Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Offer your employees an online college block of time each day

Were your employees not attending online college courses, they would likely be missing much more work. Therefore it is good idea to give your employees a chance to work on their college studies. Consider offering your workers an hour each day from their work schedule to complete assignments toward the degree you desire them to earn. If employees know that they will gain this time to work on college courses, they are more likely to enroll in an online college and attend work more regularly.

I recommend: Learn some of the benefits of online colleges from Online College Degree Resources. Super Pages offers more ideas about the benefits of attending online courses.

Check for group discounts for online colleges

If your company plans to pay for several employees to earn a degree, check on group discounts. Some online colleges and distance learning programs offer a discounted tuition for cohort groups. The group studies and completes courses together.

I recommend: Gain more information about online colleges from World Wide Learn. Earn My Degree offers an index of online colleges available for students.

Enroll employees in online college courses for training and knowledge

Even if you do not intend for your employees to earn online college degrees, employers may enroll them in one or two online courses for training purposes. These online classes are wonderful for adding to knowledge or refreshing employees on certain concepts. Some online colleges offer non-credit courses in special trades. Foreign languages are popular courses that many companies desire.

I recommend: Learn more about online colleges at Education Online. View online colleges at ELearners.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be cautious about choosing an online accredited college. Sadly, there are many false online colleges waiting to take the money of students. If you are not comfortable with a particular online college, look into campus colleges that offer college distance learning programs. These programs may be online or at a remote location.

Guide to Online MBAs

Get a graduate business degree without quitting your day job

By Greg Brown

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consider the pure-play virtual b-schools -- carefully

There are several schools that advertise quite heavily and seem competely legit, with official-looking seals and nice Web sites. They come with plenty of caveats, though. It's not clear what reputation they hold among discerning employers, and you won't get the same level of professional contacts here.

I recommend: The best known of these operations is the University of Phoenix, a fully blown school created by eccentric billionaire John Sperling in his quest to extend college training to lower middle class workers (and make money at it). Some newcomers in the space include Walden University and DeVry.

Big universities are a great alternative, and they are getting online

It's not just the fly-by-nighters anymore. You can get a real sheepskin by completing course work online over a year or two, part-time. No class time -- so limited networking possibilities -- but these are real degrees from prestigious schools.

I recommend: Some of the better-known established universities with online MBA programs include Florida State University, University of Florida, Colorado State, Syracuse University, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Thunderbird, The Garvin School of Management, among others.

Get some ivy for your hard-earned tuition money

If you really can't take a minute off your job, then a purely online degree is probably the best choice. Yet some big-name schools now offer 'mostly Internet' coursework capped by a few weeks of classes. Design for global managers, they offer high-end learning with scheduling convenience.

I recommend: Duke University's Global MBA program is well-regarded, as are the many programs that require only Friday and Saturday classes, sometimes spaced months apart. Find one that fits at the Executive MBA Council directory.

Find a school through a third-party Web site

Figuring out what's out there is half the battle. Universities expand their online offerings every day, it seems, but the Web is just as good at keeping up with the data.

I recommend: The Sloan Consortium, a group of distance educators, has a good database, as does traditional schools guide publisher Peterson's. See online MBA and other degree programs at eLearners.com.

Is the program legit? Check it out

The beauty of the online MBA is that you don't need to live in the same city, or even country, where the degree is offered. However, it's hard to tell if a faraway b-school is worth your time and money, and even some well-known universities have new or weak graduate business offerings.

I recommend: The only b-school accreditation that matters is AACSB, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Look up your potential MBA provider on their list of accredited programs.

Do you need an MBA, or is this just mid-career malaise?

An unfortunately large number of graduate students are simply career changers who can't figure out which way to go next. Before committing to thousand of dollars in education costs, ask yourself: Is this really for me?

I recommend: The Graduate Management Admission Council, a consortium of top global b-schools, offers MBA.com, a site dedicated to answering just this question. A bit pro-MBA (unsurprisingly) but worth a read. It in turn recommands a more serious self-assessment from CareerLeader, which for less than $100 promises to steer you toward, or away, from more schooling. Forbes magazine has a nifty calculator that will tell you exactly how long you'll have to work to come out ahead.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be realistic about your personal life. If you can't break away from kids and spouse completely, you aren't likely to keep up. Also, a full day's work is not best followed by a night of staring at a laptop screen.
• •  Many employers will help you finance your MBA under certain conditions. Make sure they will consider your online MBA under the same terms, first. The HR office should know.
• •  One reality check is to spend a few weeks perusing job postings by companies for which you would like to work. Find your dream title, and read the requirements. Is MBA a consistent demand, or not? Would employers in your field care if you took it online?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Compare tuition costs of online colleges

Some online college classes costs are much cheaper than on-campus universities. The average per credit hour cost for college distance learning courses is $200 to $400. Some online colleges have up to a $100 technology fee along with $25 to $50 enrollment fees. The key to finding the best price with an online college is to compare resources available and the value of the online college degrees along with prices.

I recommend: Compare the costs of online colleges to other colleges at Online College Guru. Learn about financial aid for online colleges at Best Colleges Online.

Consider the costs of technology for online colleges

Online colleges require students to complete work through the Internet and email. Therefore, it is essential for the student to have up-to-date technology available. While not all online colleges may require it, high speed Internet is definitely a plus for online students. Access for this Internet service costs up to $50 per month. Many courses also require work through special programs such as PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Excel and more. These programs may cost $200 or more if not already loaded on your computer. Unlike students attending on campus universities, those enrolled in online universities do not have a school computer lab to attend.

I recommend: Learn about calculating the cost of distance learning programs from OC Register. Read more about college courses online from Online Degrees Today.

Save on travel and living expenses by enrolling in online colleges

Students commuting to and from on campus colleges spend much money in gas and car upkeep. Food and snacks purchased during the travel time also add up quickly. Students living on campus find themselves paying apartment or dorm costs plus food expenses. The cost of living on campus at a university is up to $4,000 per year. Those who choose to live in an apartment off campus but attend classes on campus may pay up to $6,500 per year. This does not factor in a range of $100 to $400 per month for groceries depending on eating habits. While tuition of online colleges may not be cheaper, staying at home to work and earn a degree saves a lot.

I recommend: Get tips about saving on online colleges from Project Working Mom. Gain more information about the costs of online degrees from Success Degrees.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember scholarships and financial aid applies to the costs of an online accredited college just the same as on campus colleges.