In our age of technology and communication, it’s no longer mandatory to be physically in a certain country or city to be a student in the university. You can pursue degree online in almost any field: literature, art, even you can get online business degree. There are a lot of classical universities that offer such option and there are also schools that are primary online. What is important is always to remember to check if the school you have chosen is accredited.
Only in the USA there are over 260 online colleges. These include most state universities. Usually part or all of the offered campus programs are also available for online students. For more information about the online colleges in USA, see this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_online_colleges_in_the_United_States.
Although it may seem easier than the traditional education, getting online degree has similar difficulties: funding, time, studying. For the funding you have a chance to get scholarship like in a standard university. Most online universities offer a list of the financial aids that are available for their students but there are also a couple of federal grants that may come in handy:
- Federal Pell Grant.
It’s well known grant for the campus students. If you are online student, you can also compete for it. It is meant for students that need financial aid and if your family outcomes are below $20,000, you have better chances to get it.
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant.
The qualification for these grants is made by the financial aid office o f your college. They are meant as extra help to the neediest students. They are additional even if you already receive another scholarship or other form of financial support. About 4,000 colleges participate in this program and keep in mind that the supplemental grants are only for undergraduate students.
- Academic Competitiveness Grant.
This additional scholarship is for sophomore and freshmen students with 3.0 college GPA and completion of a rigorous high school program.
- National SMART Grant.
The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant is also supplemental grant that can be added to the Pell one. You must be in your last two years of undergraduate study. If you have interests in the fields of math, engineering, technology, foreign language or life and physical sciences, this grant can add up to $4,000 to your incomes.
- Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
These are just a couple of options, keep your eyes open for other.