by Miriam Kasdan

So - you've decided to go back to school and get a certificate or degree, but you can't afford to give up your day job. The good news is you're in luck. A multitude of quality online educational programs and institutions are available all over the U.S., and they offer certificates, plus accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees. Some schools offer accredited courses, and others offer certificates for completing a course of study.

How to Get Started
Before you embark on your online education, there are a number of questions to consider that will affect where you choose to study:

• What field are you interested in?
• Do you prefer big or small classes?
• Do you want to study at an institution near where you live, in case you want to meet personally with other students or the professor?
• Do you prefer asynchronous (individualized and flexible time-wise) or synchronized (as part of a class, meeting together) learning?

Online Learning Directories
The Internet has many online directories where you can select the course of study that interests you. Choose from schools that offer everything from business, legal, finance, education, health care, to technology and art courses. If you're not sure, take a single course to find out if and how you like it. Start with an easy course and step up to more advanced studies when you're ready.

Accreditation
Accreditation is an independent review of an institution's programs to help establish that the education offered by that institution is of uniform and of sound quality. Accredited schools are either recognized by the U.S Department of Education for federal financial aid purposes, or indirectly by a private organization. Six accrediting agencies cover most of the geographic regions of the U.S. Obtaining an accredited degree or continuing your studies at an accredited school could help you land the perfect job.

Statistics Prove It
The National Center for Education Statistics cites that post-high school, technology-based distance education courses have increased in number in recent years.
By the fall of 1995, one-third of higher education institutions offered distance education courses, with more promised over the next few years. More public institutions than private ones offer distance learning, which is good news for students. In general, public institutions are less expensive than private ones. More public two-year educational institutions are offering online courses than four-year schools. That's encouraging news for high school graduates. If you want to start with an Associate's degree, there are plenty of online options to choose from.

Online Institution Survey Results
Eight-two percent of institutions claimed that making online courses available at convenient locations was important to them. Sixty-three percent of institutions claimed that reducing time constraints for course taking was important. Half the institutions surveyed claimed that making educational opportunities more affordable for students was another important goal.

This bodes well for students who don't want to travel far or pay too much for an online education. Institutions want your business, and they are striving to make it easy and affordable for you to pursue your education, whatever certificate or degree you're going for.

Future Plans
Institutions offering distance learning plan to improve the technology, implementing two-way, interactive video, and two-way computer-based interactions. If you prefer synchronous learning, you may want to choose a class taught in real-time, where you can directly interact with your fellow students and the instructor. If you want more time flexibility, then asynchronous learning is for you. You may have to trade emails with your professor instead of enjoying real-time interaction, but you'll still receive the education you desire.

The Sky's the Limit
Whatever way you achieve your educational goals - by synchronous or asynchronous learning, earning a certificate, undergraduate, or graduate degree - the bottom line is that your bottom line should increase. Because once you've earned that additional certificate or degree, chances are, your employer will recognize your extra efforts with a boost in your paycheck. The money you spent pursuing an online education may come back to you in a bigger paycheck and a sense of satisfaction, pride, and accomplishment that money just can't buy.

About the Author
Miriam Kasdan has been writing and editing marketing and technical materials for almost 20 years, and specializes in home improvement and education information. Miriam earned a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley.