A Long-Distance Diploma

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"Since these are all properly accredited schools, can one really be 20 times better than another?" he muses. "So cost is another good reason to shop around, particularly if you're looking to take something rather basic. You might find 15 or 20 options of varying academic models and prices."

All of this investigating and comparison shopping may sound like a lot of work—and it is, says Bear. "But choosing a degree program is a very big deal in terms of time and money and reputation," he adds. "It's worth making a few phone calls to spare yourself some disappointment down the road."

GOOD MONEY NEWS

As part of the Higher Education Ammendments of 1998, Congress has authorized a three-year Distance Education Demonstration Program, designed to expand federal student aid for distance learners. Until now, restrictions on federal grants and loans (known collectively as Title IV funds) have put these monies beyond the reach of many nontraditional institutions. But under the new program, certain of these restrictions will be waived for participating institutions, including those proscribing measures of an academic year, minimum student hours in the classroom, and the percentage of a school's students that may be served through distance means. Up to 15 institutions or systems of institutions will be selected to participate in years one and two, and in year three that number will shoot up to 50. For more information, visit the Web at www.ed.gov/offices//ope/opi/DistEd.

But Will I Learn?

You've done your homework, consulted the guidebooks, talked to faculty and students, reviewed curricula, checked out accreditors, and have finally settled on the course or degree program that's right for you. But as you settle in with your stack of books or log on to that online course, there's a question gnawing at the back of your mind: Can any learning actually get done this way?

The answer, according to comparative studies dating back more than 70 years, is a resounding yes (assuming, of course, that you are willing to do the work).

"We've reviewed more than 500 studies that have looked at the effectiveness of distance learning compared to face-to-face instruction," says Phillips. "These studies consistently show that when face-to-face learning is compared to distance means, there are no significant differences in learning mastery or student satisfaction.

"People tend to forget that education is a process, not a place," she adds. "After all, it is the learner who must learn the material. How that material is delivered in print, by lecture, by a computer module, by videotape—is less important than whether or not the entire educational process has been well designed and is well monitored."

And this is true, it seems, regardless of the academic subject or discipline. "Practically any discipline can be taught at a distance," says Phillips, noting that she has recently reviewed programs in everything from international business to mortuary science. "Albeit, for the mortuary science program, students do need to go to the campus for short classes in some of the embalming labs."

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