As college tuition rates continue to rise beyond the comfort zone of most parents and their students, the search for ways to reduce this hefty expense has become a mission for many families.  According to US News and World Report, students are paying an average of $35,000 a year at private colleges and universities this year. Public university costs are close to $17,000 annually.

The problem is that these numbers continue to go up each year, rising faster than the rate of inflation. Parents with young children need to figure out how they plan to deal with this major cost linked to their child’s future.

Technology Can Help

Not long ago, the price of a long-distance phone call was pricey. Like international calls now, they had a per-minute rate and had to be carefully planned. But new technologies (and deregulation) have lowered these costs tremendously; and those who are tech-savvy can even use their computers to call long-distance for free.

College costs can also be high; but ever-changing technology offers solutions that were not available before this age of personal computers, MP3 players and YouTube.

Low-Cost Online Degree Programs

Although online degree programs can be just as expensive as a traditional college education, there are some that still charge a reasonable tuition. For example, Western Governors University, which is based in Utah, offers a high-quality, low-priced college education at a non-profit school. The cost is just $2,790 for each 6-month term for an undergraduate program and $3,250 for graduate programs.  

The financial advantage of an online degree program is that the student can work a full-time or part-time job while earning a college degree.  Also, there are no costs tied to educational housing or transportation. In addition, accredited online schools usually offer the same federal financial aid and scholarship options as brick-and-mortar schools.

Financial Aid

Financial aid options are available to qualified students who are accepted into accredited online degree programs. Western Governor’s University, for example, offers their own private scholarships to teachers, military personnel and others. Students and parents should research the availability of similar private scholarships to decrease education costs.

Each year, tens of thousands of dollars in private scholarship money remains unused, simply because students did not apply for the monies. Private scholarship applications can be lengthy and often involve writing an essay; however the pay-off can be sweet for those who make the effort to fill them out and meet the deadlines.

Junior Colleges 

Parents and students who are looking for ways to save on college costs will find a wealth of opportunity at junior colleges. It is possible to attend a low-cost junior college for 2 years, then transfer to a college of choice. Students should talk to a counselor and express their degree objective so that the best plan of coursework can be mapped out and pursued. This step is vital for students who wish to either earn an associate’s degree or tranfer to a 4-year institution.

Local 2-year colleges have been adding online classes to their on-campus offerings; and many are beginning to include online associate’s degrees and online certificate programs. But often, students will discover that junior colleges generally offer a mixture of online and on-campus classes for degree completion.

However, at less than $50 a unit, junior college classes are a bargain for local students. Out-of-state students will need to establish a period of residency before taking advantage of low tuition rates.

Students can finish a 2-year degree for next-to-nothing, then apply to the 4-year college of their choice. Highly selective schools that had no room for the student as a freshman will often welcome the same student as a 3rd-year transfer student. It is important, of course, for students to do well in junior college if the plan is to transfer later.

Junior college/Online School Combo

Another option for bargain-hunting students involves taking as many online courses as possible at the junior college, then transferring to an online school to finish the bachelor’s degree.

Accredited online schools have a wealth of resources for students who do not have the time or inclination to step foot on a college campus. Whether for reasons of work, distance from the school, health challenges, or travel, many students find distance learning to be the best possible way to earn a college degree at a reasonable cost.

But the bottom line is that it is important to explore the different options. By planning ahead, any student should be financially able to afford a college education without spending future years in debt.

And parents who desire the best schooling for their children can make choices that prevent mortgaging their own futures.  

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 25th, 2008 at 2:31 pm and is filed under college costs, online degrees. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.