Scholarships - They Are Literally Money In The Bank

Are you a high school student or single parent getting ready for college? Or maybe you have your undergraduate degree but are now looking to go to professional school of some kind? Well let me tell you, you have your work cut out for you. Not only do you have to have gotten good grades in school but you also have to pay a premium for your education in today's economic climate. Education is a good as gold and the universities aren't stupid, so they charge a lot of "gold" for it. The good new is that college is not only for the rich kids whose parents pay for everything. There are ways to pay for school without working for 15 years after high school at McDonald's to raise enough money. The best option is usually the scholarships that are offered.

Scholarships come in many shapes and sizes and carry with them all sorts of different expectations and criteria. The great thing about it is that there are literally more available than people use and so it is almost a lock to find large chunks of money that you can use to pay for school. The other piece of good news is that scholarships are often based on need and the people that hand them out are trying as hard as they can to find people who are serious about their education and will make a difference, for the better, using their education gained.

The potentially bad news is that many aren't used because people don't even know that they exist. This is due to a huge amount of scholarships that seemed to have exploded in the last 30 years and grown faster than people could organize them. Currently efforts are being made to change this and there are now several indexes that students can purchase that give all of the information necessary to contact the benefactor and provide them with the required data to show their need and also how they are going to use the money in a useful way for the betterment of mankind.

This news is becoming less bad with the explosion of the internet and its capacity to search using computers. This has taken a lot of the time out of the picture and has also allowed student so search through many more possibilities, and find and apply to more scholarships, which maximizes their chances of getting the money they need to choose their own destiny in this life through education.

Reading Strategies For Struggling Readers

Struggling readers are simply individuals who have not learned effective reading strategies. Don't be too concerned if you aren't familiar with the term, "reading strategies;" most good readers never had to learn them; instead, they just use them naturally. Struggling readers, on the other hand, have no idea how their friends can finish their work before they make it through the first paragraph. Why is it that their friends are reading "Lord of the Rings" and they are still reading "Magic Tree House" books? How do their friends manage to read those really long and unfamiliar words with ease?

Reading strategies can be organized into two distinct groups: decoding strategies and comprehension strategies.

Decoding Strategies

Without getting into a long debate over whether children should learn to read through phonics or whole language, the fact is that some students need to be taught explicitly phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is basically being able to pronounce the bits and pieces of words to turn them into words that the student knows or has heard. Even if the word is unfamiliar, students with good phonemic awareness can usually pronounce a reasonable representation of the word. Struggling readers need to be taught the sounds of the language--the phonemes--and to be given plenty of opportunity and coaching in their use.

Some indicators that a student needs explicit instruction in phonemic awareness include: skipping words while reading, "sounding out" words incorrectly, attempting a pronunciation that doesn't make sense, and avoiding reading.

It is helpful if students are able to recognize and spell a number of simple words. Dolch vocabulary words are great for younger students. For older students, try to get a list of the 1000 most common words in the English language. Phonemic awareness starts with letter sounds. Students learn how to pronounce various combinations of letters, and they learn that letters are not always pronounced the way they should be. Consider a simple example: the word, "the," is pronounced with a short u sound. Students compare unfamiliar words with words that they know; thus the necessity for a good repertoire of sight words.

A common decoding strategy that is taught to struggling readers is called chunking. If students have developed some proficiency with phonemes, they can begin chunking unfamiliar words. Using their finger, they cover all but a chunk of the unfamiliar word. They pronounce it then move onto the next chunk. Once the student has pronounced all of the chunks, they try to put the chunks together and make it sound like a word they know or have heard. This strategy, again, requires a significant amount of practice and coaching.

One school of thought considers the ability to decode words a precursor to reading comprehension. After all, if you can't understand the individual words, how can you understand the whole sentence? Often, a struggling reader will cope with their abilities by getting answers from other students, answering the text explicit questions (e.g. "The girl's red hair blew in the breeze." What color was the girl's hair?), or making excuses for not getting their work done--avoidance behaviors.

Comprehension Strategies

Good readers regularly re-read, predict, infer, conclude, question, compare, contrast; and the list goes on. Good readers don't usually realize what they were doing while reading unless someone forces them to reflect on it. Struggling readers do few of the things that good readers do. They generally have only one goal in reading--to get it over with. Understanding what was read is called comprehension. Comprehension strategies are those things that a reader does to understand a text.

There is one main indicator that a student needs explicit instruction in comprehension strategies--they are good decoders, but they can't answer higher level questions about the text. Higher level questions are ones that involve more than just extracting words from the text. For example, a higher level question related to the last paragraph is, "What goals do good readers have in reading?" A reasonable answer would involve contrasting the goal that struggling readers have in reading, using the information about what good readers regularly do, and using prior knowledge or experience.

There are many comprehension strategies that can be taught to struggling readers. Telling a struggling reader to just read it again won't cut it. They need direct support, explicit instruction, a lot of practice and coaching and many opportunities to experience success. Searching the Internet for reading strategies should garner a description of at least a dozen different tried and true strategies. Following is a brief description of just a few of them.

Re-Reading - Not to be confused with "just read it again," re-reading is a deliberate attempt to find information. With the question in mind, students attempt to find relevant sections of the text to re-read. Once they zero in on a relevant section, they usually read a few sentences or paragraphs before and a few sentences or paragraphs after. Sometimes, it is necessary to re-read the entire text to get the desired information.

Predicting - Using titles, pictures, or key words, students attempt to predict the content of a text. When the student reads the text, they make comparisons to what they predicted and what they read.

Re-Stating - This strategy encourages students to look at main ideas. They re-state what they read in a shorter version. Sometimes this strategy involves restricting how long the summary can be. For example, can you re-state the description of predicting in only two words?

The best support for struggling readers is individual and intensive. In my opinion, struggling readers make the most progress when they are given one-on-one support outside of the regular classroom. Individual support allows them to receive frequent and timely feedback on their efforts. Outside of the classroom means that the support is extra-curricular and does not interfere with their regular work. If you are a parent or a teacher of a struggling reader, find out what support is available at your school. Use the terms phonemic awareness and reading comprehension strategies to communicate what your child needs. If your school can't offer the support, look for commercial services. Even though it might cost money, the benefits will be outstanding; spend the money.

Preparing For Professional Examinations

The first step in preparing for any professional examination is to understand why the professional body is asking for external examinations to be taken. It is because they believe that they must have primary evidence that you know your subject at the level expected of a professional in that field. Examinations are considered by most of the professional bodies to be the only reliable format in assessing the competence of the diverse group of students wishing to be awarded professional status. Professionals in most sectors now practice in a global environment, and most professional qualifications are available internationally. In order to maintain a high standard of competence, and to guarantee at least a certain standard of professionalism, regardless of where the professional studied or practices, the most effective format is still the external examination.

Each professional body will have a set format. Some now also ask the student to complete regular assignments, or to complete an individual research project or dissertation, so covering much of the required background depth and breadth of knowledge. This in turn allows the setting of examination questions which focus on key areas which they believe can be best tested under examination conditions. The format applied by each professional body will be openly published in their study and examination guidelines, will be known to the course providers and the tutors, and will be visible in recent past papers. The student must ensure that they are familiar with this format. It is an essential factor in achieving success

This element of the preparation process is one that is often overlooked by mature students. Many international students will be studying for qualifications of professional bodies based in other countries, but will need to sit the examinations in their home country. This will often mean having to make arrangements to take the examination at embassies or other representative offices, usually in the capital city of the student’s country, where the professional body has made arrangements for the office to act as an examination centre. This is not something that can be left to the last minute, as there will be a deadline for acceptance, and secondly, the student will suffer additional negative stress during the critical revision period, if these arrangements are not made in good time.

For most mature students, especially those studying by distance learning, it will be necessary to arrange for absence from their workplace. This, at a minimum, will mean time away from work in order to travel, take the examination, and return, whilst for some a few days away to concentrate on the final stage of revision may be possible. If planned and agreed well in advance, the student can then relax about these issues and concentrate on preparing for and taking the examination.

Studying the course materials in a planned and thorough manner is essential. The core materials and supplementary research and reading should be studied as diligently as possible. Advice on this is contained in a sister article, but will be available from your course provider, tutors, and the professional body itself. It is mentioned here because it is often forgotten that without effective studying of the course materials it is unlikely that the student will be successful in the examinations.

The point of revision is to consolidate the knowledge and understanding gained during the course of study, and to reshape it into material that can be used effectively to answer the questions in the examination. Revision is a stage that needs planning for. Planning properly means that you need a revision plan, a timetable of activities which will result in you being prepared for the examination itself. When to start revision, how long to allocate, will depend on the nature of the examination. For example, if it is a single examination the revision period may be relatively short, perhaps one or two weeks only. However, if, as with many professional examinations, each stage requires two or three examination to be taken over a few days, then perhaps a month of revision would be more appropriate. How much to revise will again depend on the nature of the examination(s). Don’t try to recall or memorise the whole course content. Concentrate on preparing for questions about the main themes, the key topics, the most important areas of knowledge. To help you with this, ask advice from your tutors, look for clues in past papers, revisit the syllabus and look for the main topics there. Your revision plan will also be influenced by personal factors such as family, social, and work commitments. You will need to balance the demands of preparation and the importance of the success in the examinations, against these competing demands. If you are studying for professional examinations, you will need to give these priority during the revision period, and reap the benefits at a later stage in your career.

Overall, examiners, representing the professional body in writing the questions, are looking for evidence that you are sufficiently knowledgeable and competent to be awarded professional status. To demonstrate this, though, you will need to follow one simple rule. That is: answer the question. What the examiners require you to do is to answer the question that they have asked. It has been designed to give you the opportunity to provide the evidence that you are worthy of that status. If your answer(s) are not focused, do not answer the question, or complete the task, or give a surfeit of information which is irrelevant to the question, you will fail.

With the requirements of the Examiners in mind, you should practice identifying what the question is actually asking you to do or to discuss. To do this use past papers, make up your own questions, use the mini-questions and assignments in the coursework. Analyse questions and make notes on how you would answer them, and of course, practice answering them fully.

During the last few days before the examination itself, finalise your revision, but leave room for other, equally essential activities. These include confirming practical factors such as travel arrangements, access to the examination room, timings, materials that you need to take in with you. Also, give careful consideration to your general well-being, and try to eat and drink healthily, find time for relaxation, take exercises, and obtain sufficient sleep. Being in good physical condition will add to your chances of success.

Use the reading time wisely. Make a broad appraisal of the questions, and if there is choice, decide which questions you can answer best. Usually it is a good idea to select the question that you will answer first. This can often be obvious because it is the main question or one of those that carry the most marks. Don’t necessarily start writing immediately permission is given, as it can be much better to continue thinking and planning your tactics. List or mark the questions to show the order in which you intend to take them.

Before you answer any individual question, you should spend a few minutes, at least, on preparing your answer. This is to give structure to it, and to ensure that you will cover the main points. For each question, read it carefully and identify what the question is actually asking you to write about (remember the advice on what the examiners are expecting). List the key points that you intend to write about. The questions will always be based on material that you have studied on the course, so once you are certain that you understand what the question is asking of you, you can use your knowledge of the course materials to add points that you need to cover. Don’t fall into the trap of writing about everything you can think of related to the topic. Only give information relevant to answer the specific question being asked. In other words, stick to the point. Finally, don’t forget that in discussion answers you should show a clear structure: an introduction, the main discussion and key points, and a conclusion. If it is a calculation answer such as in accountancy examinations, present your answer in the required format. As with discussion questions, incomplete answers can still gain valuable marks, so don’t despair if your calculations are not perfect.

You will be asked to answer a certain number of questions in a fixed amount of time. After you have completed your reading of the paper and decided which question you will answer, allocate time per question according to the marks allocated to each question. As an example, if one question is worth 40% of the marks, then allocate 40% of the time to that question. The examiners will be expecting 40% of your efforts to be given to this question. Do this even if at that stage you are not sure which questions of smaller value you will answer last. Try not to overrun your allocated time for the larger value questions. If you spend 60% of your time on answering a 40% value question, that will only leave 40% of time to answer questions with 60% value. A recipe for disaster. If, as you near the end of the examination period, you are certain that you will not be able to answer the final question in full, change to a bullet point format, making clear notes on the key points that you would have discussed in more depth. Often this will gain you a few marks, as most examiners understand that perfect timing is not likely under examination conditions.

It is likely that you will not be informed of the result of the examination for many weeks, but you should review your performance within a few days of taking the examination. Reflect on how well you had prepared, how accurate had been your forecast of what questions would arise, how effectively you used the reading time, how well you managed your time, how well you answered each question. An honest evaluation made within a few days of the examination will be a valuable addition to your preparations for the next one. If you have more examinations immediately afterwards, carry out a brief review of the one that you have just completed, concentrating only on how you managed the examination itself.

The key to success in examinations is to be prepared. It is not sufficient to focus only on studying and revising, as for most mature students the examination experience is not one that they are highly practiced in. Taking examinations should be treated as a major project that needs careful planning and execution. The largest contributor to success in examinations is the preparation, not in the actual writing of answers to the examination questions. Be prepared and you will be successful.

All About Plagiarism

With every passing day new discoveries are made and the scope of information is increasing with prospects that it is becoming difficult for humans to handle information efficiently thus resulting in e-cheating and plagiarism.

Plagiarism can be defined as the deliberate use of another persons work with reference to your name without acknowledging the original source. This is evaluated as cheating as one is trying to take credit for someone else’s work. However taking references from someone else’s work and mentioning his/her name on each line copied as it is, is not part of plagiarism. It is called in text citation.

Plagiarism is becoming really common these days in assessments that students submit for their college work. This is considered as a serious offence as attempt like this undermines the value of college degrees. It has been until recently that the managements have decided to impose harsh penalties on students who are found guilty of plagiarism.

Ways to Combat Plagiarism

In order to avoid plagiarism, several universities and schools have started using anti plagiarism software’s and other electronic methods to detect plagiarism that can detect similarities and frequencies of words and phrases. In other schools the management also keeps track of the work previously submitted by students in order to ensure that the work is not copied from earlier years.

In order to avoid plagiarism students are nowadays made to sign statements in which they accept that the work they have submitted, is their own and the contribution from other sources has been properly acknowledged. Because that’s what being in a community is all about, learning together and cooperating such gestures make the students realize the importance of their acts and portray that the management is vigilant about their work and that plagiarism or e-cheating can get them into trouble.

The central point is that when one is producing a piece of work that would be evaluated, one must entirely cite his own work, written by him in his own words and containing his own ideas, interpretations, approaches etc. in case the ideas and words have been copied from someone else then it should be stated clearly with proper reference. Precisely its easy for a person to avoid plagiarism, all what matters is that one should put his/her own effort into the material he submits for assignment. Students who deceive are more likely to become white collar criminal thus depriving the hard workers from achieving their goal.

Conclusion

Fighting plagiarism and e-cheating has become very essential in these times especially because text from all across the globe can be viewed through internet. People who fake someone else’s work as their own must be caught because with purloining someone’s hard work they may pass in their degrees and probably get jobs, but they will have difficulty once they enter into their professional lives. Secondly with vigilant software working to catch plagiarism, students with real aptitude will come out in the light and the carefree attitude towards studies could be warned against.

Paralegal Schools

Paralegal Schools offer many options to help you get formally trained as a professional paralegal.

Typically a paralegal school will offer an Associate's Degree Program or a Certificate Program. Also you may find some paralegal schools that offer a Bachelor Degree or a Master Degree.

The Associate's Degree will take around 2 years of study, the Certificate will only need a few months, while the Bachelor's or Master's degrees will require 4 years.

As a whole the job market now require some shape of formal training and diploma. Gone are the days where only some typing skills and a clean pair of shoes assured you a job.

In order to qualify for a Paralegal Certificate you need an Associate or a Bachelor's degree, but some schools require only a high school diploma or a GED.

Also you may want to consider online paralegal schools. The online courses offer many advantages like schedule flexibility and reduced costs. Each course completed is credited towards the degree. A great advantage of online schools is that many will let you pay each course individually...

You may have already discovered that paralegal schools and online paralegal schools are very abundant to say the least. So I recommend that you take a special approach to select your own school and training. If you plan to study in a formal classroom versus an online paralegal school then obviously the physical location of the schools will help narrow the search, because you may prefer an institution that is close to your home. This step being taken I recommend that you analyze the current job market listings and that you note the training requirements for paralegal or legal assistants hiring. This will greatly help you select the amongst the school offerings and will almost guarantee you a strong position on your future job market.

Many job listings will ask for a Bachelor's Degree and/or a Certificate and specialized experience and many Junior Paralegal jobs will require training and some general experience.

Note that most paralegal schools will help you get the required base of experience thru internships or externships with various field experience and hands-on training. Also in the case of a career change, a good portion of your actual experience may apply to one of the many specializations of this field. In most cases only a couple years of related experience will be required.

So if you plan a career change or if you want to qualify for an interesting career you may find that Paralegal Schools are the fast track to a really decent salary (40K to over 100K is the norm) and some neat extras like bonuses and a fair amount of independence on the job.

No Knowledge No College GOODBYE Career

Wondering what to give the children for Christmas, wondering what gives joy, wondering how to educate/occupy and provide fun at the same time. Well stop wondering because we now have the eighth wonder of the world, and that is the Internet.

The best ever present that you could give to your child is the opportunity to further their education. We all know how the biggest majority of our kids hate school and teachers. How do you expect your child to learn when in a rebellious stage between the hours of 9am to 3pm? Yes you got it one, school time.

Let us go back to our schooldays, how much did you learn on subjects that did not interest you? If it had been a topic you enjoyed then it was a hop skip and jump through the corridor to that class. You don't see our kids doing this today.

It is only right that children should be given the chance to choose what subject it is that they would like further education on. If this course of action was put to use then expect more pass results.

Let's say your child loves science and his/her typical Monday studies consist of 6 hours of Maths, English, Religious education and 1 hour of Science


So if he/she is looking for a career in the scientific world what chance do they have of achieving this?
Studying for six hours on subjects that are of know interest you will always have failed exams. If the education system was to take into account the child's feeling and give him/her 3 hours of the taboo subjects as they see them and 3 hours of science then you have one happy pupil with a ticket on the road to success.

With online education the odds are in your child's favour to excel because they now have control of their own destiny. Online education is a difficult gift to tinsel up but the sparkle in child's eye is enough glitter on Christmas morning when presented with a computer.
Thanks will allways come later in life when the kids have grown up.

By doing this mum/dad you have just given your child a lifeline to surviving in the 21st century.

Great prospects wait for those with a good educational upbringing but sadly the ones without may find themselves standing alongside Worzel Gummidge in fields of green. The grass is always greener on the other side with the help of a little knowledge.
The internet is a place where from toddler years upwards to pension age where learning is made so easy. Online education offers so much and is the only way forward.
The internet is teacher tutor listener a friend, get more involved with the worlds biggest information centre and learn. All this can be done in your own time not when others tell you too.

Children have to make certain grades to qualify for a place into college/university. So this is the importance of further education to secure them a position to advance forward with their chosen career.

No knowledge No College

All stories you hear about the internet should not give you reason for concern, because you the parent calls the shots and have complete control of your child's presence when surfing the web. Let the internet teach your children the difference between right and wrongs of the world.

3 Common Types Of College Scholarship Grants

For there are several college students that need some help in order to continue their studies, there are college scholarship grants given to those who are in need or with special talent on a certain field.

There are 3 common types of scholarships grants awarded to college students and soon-to-be college students: athletic scholarship grant, academic scholarship grant, and departmental awards. Each has its criteria to consider before awarding the grant. Each also has a particular group of student to target.

Academic Scholarship Grant

This type of scholarship grant is awarded to students who achieve a qualified GPA or has achieved an exceptional academic performance before entering college. This grant is usually awarded to students who have received honors. It is sometimes awarded automatically upon entering college or university but most schools require application for academic scholarship grants.

Basically, the primary focus of schools giving academic scholarship is of course the academic aspect; however, some colleges and universities base the grant on either merit or need, or both.

Upon passing an academic scholarship grant, the student is required to maintain a ceiling grade. If not achieved after the end of the term, colleges and universities usually put the student on probationary status until the grades reached the prescribed level. If not achieved however, the academic scholarship grand may be terminated.

Athletic Scholarship Grant

If you are on the competitive edge, you get an athletic scholarship grant. However, this is highly sought after type of scholarship and there are many students applying for this.

An athlete of course wants to go through college for free using this type of scholarship. Some even dream to finish college as an athlete. And this dream is not far from the realizing. With good personal marketing and exceptional skill in any sport, you will be able to apply and be granted with this type of scholarship.

Departmental Awards

This type of scholarship grant aims to provide the student with the option to stay or take up his or her studies on a particular department. Usually, it is offered to exceptional students with desire to take other fields. The departmental awards are given so as not to keep the students in the department. Or, it is given to attract interested students to take study at a particular department.

You can inquire about this type of scholarship directly on the department of the school.

There are other college scholarship grants that are given to students but basically, these three are the ones given by the schools themselves.

The future is Online Degrees

With the wide range of opportunity available to obtain an online degree, it almost doesn't make sense to go to a university or college. Of course online courses will never be able to match the full immersion that an actual insitution can offer, but for someone who is working, or tied down with other commitments, it can open doors that where closed before.

Whether you need to upgrade your education for a promotion at work, or to even just get the job that you want, an online education might be right for you. It's generally more affordable and most importantly flexible then a competing course at a university or college.

Online universities are striving constantly to become more reputable, and to offer courses in competitive fields. Keeping that in mind, the entrance requirements are typically the same for both online & offline.

A typical online degree can be completed in about 3 years, but of course that varies on how much commitment you give to the course, and also if you have any previous credits that are applicable. One of the most important things to do when considering out on the path of an online education is to do your research! Research both the history of the school, as well as the current reputation, and if the degree you will obtain will be recognized for what it is you need down the road. There has been instances in the past where some online institutions have basically just been selling degrees, which can lead to several problems such as: Loss of jobs, and involvement with authorities.

Keep a level head on your shoulders, do your homework, and you will make out just fine!

Student Financial Aid Types You Should Know

There are many types of financial aids offer to college and university students. While a few are gifted aids and do not need to be paid back; others are provided as a loan and need to be paid back after the completion of the education program.

In general, student financial aids are grouped in below categories:

   
• Grant
   
• Fellowship
   
• Scholarship
   
• Loan
   
• Work Study
   
• Waiver

What are the differences between these financial aids? Many people confuse especially on grant, fellowship and scholarship. Let's take a brief look on these financial aids. Grant, Fellowship & Scholarship A grant is a gifted financial aid for a student that does not have to be paid back. Fellowship is a fund awarded to a graduate student in a college or university. And scholarship is a financial aid usually awarded based on merit or academic achievement. Both fellowship and scholarship are grant. Practically, these terms very little in different and in fact, these terms are used interchangeably in representing fund gifted to students to support their college or university study.

Loan

A study loan is a financial aid offers to students and these money need to be repaid after the completion of the study program. Although there are loans offered with zero interest rate by charities, associations or religions organization, most of loan programs have repayment provisions and repayment interest rate applied.

Work Study

This program provides jobs that enable students to earn a portion of school costs through employment at the institution. Many colleges and universities offer job to students where they can earn their school fee and part of their living expenses.

Waiver

Under certain circumstances, a college or university may allow a student to attend the courses without paying tuition or other costs. A certain eligibility requirements need to be met in order for eligible for the waiver.

Last Words

Ideally, all students are dreamed to get free money (grant, fellowship or scholarship) to aid their study needs. Although there are many scholarships available out there for students to apply, beware of Scholarship Scam. Remember if you have to pay to get money, it probably a scam.

Selecting an Online University

People who want higher education but who don't live near a college or university offering courses they want used to be out of luck. No more. Now it is possible to study almost any subject online. It may require more self-discipline to pursue a degree this way. However, students at online universities can attend classes at their convenience, making it possible to earn a living at the same time as earning a degree.

What to look for

There are now many online universities. Some online degree programs are offered by traditional universities with campuses, while others only exist in cyberspace. Selecting the right school and being sure your degree will be recognized by potential employers is the first step. How can you tell whether a program is a real educational experience or a diploma mill? Here are some things to find out before signing up.

Look for a university with accreditation from a recognized accrediting organization. This is important because it means the school meets established standards of quality. Well-known universities like the University of Florida, Northwestern, Purdue and Notre Dame are examples of accredited institutions. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes universities accredited by one of the six accrediting bodies. Students who attend accredited universities are usually eligible for federal student loans and the course credits they earn generally transfer to other accredited institutions.

Picking a degree program

To determine if a degree program fits your professional and personal interests, review the curriculum and course descriptions in university web sites and course catalogs. Do they offer courses in subjects of interest to you?

To learn more about whether a program might be good for you, ask about the faculty's industry experience and the scope and focus of their research. Do they have the appropriate advanced degrees for what they teach? Find out where the professors got their degrees. If all or most of them graduated from the same online university you are considering, this is a red flag, suggesting their academic credentials are weak. A real university will have teachers who have graduated from many different schools.

How students apply what they learn to their fields of expertise and to their communities are also strong indicators of a program's value. Ask what employers, organizations and professional associations partner with or support the university. Talk to someone at the university and explain your educational goals and career plans. Whether you wish to advance your career, change careers, make a contribution to society or become more expert in your field, be sure the program you choose will get you there. One way to find out is to learn how the  university's alumni are doing. Alumni success or lack of it reflects the quality of a university and its programs. Ask for examples of how alumni are using the knowledge they gained in their professional and personal lives.

If the university accepts everyone who applies and can afford the cost, be suspicious. A real university will require each student to meet appropriate admissions requirements.

Online teaching is different

Make sure any online universities you are considering know how to deliver and support online courses and that you have the technology you need to take them. Do the faculty members know how to guide the classroom experience to ensure learning objectives are achieved? Are your computer and Internet connection up to the task? Assignments are typically posted online and discussions take place as threaded postings. Most online courses require students to log in and contribute to discussions a certain number of times each week. Many courses let you log in any time, anywhere as long as you meet the weekly course requirements.

What type of student support services are available? How responsive are instructors to student inquiries? What opportunities are there to interact with fellow students? This interaction enables students to gain knowledge and understanding from others with a wide variety of geographic, cultural and professional perspectives. The most effective courses, especially for adult learners with years of work experience, are those in which students gain the insights and perspectives of everyone in the class.

Can you afford it?

Though attending an online university allows you to live where you do currently so you won't pay anything extra for living expenses while you study, there will be charges for books, tuition and fees. Find out what other expenses there will be, if any, to be sure you can afford your studies. Ask if financial aid is available, as some schools offer it to online learners.

Note that tuition and fees at online universities are often higher than what is charged at their campus-based counterparts. However, these schools offer personalized support and a convenient and flexible format geared for the adult learner. If a university's tuition and fees are significantly less expensive than other online schools, double check on its accreditation to be sure it is legitimate.

Searching For College Grants The Easy Way

There are a number of tips to make searching for college grants a little easier. The first and probably the most important piece of advice is to apply for as many college grants as you can. The more you apply for, the greater your chances are of receiving some. You could end up with enough college grants to cover all of your tuition fees and maybe more.

It is important to apply for college grants from as many different sources as possible. The most common type of college grants are federal grants or those from the colleges themselves but you should also try looking for other organisations and companies that offer grants and apply for those too.

A great source of information for college grants is the financial aid office of the college that you are going to attend. Your local library will also have a wealth of information available. Another source is, of course, the internet. You will find lots of sites offering information on college grants for free. Don’t be scammed into paying for a service guaranteeing to secure you college grants as these are not legitimate.

There are so many different types of college grants available that there is sure to be some that you are eligible for, even if you don’t think so to begin with. No matter what your financial circumstances are you can still be awarded grants to help pay for textbooks and living expenses. Try looking for specific college grants that match the course you want to take.

You may be surprised at just who offers college grants. Sometimes there are companies and organisations in your home town that would be happy to give financial assistance but a student has never asked. It is worth speaking to business associates of your family and friends about college grants too as they may know other possible sources. There is no harm in asking whether a firm does offer college grants or not – the worst they can say is no.

Every student would love to be given enough money to pay for everything but the reality is that a large number of college grants offered are only for a relatively small proportion of college fees and expenses. Don’t ignore these smaller grants. The chances are that the small ones have less competition for them and you could well end up with a lot of seemingly worthless college grants that add up to be a decent amount of money.

It is important to start your search for any available grants as early as you can. That way you can get ahead of the competition and you will also have more time to apply for the maximum number of college grants possible.