You may be wondering as to whether or not such a thing is affordable. College degrees online often cost substantially less than they do at traditional “brick and mortar" institutions. In fact, by employing one of online learning’s best-kept secrets, it is possible to complete the first two years for only 10% of the cost of a traditional college!

The secret is the College Level Examination Program, or CLEP. The program has long been used by the military and other professionals to pick up fast continuing education credits. Full tuition at traditional colleges can run $200 per credit hour or more; credit by examination is less than $25 per credit hour. By “testing out" of lower division coursework, those seeking to earn a bachelor degree online can save nearly half on tuition costs.

Is attendance at a college offering online bachelor degrees right for you? If you have clearly defined goals and a thorough understanding of how a degree will help achieve that goal, are self-motivated and have good time management skills (i.e., are able to work effectively without supervision), and have what psychologists call an “internal locus of control," chances are that you will be very successful in your pursuit of an online college degree; bachelor programs that are Internet-based will work well for you. It also helps to have the support of your family and significant others; after all, coursework at any college offering online degrees will mean significant adjustments and sacrifices. Typically, every credit hour taken requires anywhere from two to three hours of study per week. Because of this, it doesn’t hurt to have the support of an employer, either.

On the subject of employers, if you work at a company with 100 or more employees, it may be worth your while to find out if tuition reimbursement is something your employer offers as an employee benefit. According to IRS regulations, an employer may provide a worker with up to $5250 tax-free dollars per year as tuition reimbursement, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that over 50% of such employers do offer some type of tuition assistance. Keep in mind however that such assistance comes with strings attached; usually, this coursework must be job-related, and employers generally require you to commit to the position for a given length of time or repay any tuition and fees covered by the company.