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Whether you’re a new or returning student interested in beginning a degree program for the first time, completing the education you started elsewhere, or improving your career prospects by earning a degree, OnlineColleges.com can help you find affordable, high-quality online colleges that meet your specific needs. From the experts who also bring you: What Is an Online College? Online Colleges are higher learning programs and courses taken outside the traditional classroom through internet-based technology. Because of the flexibility and accessibility they can provide, they alleviate some unique challenges and barriers you may encounter. Also known as distance learning, online colleges are becoming a common way to earn a degree. An increasing number of them available in the U.S. reflects the trends and needs of prospective students: our survey finds that 69% of prospective students are looking for either a fully online and hybrid degree program. With this understanding, let’s look into how online colleges work. How Do Online Colleges Work? Online colleges run more or less as a traditional class would except through a virtual platform. You can have the same coursework, type of instruction, deadlines, and amount of required hours or credits. Depending on the degree program, you might have to gain work experience as well – such as earning clinical hours for registered nursing degree programs, or classroom hours as a secondary teacher. Along with a variety of online teaching platforms, such as Blackboard and Canvas, there are several methods for instruction and assessment that colleges may choose. Professors can also customize their virtual classrooms. So, now that we know what online colleges are and how they work, let’s explore some reasons why online colleges may be right for you. Why Choose Online Colleges? Your college experience needs can be as unique and dynamic as one person’s interests are from the next. Online colleges can also be the remedy for personal challenges that may be preventing you from earning your degree on campus, such as: Working full-time or part-time jobs Having family responsibilities or other personal commitments or requirements Living in rural locations (sometimes known as college deserts) Having a disability Not thriving in a classroom setting Because distance learning can make education opportunities more available, with several options of learning styles, they can be a great way to beat adversity and earn your degree. As our survey illustrates, the most unique and appealing attributes of online learning are accessibility and flexibility. Accessibility Flexibility Do you prefer to travel for completing a program? 75% Yes 25% No Accessibility As the results indicate, 75% of prospective and current students in the survey want the opportunity to earn their degree without the complications of travel or relocation. Online colleges eliminate the commute time to attend classes. They can also make education programs available to you no matter where you live. (Some programs can even be available at in-state tuition rates.) Is flexibility of schedule important to you? 69% Yes 31% No Flexibility Each program is different in the way it’s structured. But, online colleges can offer options for attending a class and completing coursework when you are most available. Instead of having to choose between different priorities—whether that’s work or caring for you/another—you can have the ability to dedicate attention to each as needed. Be sure to research whether your program is fully online, hybrid or on-campus. While some programs might be described as online, they still can require you to visit the campus for specific courses (e.g., nursing) or obtain work experience in the field (e.g., elementary education). Types of Online Colleges There are a variety of ways to take your distance learning program or courses. It’s important to ask yourself a few questions before enrolling: Do you want to take 100%...