How to Earn an Undergraduate Degree Online

Maybe you never went to college, or perhaps you started your degree but never finished. Now you realize that without your degree your career is at a standstill. You've got a family to support, so quitting you job to go back to school is out of the question. An online undergraduate degree program through an accredited college or university may be just what you are looking for.

Instructions

1. Examine your current career and decide if you want to stay in the same field or embark on a whole new career. You can complete undergraduate degrees in everything from statistics to nutritional sciences, or the basics like math and biology.

2. Use the Internet to research the career fields that interest you and to find colleges and universities that offer online degree programs. Look up the schools in your area and find out if they offer online programs.

3. Examine the schools that interest you. You want to make sure that they are accredited by a federally recognized accrediting body. Only accredited schools can offer financial aid.

4. Find out if your employer offers a tuition reimbursement program. You can often get financial help to earn a degree that will make you a more valuable employee.

5. Follow all application instructions. Items that may be required with your application include application fees, transcripts, letters of recommendation and scores from the ACT or SAT.

6. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at the same time you apply. Include all the schools that interest you in your application.

7. Review all of your acceptance paperwork. Provide any additional information requested. Look over the computer and software requirements and make sure your equipment will work with the school's online classroom software.

8. Attend your school's Web-based orientation session provided for all new online students. You need to get used to communicating and completing assignments in an online environment. Your success hinges on your ability to participate in your online learning community.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask your family, friends and employer to support you in your online education venture. You will need to schedule time on a daily basis to participate in class and complete assignments.

• With a wireless laptop computer, you can go to class anywhere there is a WI-FI connection.

• On average, expect to spend 24 to 48 months completing your degree online, depending on the number of credits you are able to transfer and any prerequisites you are required to complete.

• If you are smart enough to get a degree online, you are smart enough to realize that you cannot get a legitimate undergraduate degree overnight by paying several hundred dollars and writing an essay about your life experience. Don't fall for these scams. You will be out the money and your employer will not be impressed with your "life experience" degree.

• Stay away from schools that tell you that accreditation is voluntary and not required. Schools accredited by one of the federally recognized accrediting bodies must meet strict standards, and their performance is regularly reviewed. In addition, only accredited schools are eligible for federal financial aid programs.