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More and more traditional higher education institutions are beginning to offer online degrees to students who need flexibility.
Just years ago, distance education programs were far from respected, but today many schools and employers place just as much value on an online degree as they do on a traditional degree.
If you are interested in learning how learning portals and distance education structures have changed the business of education as a whole, read on.
Public Institution Funding Crisis
Many students are aware of the fact that government funding has become a major problem that only public institutions face. The primary reason that public institutions are the only ones affected by the funding crunch is because overhead costs are covered by both government funds and tuition fees. Since government spending is becoming an issue and public colleges funding has taken the hit, schools must find a way to reduce their overhead without reducing the number of students that they accept or raising tuition fees exorbitantly.
Overhead Costs and Online Degree Programs
Instead of reducing the number of classes and programs that the school offers, public schools can add more online programs to their degree offerings and still reduce overhead. Studies have been conducted and they do show that online education has been proven to ease the financial burdens that is placed on schools and students because of budget cuts.
There are a long list of reasons why schools can financially benefit from online offerings. In fact, the University of Texas did a study that showed that universities can reduce their operating overhead by as much as 50% by offering online courses. Some of the main reasons are because of the types of expenses that are eliminated. Here are just some of the examples of where overhead costs are reduced:
* Building maintenance
* Facilities personnel
* Service vehicles
* Mail service and supplies
* Procurement services
* Utilities for buildings
* HVAC services and maintenance
* Landscaping and beautification of campus
* Dorms and food court maintenance
* Reduced gym and stadium investments
Increasing Admissions by Attracting a Larger Student Demographic
Not only will overhead costs go down, the institution can also benefit from increased admissions. Many students will actually see it as a deal-breaker when universities do not offer an online classes. Since today’s student is looking to study for their degree as they work, distance education offerings are more important than ever. Compared to schools with little to no online classes, schools with online programs tend to capture more interest and in turn collect more in tuition fees.
How Can Online Programs Save Students Money?
Not only do colleges save money by offering online degrees, students can save money by enrolling in these programs. Studying online can lower your total costs because the net tuition per student tends to be lower. Associated costs for books, supplies, board, and transportation are almost always less expensive as well.
Studies show that students who took all or some online instruction tended to perform better than traditional students in test scores. While your success is entirely dependent on the effort you put in, online programs can certainly teach you just as well as traditional ones. If you want to save money and still earn a valuable degree, compare online degrees and decide what you would like to major in.
