not regarded as highly as degrees from a brick-and-mortar college, today employers are recognizing online degrees and regarding them highly. Here are five reasons one might want to earn an online bachelor’s degree.
1. Save Money
Earning a degree is a wonderful thing, but it’s not cheap by any means. Colleges typically charge per credit amounts with out-of-state students paying higher than in-state students. Online students don’t always have to pay out-of-state tuition regardless of where they live. Online degrees save students money in many other ways. There is no commuting back and forth to college. There are no lodging and fuel fees. Although online students will still have to pay certain college and program fees, they’re often cheaper for online students. Online students are not required to purchase the same supplies as on-campus students.
2. Interactive Learning
When we think of online education, we often think of a student sitting comfortably at home all alone with no interaction. The only part of that sentence that’s true is that the student can sit comfortably at home. There is interaction but differently. Students in online programs use technologies like Google Docs, Facebook, messenger, chat rooms and various other learning platforms. Some classes meet at a certain time so the students can interact and take part in class discussions. This interactive learning experience allows a more diverse group of students to share ideas and projects.
3. Convenience
Earning an online bachelor’s degree is very convenient for the student. The student can continue to work, take care of family, mow the lawn or do whatever needs to be done and still earn the degree. Convenience is probably one of the main reasons why students choose to earn a degree through distance learning. They can choose what time of day works better for studying or communicating with other students and teachers.
4. Accelerated Degree Options
Earning a degree at a traditional college typically requires the student to be a full-time student for four years. At the end of the four years, the student has a degree in hand and can look for work. Online bachelor’s degree programs often offer accelerated degree opportunities that allow the student to earn a bachelor’s degree in less than four years or even earn higher than the bachelor’s degree in the same four years it would take in college. Because online programs have round-the-clock classes, students can fit more classes into each day.
5. Continue Working
One of the biggest obstacles preventing many people from going to college is finances. College can be very expensive. If a student doesn’t earn a scholarship, the cost of earning a bachelor’s degree can run into the thousands of dollars, which usually results in the students paying off student loans for years. Additionally, they often carry a full load, which takes up a lot of time and prevents them from working. When a student earns the degree online, he or she completes the studies when it’s convenient, which means the student can continue to work while earning the degree.
Related Resource: 20 Best Affordable Schools in Florida for Bachelor’s Degree
Having a bachelor’s degree is a requirement for positions in many of the high-paying fields, including healthcare, business, information technology, teaching, finance and engineering according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Earning an online bachelor’s degree can widen the student’s career opportunities in ways they never imagine.