Most of us will never make it to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. And, for many of us, it's not really practical to think about packing up at the age of 40 and heading off to discuss philosophy in the Harvard Yard. But what about taking an online class from one of these schools?

Here is a link where you can go and check out information on several of these schools:

Online Ivy League Schools

How would that look on your resume? Add Cornell University or Boston College as one of the schools on your resume and that could turn a few heads. Is it worth the cost? Probably. I'd check it out. And, if nothing else, it could be one of those conversation pieces among friends trying to one-up the other, win a date, or more importantly, get a promotion over some dweeb who just got his degree from the local community college.

So you have decided that you want to go back to school, but you just can not seem to find the time. This is a fact that occurs to many people who have apparently grown too old for traditional schooling, and while there has been a time where it was one way or the other that time has come and gone. Accredited online degree programs are available to those who are willing to pay for them and dedicate the time and resources toward making it happen. This means that average people can go to school from home, by enrolling in an accredited online degree program of their choice.

Why Do Online Degree Programs Have to Be Accredited?

While you may be tempted to pay less for schooling at one of the institutions that do not claim to be accredited, do not be fooled. In order for you to have a bachelor's degree that counts, that people will care about, you have to go through an accredited online degree program. They are offered in many web based universities and for many programs, but they do cost more than the average unlicensed program would. You do get what you pay for in this case; paying hardly anything will school will get you a rather cheap, unusable bachelor's degree. Who wants to pay to waste their own time?

The Benefits of an Accredited Online Degree Programs

There are so many benefits to having an accredited online degree under your belt. First of all, unless your potential employer does some serious research they can easily think that you got your bachelor's degree from a traditional four-year university. The degree offered by these online degree programs is the exact same thing; that is what it means to be accredited. It has been evaluated and approved to be equitable with traditional programs.

The only difference is this: you work at your own pace from your own home. You don't have to worry about who is going to watch the baby while you are at school, or how to get there if you don't have a car. None of that matters with this type of degree program and depending on how fast you work, you may be able to get your degree in less than the normal four years.

Is an accredited online degree program right for you? Only time will tell. If you have problems with being a self starter and getting things done unsupervised, a normal college setting may be more beneficial. On the other hand, if you are motivated to get this degree and get your life on track you can certainly benefit from what accredited online degrees have to offer.

If you're in the field of nursing, there's a decent chance you've heard of the College Network.  I am in now way affiliated with them, but it may be worth your time to check it out.  Why?  Because they represent many different types of degrees and many different universities.

The College Network (TCN) is not like any other place that lists different colleges and degrees because they actually have a partnership with those schools to help you earn their degree.  They are based out of Indianapolis, and have been around for a dozen years or so.  Their specialty is in nursing degrees (ASN, BSN, MSN), but they have added several different health care degrees and business degrees.

Think of this way - it's like insurance.  You can go to a company like State Farm or AllState, or you can find a reputable insurance broker (like Al Banker in Texas), who represents many different insurance companies, thereby matching you up with the best carrier at the best price.  So, TCN would be like an "accredited college degree broker."

Here are what I see as the pros and cons:

Pros:

• Many different choices of degrees
• Full university support
• Accredited Degree choices
• Course work guarantees
• Most degree programs are 100% distance learning
• Most degree programs are 100% self paced
• Cost (less money than taking all your courses at a 4-year college)
• Financing is available
• Fully accredited degrees

Cons

• If you speak to the wrong degree advisor, you'd think you were speaking to a used car salesman
• Cost (more money than a 2-year community college)

There's not a lot of cons.  Many of the pros could also be said for going straight to the university.  But, the biggest asset you have with TCN is choice.  If you can get past "being sold" a degree, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better place to explore degree options.

Let's continue with part 2 of our nursing degree advice.  These are tips you need to check into before enrolling into a nursing degree program.  In case you missed part one, here is the link:  Nursing Degree Advice - Part 1

Check out any prerequisites.

Many online nursing degree programs have some sort of prerequisite requirements.  Make sure you check these out since they differ from school to school.  You may be able to find a school that fits the experience you already have without having to take any additional classes.

Ask about financial aid.

If the online nursing degree program is accredited, most federal grants and loans will be applicable.  If the online nursing degree program you are interested in is offered by a traditional college, they will usually  have their own financial aid office that may be able to assist you with financial aid.

Is the program self paced?

Ask whether the online nursing degree program is self paced, meaning you can complete it in your own time, or whether it has a time limit.  Many online nursing degree programs follow a traditional time period and need to be completed as such. 

 These are just a few of the things that you should consider when choosing a nursing degree online.  Talk to a counselor before you enroll and ask for some references of students who you may talk to and be able to ask about their experiences.  Make sure you have asked all of the questions that you need to in order to feel comfortable before you commit to an online nursing degree program.

For nearly six years, I worked with distance learning degrees for nurses.  We enrolled nurses into ASN programs through Regents College (Excelsior College), BSN programs through Regis University, and even MSN degrees.  While it may all sound glamorous to get an online degree in nursing, there are some things you need to know first.  This is part 1 in a series on advice from a former recruiter for nursing degrees.

Nursing is a profession that badly needs more qualified workers.  In today's fast paced world many people do not have the time to devote to a traditional classroom based degree program.  That's where online nursing degree programs come into the picture.  These programs allow people to earn their nursing degree online when it is convenient for them.  Here are a few things to look for when choosing an online nursing degree program.

Choose an accredited online nursing degree program. 

Using a course that is accredited will allow you the flexibility of furthering your education at a later date if you choose to do so.  Non accredited programs will not transfer to other schools and all of your hard work will be for nothing. 

Find out if there is a lab requirement.

Before you sign up for an online nursing degree program ask questions about whether there is a requirement for in person lab time.  Many online nursing degree programs need for you to do labs which you would need to schedule.  There are programs that allow you to do the entire nursing degree online.  If this is better suited to your lifestyle, make sure you choose one of these programs.  But, keep in mind that any clinicals will have to be done in person. 

Here is part 2 in our series on things you should know when planning for or choosing a bachelors degree online

Third, if your budget is tight, it pays to check out the tuition each school charges. Usually, they will break down the tuition per credit, so you can see how much each credit costs, and therefore how much each class costs.

Finally, what do you need to do to apply? Every university will have specific admission requirements. You may need a high school diploma or an SAT score. Check with each university you are considering to make sure you aren’t accepted because you forgot to include some pertinent piece of information to Admissions.

As you can see, you need to start doing your homework before you even enroll in school! If you use these criteria to help you choose the right online bachelor’s degree for you, it will help you find the education you are looking for.