featured

3 Tips for Mastering Distance Learning

November 28, 2011 by kwilson Leave a Comment

In today’s tech centric society, online education has become an ever more popular choice for our learning needs. There are numerous institutions offering online courses and programs that help non-traditional students obtain the degrees they desire. Online learning is a wonderful choice for many different types of students. However, there are several challenges that online learners may face in the online classroom.

Because most of us grew up in a traditional learning atmosphere, making the transition to an online classroom environment can be a struggle. While it is in no way impossible to adjust to a new way of learning, many students struggle with the flexible, self-motivated nature of online education. As new (or veteran) students to the world of online education, take note of these three tips to help you become more successful in the online classroom.

Create a Consistent Schedule

distance learning One of the most basic differences between a traditional brick and mortar college experience and an online learning situation is the class schedule difference. Online classes rarely require students to “attend” class at a specific time. Students choose when they would like to do their work and complete their assignments within a given time.

This can be a serious issue for many students who have grown up with the structured scheduling of most traditional schools. It is imperative for online students to develop a regular and consistent class schedule of their own to be successful as an online student. Choose a specific time that you will review class materials and complete your assignments. You should stick to this schedule as carefully as possible. It can be easy to fall behind in an online class with less structure than you are used to. Create a schedule and impose it upon yourself strictly to stay on top of your work.

Find a Successful Study Area

While working from the comfort of your own home can be a huge luxury involved with online learning, it can also pose some challenges. The atmosphere and location in which you do your learning is one of the most essential factors of successful learning. Doing schoolwork out of your personal space can make it difficult to maintain focus. Our homes are typically the place we go to relax. Our minds are not in school mode when we are in our own personal spaces for the most part. For this reason, it is essential that you create an at-home classroom that is conducive to learning.

Pick an area of your home that is away from distraction and noise. You want to try to study and work in the same spot every time so that you can train your mind and body to view this place as an environment for concentration and deep thought. Do not put your study area in your bedroom, in front of a television, or at the dining room table. Each of these areas are for different activities. You want your study space to be a space only for learning and thinking.

Mind Your Equipment

Obviously, if you are completing courses online, your computer is an essential aspect of your education. It is important as a distance learner to maintain a healthy computer and system. Blaming late assignments on malfunctions with technologies or devices is the oldest trick in the book and just won’t cut it in the online learning world. As a responsible online learner, you have to take dedicated care of your computer. Back up your material on an external hard drive or with a cloud system, so that you are sure not to lose any of your important school documents. You should regularly update your computer and be sure to keep it in its best running order.

While this may sound silly or trite, your education really relies on the success of your computer. Don’t let something silly like a computer error or bug cause you to lose all of your material.

Financial Aid 101 – 5 Tips to Get Government Money for School

August 25, 2011 by cmontrose Leave a Comment

With more and more people applying for college entrance each year and university budgets stretched to the max in this economy, not only are students being turned away, but the rising prices of admission are causing many to be excluded because they simply can’t afford to attend.

However, the government has a program in place to help students seeking a little financial to complete their dreams of earning a college degree. By filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) you may be able to secure funding from both the government and your college of choice.

Here are a few tips to help you get in the money:

Understand FAFSA. Although the paperwork may look complex, it’s actually not too difficult to plug in the relevant information and be on your way to getting the monetary help you need to attend college.
However, there are a few things you should know going into the process. The first is that you cannot lie on your forms; it is fraud and it’s a federal offense. You will get caught because your application is checked against IRS records.

The second thing to know is that the numbers aren’t set in stone. You may call or write in to plead your case if there are extenuating circumstances that can’t be deduced from the numbers.

Third, there are three types of aid; scholarships, grants, and loans. Filling out the FAFSA could yield offers for all three but you should take scholarships and grants first because they don’t require repayment.
Ask for reevaluation. Federal financial aid is based on numbers from the previous tax year’s filing. In this economy, many people have had their financial situation change drastically in the course of a single year, or even a few months. If you (and your parents) find yourself in such a situation, it behooves you to call the FAFSA office and ask for a reassessment. It could make a big difference in the amount you are awarded for the coming school year.
Explain yourself. Just because your parents earn quite a bit doesn’t mean that they can necessarily afford to send you to college. Unfortunately, the numbers don’t always tell the whole story. That’s why you need to speak up. By calling or writing in to plead your case you can explain that your sister’s heart surgery left the family with a mountain of debt, or that your house was foreclosed and all of your parents’ money is going to fight a legal battle with the bank at the moment. Whatever the reason that they can’t afford to pay for school, let someone know. The worst that could happen is that it makes no difference. On the other hand, a few minutes of explanation could net you another shot at financial aid.
File independently. If you can file independently, you should, because chances are that you make a lot less money than your parents, which means you could get more aid. There are several factors that could make you eligible to file independently, such as being over the age of 24, being an orphan over the age of 18, having your own legal dependents, and so on. Check the FAFSA website to see if you might qualify.
File on time! Tardiness is not generally acceptable at the university level, so if you’re looking to get into one of the 50 best colleges, do not file your FAFSA paperwork late. The college rankings won’t tell you which schools are more inclined to work with students who have problems in the area of funding, but you should generally assume that they’ll all be less than willing to help a student who won’t help himself.

So there you have it. Feel free to comment on these tips or add your own in the comments section below.

10 Commonly Overlooked College Funding Sources

July 30, 2011 by Stephanie Leave a Comment

Most students know all about the four most commonly-used college funding sources: federal student loans, federal grants, school scholarships, and their parents. If these sources don’t cover enough, the typical student starts to say they “can’t afford” to go to college.

Well, if you’re a college student, it’s not up to the government, your school, or your parents to fund your education—it’s up to you. If you’re willing to go the extra mile to earn your degree, try a few of these 10 commonly overlooked college funding sources.

1. Private scholarships.

Both private and non-profit organizations offer scholarships at the national and local levels. You may have to enter a contest, write an essay, and/or meet specific criteria. The College Board offers an easy-to-use scholarship search—check out apps.collegeboard.org/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp today.

Many other websites also allow you to search for scholarships. Remember, searching for scholarships should always be free.

2. Private loans.

If federal grants and loans haven’t been enough, private student loans could help. Private student loans are offered by banks and other companies to make a profit. Right now could be a good time to take out private loans, since Sallie Mae and other student loan companies have been lowering their interest rates.

Still, federal loans usually have lower interest rates, so think of private loans as a back-up plan. Try building good credit before you take out a private loan, borrow only what you need, pay interest while in college, and keep aiming for federal aid.

3. Education-related tax credits.

As a college student, you should file taxes each year, or make sure your parents claim you as a dependent on their taxes. This won’t pay for college by itself, but it’s free money.

For example, look at the American Opportunity Tax Credit. If you’re an undergrad student or supporting an undergrad student, you could get back up to $2,500 of the first $4,000 of school-related expenses that you report. Unless Congress extends this credit, it’ll only be here until 2012, so don’t miss out.

Another example is the Lifetime Learning Credit. If you qualify, you’ll get a credit that equals 20% of your tuition and related expenses. You could get a maximum of $2,000.

If you’re independent for tax purposes and you support a dependent who is in college, you could get their tax credit plus yours. If you’re not sure whether you qualify as independent or whether whoever you supports counts as a dependent, check with a tax specialist.

4. Federal work-study.

Additional College Funding Sources OK, this is a type of federal student aid, but it’s a little different. With federal work-study, you have to earn your aid through part-time work. You’ll usually work on campus, but off-campus jobs are sometimes offered in your area.

These jobs usually pay minimum wage. However, since they’re often on or near campus, you could save on commuting costs by working on days you have classes scheduled. You still have to apply and interview for work-study jobs, but since they’re meant for students, they can be easier to get.

When filling out your student FAFSA, you’ll be asked whether you’re interested in work-study. Say yes! If you say you’re interested in work-study, but don’t qualify, you won’t lose anything. If you qualify and get work-study, you don’t have to accept it if you change your mind later.

5. Paid internships.

Some degree programs students to take internships, but leave it up to the students to pick their own. While there are many great unpaid internships, snagging a paid internship could help you fund your college expenses. Be sure to stay at the head of the pack with a good GPA, a great resume, and well-written cover letters.

6. Regular part-time employment.

Working at Burger King or McDonald’s can help you pay for school, even if it doesn’t impress your bros.

Some students are afraid that working part-time will hurt their grades, but studies show this usually isn’t true. For example, a study by researcher Gary R. Pike showed that students who worked 20 hours per week or fewer and students who didn’t work at all reported similar grades. This was true for students who worked on and off campus.

So, a part-time job probably won’t sink your GPA.

7. Full-time summer employment.

While you’re visiting your family over the summer, why not get a short-term job in your hometown? The money you save up during the summer can help you out once school starts.

Working full-time during the school year, on the other hand, comes with risks. According to the study we cited above, students who work over 20 hours per week tend to earn lower grades.

8. Self-employment and/or freelancing.

What if you don’t qualify for work study and can’t find a part-time or full-time job? Take the driver’s seat and set up your own job!

Think about what you like to do, what’s in demand, and what you’re studying in school. Are you in a medical program so you can become a veterinarian? Try starting a dog walking service. Are you studying education in hopes of becoming a kindergarten teacher? Try babysitting.

You might also be able to freelance online. If you’re an art major, you could find a company that needs a graphic designer and offer them your services. If you’re studying computer science, you could help companies make websites.

9. The UPromise credit card.

How can a credit card help you pay for school? Well, when you use a UPromise credit card on your day-to-day purchases, you earn 1% or more you can put toward your college expenses. You can even link it to certain student loans and arrange automatic transfers to chip away at what you owe. There’s no cap on how much you can earn.

Bank of America offers two UPromise cards: the Gas & Grocery card and the Dining & Grocery card. You can apply for either or both.

10. Plasma, egg, or sperm donations—and hair selling.

You can’t quite put this on a resume, but selling what your body makes for free could pay for a few textbooks or student fees. Although places that collect plasma, women’s eggs, and men’s sperm call the products they get “donations,” they’re willing to pay for them.

According to journalist Richard Martin, a plasma donor could make $50 per week, while a sperm donor could fetch $100 for each sample. An egg donor could make $3,000 at the end of a cycle!

Selling hair is a longer-term plan, but long, healthy locks are hot items. According to Martin’s news article, a blonde recently sold 37 inches of highlighted, thick hair for $2,600!

So, if you’re healthy enough to donate what your body makes, or patient enough to take great care of your hair, you could do a good deed for someone in need and help pay for school at the same time.

College For The Price of a Phone Plan?

April 29, 2011 by abonari

The ongoing recession has many laid-off and underemployed workers considering getting another degree or new training in another field. But the continually increasing cost of tuition, combined with financial responsibilities in an already strained economic climate, has many wondering if they can afford to make the investment. Even first-time college students may be reconsidering whether it really is worth it to take out such a high debt load when faced with such bleak job prospects upon graduation.

Online education has become an option for many of these students, offering the flexibility to continue working. But many online programs cost as much, if not more, than many private colleges and universities. At least one college promises the best of both worlds: the convenience of online education without the hefty price tag of a four-year degree. Now we’ll get into the StraighterLine Review.

$99 a Month

StraighterLine offers online courses for college credit for an enrollment fee of $99 per month. Each course that you sign up for then costs $39. Over a typical six-month semester term, tuition is lower than at most other colleges or universities. However, students who in enroll in courses with Straighter Line have the option to accelerate their learning by taking the courses on their own time line. Students can, therefore, take as many classes as they like and complete them as quickly as they.

If you have fewer classes to take, there are other payment options, including longer-term college courses for $399, or an entire freshman-year curriculum for $999.

College Credit

College Credits for $99 per Month Courses taken through StraighterLine do not automatically result in college credit or lead to a degree or certificate. The program itself is not an online accredited college, but it works with partner colleges to offer credit, and the courses are eligible for credit from colleges that accept courses evaluated by the American Council on Education’s Credit Recommendation Service. You can apply for enrollment through a partner college right away, or you can apply to any college you like after you are done taking the courses, and then apply for credit.

StraighterLine has relationships with 25 partner colleges, many of them online programs.

Is it For You?

While courses taken at StraighterLine are eligible for college credit, you must remember that not all colleges will award credit. Some colleges will only grant partial credit, and some may grant none. Even if all of your StraighterLine courses are awarded credit, you cannot apply to a college and transfer all the credits required to receive a degree at that institution. In other words, to earn a degree from any college, you are going to have to take classes at that college and pay some tuition there. If you transfer to an online program, this may not be an issue in terms of time, but it could still end up costing you quite a bit of money.

However, if you are trying to earn your degree in as little time as possible, or if you have little patience for the traditional academic track, then taking these courses might be right for you. Even though you have to transfer the courses to get credit, the fact that you are able to take them more quickly and pay less in tuition for them means that you’ll be getting your degree more efficiently.

Before committing to any program, carefully consider how it will impact your career plans for that degree. Make sure you are receiving a degree from an accredited institution, and be sure that your degree will be something that gives you an edge over your competitors.

For more information on StraighterLine click on the banner below.

Be sure to come back here and leave some comments about your experiences with StraighterLine College credits.