How to Enroll in Online College Classes

Earning an online college degree is a great way to get that promotion you've been wanting or change careers completely. In a hustle and bustle world, distance learning is a viable option for gaining an education without stepping foot into a traditional classroom. Here are some tips that might help make the process easier.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Last year's tax return
• A moderate amount of computer knowledge.
• School supplies (paper, pen, pencils, calculator, etc. )

Instructions

1. 

   Choose a regionally accredited online college. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough. Regionally accredited online colleges participate in the common course numbering system. Simply put, that means that if you decide to transfer to another school or program or go on for a higher degree later, your credits will go with you. Many employers ask that your degree be from a regionally accredited institution. Additionally, employers may not provide tuition assistance if your school does not have regional accreditation. The United Stated Department of Education's website has a database of regionally accredited colleges and universities. Visit them to find out if your chosen online college has the accreditation that's right for you.

2. Apply for admission. After you've chosen your school, find out what is required for the application process. Some online schools only require an entrance assessment, proof of high school diploma or equivalent, and an application with fee. Others also require SAT/AP scores, an essay about yourself stating why you want to attend online college, as well as letters of recommendation. After you've discovered what you need, make a list and check it off as you fulfill the requirements. Get everything in order well before the deadline and check, check, and double check to make sure the school received everything. Your online college will assign an enrollment counselor to you. Make sure you keep in touch with him or her and know where you are in the process.

3. 

   Apply for financial aid. Fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly known as the FASA. You can do this online. You will need your income tax form from the previous year, as a lot of financial aid is based on financial need. You may be eligible for Pell grant, which has increased in the past year by about a thousand dollars. You will also be given your options for federally subsidized and unsubsidized students loans as well as other grants available in your area. Apply for financial aid AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Getting an answer on what you qualified for can take a long time and you want to be financially prepared on the first day of class.

4. Attend orientation. So very easy even if you have minimal computer skills. At this point, either you have already been issued a student ID and password or you will be automatically issued one at orientation. Orientation is there to familiarize you with your online college classes and the processes involved in them. Everything from how to click a mouse to how to log into your online college classes is explained.

5. 

   Buy your books. Each class will have a book unique to that class. Make sure you order them soon enough to arrive two weeks early. Since your books are coming in the mail, you'll want to avoid any disruptions by having them come late. Colleges and universities mark up the books they require you to use for classes quite a bit. To save money, shop online bookstores for discounted text books. Reallycheapcollegebooks.com and Usedtextbooks.com are good started sites. To insure you get the right edition, get the ISBN numbers from the school and go textbook shopping.

6. Go to class. With you user name and ID, log into class on your first day. The first week of online college will probably consist of a drop/add period, depending on how you school year is set up. It's important to log in your first day to be sure you're in the right class and that it's going to work well for you. If it's not, being in the drop/add period allows you time to switch or drop the class entirely without penalty.

Tips & Warnings

• Set aside time to attend class and do homework.

• Make sure your technologically equipped for online college. You'll need a good computer with instant messaging capabilities.

• You must be able to self motivate and stay on a schedule. If this doesn't describe you, you might want to stick with a more traditional class environment.