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"Anybody who's thinking of enrolling in an online degree ... take a good look at GetEducated.com . Go ... get a free download of a detailed guide ."
Searching for an Online MBA?: "Several websites can help .. first, GetEducated.com offers free rankings of distance-learning MBA programs."
"Beware diploma mills... Go to GetEducated.com and ask the Diploma Mill Police."
"For a distance MBA you can pay from $6,000 to $120,000. To get the most bang for your buck ... check out GetEducated.com"
GetEducated.com – "a great source for weeding out phonies" (among online colleges).
"Thanks much for your wonderful site! I've recommended it to my students and entered a program I found at GetEducated.com." --Charles Balch, MBA, Ph.D. --Professor, Arizona Western College
Vicky Phillips -- Founder of GetEducated.com ... "for 20 years the leading consumer advocate for online college students" ... Different Paths to a College Degree, Sept. 2009
Vicky Phillips ... founder of GetEducated.com ... "one of the nation’s leading experts on educational fraud" ... . ~Joyce Lain Kennedy~ (Nov, 2009), LA Times
By GetEducated Consumer Reporting Team | December 28, 2009
Need money for school? Check with your employer. Many companies have tuition assistance benefits that cover at least part of the cost for higher education. Some even pay for your children and spouse to get educated.
A recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 63 percent of companies offered undergraduate educational assistance and almost as many—59 percent—also covered graduate education.
The number of employers offering these benefits has dropped slightly over the past few years and some companies plan to discontinue or reduce such benefits next year.
Still, it's worth your while to check to see if your company provides educational assistance.
Here are four tips to get your boss to pay for your online education:
1) Get employed at a company that has a generous college tuition reimbursement plan before enrolling in college.
Some companies will pay 100 percent of an employee's college tuition provided it is work-related. Many companies will pay a maximum each calendar year—often up to $2,000. Some will even pay for children or spouses through company-run charitable foundations.
Although large, public companies are most likely to have such plans, even small firms will often pay a part of the tuition bill if approached with the notion that an investment in your knowledge base will be an investment in the knowledge base of the company as a whole.
2) Check with your HR department to see if your company has a special scholarship program for employees or their dependents.
Have your spouse check with his or her employer, too.
The 2009 Society for Human Resource Management survey found that 17 percent of employers provided scholarships to family members, while 2 percent offered educational loans for members of employees' families.
These numbers were down from a similar survey in 2005, when 27 percent offered scholarships to family members and 7 percent offered loans.
3) Persuade the boss that the courses you are taking are directly relevant to your current job.
Never assume your company won't pay for at least part of your tuition. Your boss may not pay for your entire degree but chances are he or she will pay for some of the courses.
Negotiate for such benefits if they don't already exist. Show how what you will learn can help the company in some way.
For example, your business courses may help you develop a new marketing database or strategy that will save your company more than the cost of the classes.
4) If you take continuing education or training courses related to your job, check to see if these courses have been pre-approved for college-level credit.
If they have, you may be able to apply these courses to your degree.
Non-collegiate training programs can often be converted to college credit through a portfolio process. But many large corporations, such as AT&T, have subjected their training courses to a special review process sponsored by the American Council on Education's Program on Non-Collegiate Sponsored Instruction (ACE/PONSI), known today as the CREDIT program.
CREDIT allows non-college educators, such as AT&T, to have their in-house training courses reviewed by college assessors. These assessors examine course content, textbooks and classroom procedures. If they find that individual courses are "college level," they recommend that a certain number of college credits be awarded for successful course completion.
About half of all regionally accredited colleges accept ACE recommendations for degree credit. The other half may not accept them, or may severely restrict the number and kinds of ACE credits they will accept in transfer.
I’m looking for an online MBA. I’ve found several that fit my budget but none are accredited by the AACSB. What is the AACSB? Do I really need a distance MBA degree that is accredited by them?
—Roberta, Gary, IN
The AACSB is the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. It is considered the gold standard of business school accreditation. But not every student needs an AACSB-accredited MBA...
I was laid off from my job as a real estate agent and want to be a high school math teacher, but my bachelor’s degree is in psychology. Do I need a new degree in education? Will an online bachelor’s in education qualify me to become a licensed teacher?
—Willis, Houston, Texas
If you didn’t earn a bachelor’s degree in education years ago and you now want to teach in the public schools, don’t fret. Every state maintains what are termed “alternative teacher certification” programs...
Ohio University’s online Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree program prepares professionals for leadership positions in contemporary health organizations in the U.S. Graduates are highly valued for their ability to solve complex problems and meet organizational goals by combining their knowledge of the evolving health environment with their experience. The program is designed for mid-career professionals, is offered entirely online and can be completed in two years.
ASU offers a variety of high-quality, accredited online degree programs. With flexibility, convenience, and exemplary customer service, we help bring your goal of completing a degree within reach. Start today and take the next step toward furthering your career and enriching your life.
For active-duty military, reservists, veterans, and military families.
More than half of military students use online education. What do you need to know to find schools that best fit your needs? How can you find the best financial aid and scholarship package at your online school? Answers are here.
The field of online education is growing and so is the need for teachers who can teach online. Check out our regularly updated list of online job opportunities, post your job availability, and visit our Online Resource Center, with tips, advice and free downloads for online educators.
Facts from GetEducated's National Survey of Online MBAs. Who offers the cheapest online MBA? Do you need an AACSB-accredited distance MBA? Online MBA rankings and ratings. Everything you need to know to compare 390 accredited online MBAs from 168 online business schools.