Acquiring new skills and knowledge through higher education is the key to faster promotions at greater opportunity in the military and will ensure a lucrative and successful post-military career as well. Enrolling in an online degree program is a great way to lock-in a promising future. Thanks to the Internet and online distance-learning opportunities, attaining a degree, license, or other qualification is doable, even for those in full-time employment.
Here are some fast facts about online student success:
- Sixty percent graduate with a degree
- Twenty percent run their own businesses
- Thirty percent are managers in business and industry
- Forty four percent are licensed professionals.
Obtaining a college degree, specific certification, or meeting licensing criteria requires an investment of time, energy, and money. But military members have built-in advantages that include the Tuition Assistance, GI Bill Top-Up, support for many online programs, and credit provided for military occupational training. Here are seven reasons to consider online education:
- Proven Online Success - Convenience and efficiency are the name of the game. Online schools are easy to get started in and normally provide 24/7 technical support.
- Sound Technical Capabilities - Class work is conducted using proven technologies. Email, bulletin boards, and websites abound for the learner while many programs offer video streaming, whiteboard capabilities, and video conferencing.
- Online Faculty. Teaching online is more than just being a teacher with an Internet connection. Most programs have qualified instructors able to facilitate online classes and teacher/student interaction.
- Quality Customer Service. Online schools are very customer oriented to help students avoid confusion, wasted effort, and longer time to graduation. Most assign personal advisors from enrollment to graduation who can answer questions and take care of administrative details.
- Graduation Schedule. As a rule, most students are able to receive an online degree in 2-3 years, attending classes on a part time bases. Many schools work hard to get scholars graduated as it does getting them to enroll. (Their business depends on it.)
- Satisfied Graduates. Prospective students should look for graduate testimonials. Request information about the success and happiness of students and alumni and ask the university for names of some graduates whom you might be able to contact.
- Small Classes, Large Enrollments. As a rule of thumb, online classes have fewer students and enjoy more attention from the instructor. Conversely, online candidates should look for large enrollments. A large student total suggests that a program is proven.
Industry surveys regularly report that online graduates perform as well or better than those from traditional programs. An online degree is evidence of the ability to work well in a fast paced world. The bottom line is online education may be the best career decision a military member makes.
So if you think "online" is the best fit for you, we encourage you to begin looking for the school that meets your needs. Schools usually have free information packets they will mail you with answers to the questions above, more on tuition costs, and an application.
