If you have ever wanted to know what it is like to attend an Ivy League school like Yale, Harvard or Boston College, you may get that chance sometime soon. These learning institutions are coming around to the "distance learning" mindset of today's student body. So here are a few things to know about taking online courses at Ivy League schools.

Yale was the first one to venture into the distance learning arena a couple of years ago. Harvard has followed suit progressively. But there is a twist you need to understand before trying to apply for these courses.

Ivy League colleges have taken the step towards online education, howbeit carefully. You are able to get the benefit of a partial education. However, as of this date, there are NO completely online courses available at these institutions.

What you can get from Harvard or Yale or any Ivy League institution is access to videotaped lectures and even class materials. The catch is that what you learn is not transferable to a degree program. Some schools have added online coursework for undergraduate and graduate credits. This is not a full degree program and probably won't be for some time, so taking a Harvard online course or a Yale online course is not completely what it sounds like.

You can apply as you normally would for any higher education school. If you are serious about taking an Ivy League online course, tuition will be the biggest block. Some schools have payment programs and accept Pell grants and other financial aids. But there is always a portion that you pay out of pocket. For the most part, if you don't have the FULL payment out front, you will not be granted access to Ivy League courses.