Though taking online classes is a good way to save money, students should still consider the personal expenses they face. Online students must also pay for textbooks required in their classes and other educational supplies, including pens, pencils, papers and highlighters.
Personal expenses may also include a new computer or tablet for completing their classes and assignments or software that their professors require. Online classes appeal to students who work full time, those who do not want to move for school, and those who have other obligations that keep them from studying at a local school.
Though the cost of an online undergraduate degree is generally less expensive than the tuition charged to students taking classes on campus, students will still want to consider all the costs that they face. Since your financial aid can pay for room and board at a traditional college or if you attend in person but live off campus it can also pay for your rent, food, internet connection, books, computer and other supplies required for you to attend college online.
You may need to apply for additional loans to cover some or all of these costs. You may not have enough left over to cover housing and food. You may need to work part time or even full time in order to make earning your online degree affordable. If you are an undergraduate student, consider doing your first couple years at a community college. Most community colleges offer programs online these days. And they are significantly cheaper than even state universities. Plus, if you get great grades in community college, you can transfer to even the best state universities all of which are offering tons of online degrees these days and get great scholarships and financial aid based on your grades.
As you research where to study, make sure that your school holds some form of either regional or national accreditation. Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below. When considering the overall cost of an online bachelor's degree, most prospective students look at direct costs like tuition and fees charged to distance learners.
However, indirect costs can add substantially to degree expenses as well. So remember to also consider things like the price of room and board, the cost of books and other course materials, and the possibility of decreased income.
We break down these direct and indirect costs in the next section. The net cost of an online degree generally refers to the total amount you pay in tuition. Online learners generally pay tuition on a per-credit basis.
Net cost also factors in the amount of money you receive in scholarships, grants, or other forms of financial aid. Online learners may not always qualify for the same financial aid opportunities as students who pursue their degree on campus. Additionally, some public institutions do not offer in-state tuition rates to online students. In addition to tuition, most students must pay a variety of fees.
Some schools may waive this fee for certain groups of students, such as veterans, active-duty military personnel, or their families. While online learners can generally avoid paying fees for campus-based services, such as parking, meal plans, or mandatory student health insurance, they may instead need to pay fees associated with distance education. For example, a college may charge an online learning or technology fee on a per-course or per-credit basis, though many institutions now build this cost into their "e-tuition" rate.
Schools may also charge fees for transferring credit, enrolling in online courses, or missing the deadline for paying your tuition.
Make sure to contact your college's financial services or billing office to learn about all the fees you may need to pay as an online student. Books and other course materials are one of the most common indirect costs incurred by both online and on-campus students. At the beginning of each term, instructors share a list of materials that learners must be able to access in order to contribute to class discussions and complete assignments.
While you can often check out books for free at your college's library, you may still need to purchase certain single-use materials, such as workbooks. Rather than buying physical copies of books, online learners at some schools may instead pay a fee for virtual access to all of their required course materials. Colleges typically compile a repository of articles, videos, book chapters, and problem sets and then charge students a flat annual rate to review these materials on their computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Remember that you may lose access to online resources at the end of the year. Online learning appeals to many students because it means they do not need to spend time commuting to campus to attend lectures, participate in group discussions, or collaborate with their classmates. Depending on how far you live from your school, this can save you a considerable amount of money on gas, parking, and vehicle maintenance.
Online students may also be exempt from certain transportation-related fees. For instance, some schools charge in-person learners an annual fee to use buses that shuttle students from one part of campus to another.
However, even if you pursue your degree online, you may still need to occasionally visit campus. Some colleges require that all students, regardless of how they plan to study, attend an in-person orientation program when they first enroll in classes. You may also need to travel to campus to take exams, though many colleges now allow online students to complete these assessments at proctored locations around the country. Online learning often allows you to more easily balance your studies with professional obligations.
Even if schools offer evening courses, on-campus students may need to quit their job, take fewer paid hours at work, or use vacation and personal days to attend classes.
Decreased income is an often overlooked indirect cost. Finally, when calculating the total cost of online college, remember to consider how your education may affect your work-life balance and overall quality of life. For example, online students do not need to commute to campus to participate in their classes, but the time spent in a virtual classroom might still be time away from one's family and friends.
You may also need to devote time to learning new technologies or resolving technical issues. In addition, for some students, online education may also create more stress than in-person learning. While colleges and universities work to create opportunities for distance learners to interact with their classmates and instructors, online programs cannot yet replicate the structure and support provided by more traditional, classroom-based learning experiences.
Students on campus, for instance, can often more easily attend their professors' office hours, participate in study sessions, and take advantage of extracurricular resources, such as tutoring or writing assistance. Housing expenses increase the total cost of college. Even students who live off campus should budget for more expenses. Online and on-campus students must pay for textbooks and other materials. These can cost hundreds of dollars each semester.
Online students may also need to visit campus occasionally. These trips add to transportation expenses. While online college costs typically run lower than campus programs, students must still pay tuition and other fees.
See below for common online learning expenses. Tuition includes the cost of all academic credits necessary to earn a degree. Tuition rates vary among public and private schools. Students typically pay tuition each semester. Learners can use loans, grants, and scholarships to cover expenses. Most schools charge technology fees in addition to tuition. These fees cover the use of a school's online services, such as their online learning platform and technical support services.
Some schools charge technology fees on each academic credit or by semester. Others offer tiered fee structures. Todd Rose, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education says if his children were attending college this year he would recommend they at least temporarily go to a school that specializes in online education, such as Southern New Hampshire.
He explains that college costs will remain high at schools such as Harvard, even though all classes will be taught online next year. Skip Navigation.
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