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As a nonprofit, we accept no sponsorships or payments of any kind, and as a result our database of 343 colleges remains a comprehensive and unbiased resource for students.

About Online Colleges Blog

'Man's mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions.'

- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

The Online Colleges Blog covers education but paints with a very broad brush. We believe that the more topics and ideas a person is exposed to, the more interesting and relevant their insights in their own particular career or field of focus.

So if you're looking for a place to learn about the passions and experiences of others, or want to grow your own knowledge in areas you've perhaps never heard of, sit down and strap in, because you've found your blog.

5 Questions You Should Ask Any Online College Admissions Counselor About Their School

Admissions counselors are sales people for the online college or university. Yes, sales people. Like all sales people, they will try to convince you that their online college is perfect for you even where it might not be. So when you get on the phone with an admissions counselor, slow down, and make sure they give you good answers to all of the following questions, plus any others that are specific to your particular goals:

Accreditation

1. With what organization does this online college have their accreditation with? Is it regionally or nationally accredited (regional is better)? How long have they been an accredited school and do they have any specialized accreditation for degrees such as nursing or law (where specialized accreditation is required)?

Financial Aid

2. What types of financial aid do you offer and accept? Does it offer FAFSA and other federal financial aid, or just private financial aid? What are the requirements for the college’s own financial aid and how is it determined? What is the average loan default rate of the student body? If I am paying out of pocket, what is the schedule of payment plans?

Costs

3. How much is tuition and what is included in that fee? Are the courses I’m looking at accompanied by any hefty lab fees or supplementary materials outside of textbooks? For a full semester, what is the bottom line in terms of dollars?

The Experience

4. How many students from this college go on to find a job upon graduating? What percentage of total graduates are actually counted in this statistic? Are there advisors or programs to help me network and find a job as graduation gets closer? What are the hours of the library or research centers (since many online students work full time, have children or both)? What type of tech support is offered for online courses should I run into a technical issue?

The Classes

5. How long have the instructors involved in my program taught online courses? Are instructors accessible through email or phone during downtime such as holidays or weekends? If I have credits from previous schools, are they accepted into the program I want to pursue? Are they 100% sure and willing to put it into writing that my credits will transfer? If so, what type of credit category does it fall under – general, elective or specific to my degree?