The Challenges of Online Education

Those who may be pursuing higher education should seriously consider obtaining a degree via online education. This is a relatively new phenomenon as it has only been in existence since the Internet has really come into its own. Due to its popularity more and more colleges and online universities are offering this type of education opportunities to the masses. There are a few great reasons to choosing to acquire education through online means.

Perhaps one of the best reasons to acquire an online education is that it is a convenient way to obtain your degree. Most of the class work can be completed on your time, within reason, which is an ideal notion for those who work full-time. In addition, you can do the work from the comfort of your own home, local coffeehouse or wherever else you choose to sit and work. The convenience factor makes acquiring an online-based education a wise choice for many individuals who are hoping to obtain their degree.

Online Education

Another reason to get your degree online is that it is often a cost effective way to gain higher learning. Online educational providers will often offer courses at a reasonable rate as they don't have to deal with all of the overhead which other colleges and universities experience. In addition, frequently you will only need one or two books which cuts down costs as well; depending on the course you are taking. Gaining a degree and not spending a fortune while doing so is an extremely beneficial attribute for many individuals.

Choosing an online-based education to gain a degree is also a wise move as there are so many online universities to choose from these days. Since the popularity is really growing in this regard, finding a good online university is quite simple. No matter what degree you are trying to acquire and how much money you want to spend doing so, you are sure to find good options when it comes to online colleges.

In addition, many online university course credits will transfer should you choose to go to a different university. When these institutions were first starting up, it was a lot more difficult to take those course credits and transfer them to universities which have physical locations as schools were skeptical about their validity. Today, this type of online coursework is so common and highly thought of that more and more colleges are accepting transferred college credits which come from online universities.

Lastly, obtaining a degree through an online university allows you to get your degree in a reasonable amount of time. The course credits which you can acquire by doing so are not that much different from ones you would obtain through universities if you attended the class in person. Therefore, you are able to get your college degree via online education in almost as quick a time period as you would if you were attending a local university which is another wonderful added benefit to obtaining a degree via online avenues.

Oregon might seem like an unlikely place to focus on encouraging Latinos to pursue higher education, but that's exactly what's happening. Between 1999 and 2009, the number of white students in grades K-12 in the state dropped by 14 percent, information from the Oregon Department of Education shows. The number of Latinos during this same time increased by 89 percent, according to the Department of Education.

A college or university education isn't only important to an individual's financial success. It's important to the nation's economy. According to a recent report from the Lumina Foundation for Education, more employers these days require a college or university degree, and they're willing to pay for the needed skills and knowledge. Non-skills jobs, the report noted, are beginning to disappear.

Online Education

The Lumina Foundation by 2025 wants to increase the percentage of Americans with an associate's degree or better to 60 percent. To accomplish that, the group intends to focus in part on Latinos. In the next decade and a half, the group, Excelencia in Education notes, Latinos are expected to comprise 25 percent of the population that is college or university aged.

The American Enterprise Institute in March released a report, "Rising to the Challenge: Hispanic College Graduation Rates as a National Priority." At the average college or university, the report noted, 51 percent of Latino's complete a bachelor's degree program in six years as compared with 59 percent of white students. Latinos don't always understand the true cost of college and university studies, reports show. They often opt for community colleges that offer the most affordable tuition rates and in many instances work full-time to pay for their studies.

Colleges and universities that focused on retaining and graduating students saw the best success in terms of Latinos who earned bachelor's degrees, according to the report. In reporting on the study's findings, the Dallas Morning News in March cited success that a private university in the state has had with Hispanic graduation rates. According to the article, a Methodist university in Texas boasts a multicultural coordinator who handles Hispanic student programs and offers Hispanic students mentoring services and scholarships. The institution graduated 71 percent of its Hispanic students as compared with 73 percent of white students.

Latinos in Oregon account for less than 10 percent of the population, but the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce there has established an endowed Oregon Latino Scholarship Fund. An Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs works toward equality for the state's Latino population and serves as advocates for them. At least one public university in the state offers an advocacy program where it recruits Latino students and, by offering students and their families academic, financial and social support services, works to retain them as well.

In other states, such as Florida, an Hispanic Student Assembly at a Gainesville university's Institute of Hispanic Latin Cultures introduces new students to what the institution has to offer, including an Hispanic leadership forum and monthly Hispanic cultural events. In Miami-Dade, a college president has been named by President Barack Obama chairman of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. A university in Miami with schools ranked highly in terms of Hispanic graduation rates offers an Hispanic Alliance of employees designed to help students.