How Online College Can Be More Affordable Than a Traditional Degree

Online College Courses

How Online College Can Be More Affordable Than a Traditional Degree

Published March 24, 2019

Online College Courses

There comes a time when a child sits down with their parents to discuss their options for education after high school.

Of course, there are many alternatives to consider, including the traditional ritual of moving out and going to a brick-and-mortar school.

However, have you ever considered some of the advantages of an online degree for your child?

There are many reasons why this could be a good idea, including the fact that it is often more affordable.

Is Online College a Good Idea?

The College Bubble

It’s no longer any secret that demand for college degrees has increased substantially in recent decades.

Without getting into the economic and political weeds too much, it’s important to understand the effect that this economic increase has had on the various costs associated with college life.

Tuition, books, fees, housing, and other living expenses have increased at more than twice the rate of inflation.

This means that the traditional college experience is getting less and less affordable, which has caused some frugal individuals to wonder if there’s a better way.

Luckily, there may be! Here are a few of the ways online schooling can save you money:

Accelerated Courses

One of the great things about an online degree is that they offer accelerated classes.

This is great for an individual who wants to begin work sooner rather than later or for a person who is looking at a long educational career.

Luckily for these individuals, many online colleges offer these types of fast-track degree plans. In some cases, you can even be ready to begin your career in as little as one year.

You Live Far from Any Universities

Considering that moving out may be too costly at the moment, a college with an online degree plan might be more financially feasible.

Ask anyone who has ever relocated before, and they will be quick to tell you that the expenses add up very quickly.

When you couple this with out-of-state tuition and the high cost-of-living for many states, one can quickly see why some people might want to consider an online degree plan.

It is much cheaper to live in your hometown while pursuing your degree than to be saddled with the high cost of rent, utilities, transportation costs and miscellaneous expenses that used to be common for traditional college students.

In this case, an online alternative makes more sense.

Plenty of online programs still require common requirements like internships and advisor meeting.

Savings on Required Course Materials

With online classes, your required course materials are often available at either a significantly reduced rate or even completely free.

Moreover, many course textbooks are available in “the public domain,” allowing yet another opportunity for procuring a textbook at no charge whatsoever.

As you can see, there are many elements of online education that make it much more affordable than a traditional college program.

For more information, talk to your college advisor about more opportunities for saving money.

 

CONNECT WITH OTHER PARENTS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

HOW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE 

JOIN ONE OR ALL OF OUR FACEBOOK GROUPS:

PAYING FOR COLLEGE 101

HOW TO FIND MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS

In this article:

Upcoming Events

Similar Articles for You

Showing Demonstrated Interest in a College Helps Prevent Being Labeled a “Stealth Applicant”

Advice

Showing Demonstrated Interest in a College Helps Prevent Being Labeled a “Stealth Applicant”

Your student may be able to boost their admissions results by showing colleges their interest. Get tips for genuine ways to engage before they apply.

The Common Black College Application Lowers Costs and Stress

Advice

The Common Black College Application Lowers Costs and Stress

Parents dish about how the Common Black College Application makes it easy to apply to more schools and earn more scholarships.

10 Reasons to Consider Smaller Schools With High Acceptance Rates

12th Graders

10 Reasons to Consider Smaller Schools With High Acceptance Rates

A version of this story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community and on U3k4college.com. It’s...

Become a Member

At Road2College you’ll find everything you need to make the admissions and paying for college process less stressful and more transparent.

TOOLS

Explore College Insights™ — your source for finding affordable colleges and merit scholarships.

Coaching

Get coaching on admissions and college financing.

Community

Join Road2College where parents and experts work together to inform and inspire college-bound families.