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Expert Advice >
Online Education Financial Aid
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By Vicky Phillips, Chief Education Analyst
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Question:
I’m searching for an online bachelor’s in business or management. But no two online colleges charge the same cost for this degree. One school can charge $50,000 more for what looks like the very same distance degree to me. Is an expensive online college better than a cheap one? {{ad91}}
—Rayette, Boise, Idaho
Answer:
There is no relationship between cost and quality in online education. Paying more won’t get you “more” of an education, nor will it necessarily buy you an academically better degree. The cost—and therefore affordability—of any online degree is a function of four factors. It may surprise you to learn that none of these is correlated with educational quality.
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Learn the four factors affecting what your online degree costs
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Expert Advice >
Careers
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By Vicky Phillips, Online Education Analyst
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Joe Gratz/Flickr
 Question:
It’s always been my dream to be a lawyer. Can you direct me to the best online law schools?
—Brice in Indiana
Answer:
It's hard to give you a list of the best online law schools because not a single online law school has yet been accredited by the ABA or American Bar Association.
Unfortunately, in order to sit for the bar exam to become a lawyer in 49 out of 50 states, you must first attend an ABA-accredited law school and earn a JD or juris doctorate degree.
If you consider ABA accreditation an essential criteria for putting together any list of the best online law schools—I certainly would—it's hard to whole-heartedly recommend any 100 percent distance learning law school as "the best" at this time. |
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Read more expert advice about the best ways to use online education to become a lawyer
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Expert Advice >
Online Education Financial Aid
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By Vicky Phillips, Chief Education Analyst
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Question:
I attended college twelve years ago and dropped out. I finished three years of college toward my four-year bachelor’s degree in business. Can I transfer all these old credits toward a new online degree?
—Tom, Maryland
Answer:
Your old course credits will have to "fit" into any new college's degree structure. Because no two colleges have identical degree requirements, the transfer process rarely results in a perfect fit.
But you’re smart to ask about transfer credits. Losing credits in transfer is like losing your wallet. If you paid $150 per credit for your old courses—a modest price—and you lose fifteen credits when you transfer to a new college, you’ve lost $2,250.{{ad85}}
Five issues can affect your transfer credit standing. Before you enroll in any online college scrutinize each school’s policies on these issues.
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Read the five issues that can affect your ability to transfer college credits to an online degree program
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Expert Advice >
Careers
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By Vicky Phillips, Online Education Analyst
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Question:
I was laid off from my job as a real estate agent and want to change careers. My dream is to be a high school math teacher. My current bachelor’s degree, which I earned ten years ago, is in child psychology. Do I have to go back to college and earn a second, new bachelor’s degree in education? If so, will an online bachelor’s degree in education qualify me to become a licensed teacher in Texas? Do teacher licensing programs accept online education degrees?
—Willis
Houston, Texas
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Read our expert answer to this question...
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Expert Advice >
About Diploma Mills & Online College Credibility
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By Vicky Phillips, Chief Education Analyst
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Question:
Help! Comparing online colleges is an overwhelming task. I have a list of more than twenty possible colleges. I’m favoring one online university that is accredited by the Distance Education & Training Council (DETC). Is the DETC a valid accreditor? Will my online degree be widely recognized? My career counselor told me national accreditation (like the DETC) is not as good as regional accreditation. Which is best when it comes to online colleges: regional accreditation or national accreditation? And does it really make any difference?
—Michael
Atlanta, Georgia
Answer:
The truth? One type of online college accreditation is not necessarily “better” than another if you take “better” to mean “better academically.” However, there are real benefits to attending a regionally accredited college versus a nationally accredited college.
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Read more about online college accreditation
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