The Article Home

Did you know that it is possible to receive a doctoral degree entirely online? It is, and it is extremely easy to do. Doctoral degrees are, of course, lengthy and difficult to get, so it is important to still study hard, and you will still have to write a dissertation. However, online options make this educational challenge easy for people who have busy working and parenting lives. One can really get ahead with a little bit of looking into online doctoral degree on the internet to see how you can get started.

Easily available online is the PhD. This degree can be earned in a wide variety of subjects online. Generally, the PhD, which stands for Doctor of Philosophy, is a distinction that the person who achieves it has studied and analyzed an academic subject for many years. It could take some time to complete, especially since most online students tend to take classes part-time due to their busy schedules.

If you want a special degree, like a law degree, do not get discouraged because you are unable to attend college. There are actually law degrees online for students like you. These degrees, known as juris doctorates, take four years to complete for the full-time student. There may be different degrees offered for students who will become lawyers, as well as for those who will educate or work as administrators.

If teaching is your goal, there are many opportunities to receive an EdD degree online. This excellent degree – the Doctor of Education distinction – is a good one to get to improve your knowledge of teaching and education. Online EdD degrees work best for those who are already teachers, but can help those who are not enter teaching with ease. There are different degree options; you can go into an education leadership program, exceptional student education program, or curriculum and instruction program.

You may have to visit a campus once or twice in your online college career. This is because some schools want to meet with students in person to discuss their degrees or dissertations. In addition, some courses are too physical to be taught through the computer; however, if the college is nearby, you should be fine with this. If the college you are interested in is across the country or in another state, you should find out before hand if they will want you to attend in person. Your future is nothing to gamble on so take the time to look into online masters before moving on to the next step in your life.

MDs cannot get their degrees online, but perhaps this is logical. These degrees are much too clinical and laboratory based to offer through the internet, so those with crazy schedules who want to advance in careers as doctors will have to find a medical program near them. However, many excellent universities still have distance learning courses, and medical students can try to take those in between regular courses to lessen their work-load.

Where are these online doctoral degree programs? Actually, these programs are offered all over the United States. They may come in the form of private colleges, public universities, or private online colleges. Select one that fits your needs best. Many do not realize that state universities are beginning to offer a select few of these degrees, so if you would like to stick with a public college, find out what the universities near you have available.

These online doctorates are rare opportunities to continue an education at a comfortable pace. Take advantage of them, and use them to advance your career. With the economy the way it is these days spending a little time researching online degree can have a huge impact.

Types of Student Loans

It is now time for you to start planning your college career. It is probably your junior or senior year and you want to find out as much information as you can about financing your four or more years as an undergraduate college student. Hopefully, you have done very well in school and don’t need much assistance because you’ve received an academic scholarship. But we all know that college is getting more expensive each year and many scholarships don’t do the trick anymore. If your family can prove they’re in need of financial assistance, you may be able to get a federal grant. But if it seems as though you are still coming up short in the financial arena, then your next step may be to look at student loans.

Student loans are loans given to students through established financial institutions. They help the student pay for college and typically don’t require that they pay any money back until after they graduate. As long as you are a student in school, you are cleared of having to pay. But as soon as you lose that status, you are required to begin payments. And depending on how much money you borrowed, you may have to pay for the next 30 years.

When deciding how much money you want to borrow, it is best to work with your school’s financial aid office to gauge how much your tuition, room and board will cost you, then add in the expenses for books, meals not covered in the meal plan, gas money, and any other expenses you can predict. If you are realistic when borrowing money, you will find that you usually won’t have to worry about paying as much back later in life. I say this because it is easy to want to borrow the largest allowable dollar amount so that you can buy plenty of new outfits, but taking out student loans is like using a credit card – the interest can be very high – so you have to take responsibility early so that you won’t regret your choices later.

Now that you’ve learned the basics of student loans, let’s look at the well-known borrowing options to see what might work best for you.

Perkins Loan

Perkins loans are typically reserved for people who are in financial need. Your level of need is determined by the information you fill out on your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). On the FAFSA form, you or your parents (if you are their dependent) must tell your income and provide proof based on the previous year’s tax forms filed with the IRS. Once the representative from the school you’re attending looks over your FAFSA they can help determine how much they’re willing to grant you for your Perkins loan. In many cases, students receive the full amount allowable through the government, which is $4,000 for undergraduates and $6,000 for graduates – but again, it is totally up to the school to decide.

In order to become eligible for a Perkins loan, you simply apply for one – or in many cases, the school will automatically consider you depending on your financial status.

Parent PLUS Loans

Federal Parent PLUS loans are college student loans taken out by parents who want to pay for their child’s educational expenses – and have good credit. The requirements for being able to take out the loan for the child include the student being a dependent and being enrolled in school at least half-time at a college or university approved by the program.

Like the Perkins loan, a PLUS loan has a low interest rate mandated by the government. Also, like the Perkins loan, you have to fill out the FAFSA to be eligible. However, you don’t have to be need based to qualify. And it allows you to take out the cost of the full amount of the student’s education, including tuition, room and board, books, lab fees and gas money with no need for collateral – and the interest is tax deductible.

Stafford Loan (Subsidized)

Subsidized Stafford student loans are also mandated through the federal government. And they are also based on financial need. If you or your parent is not making enough money to cover tuition – as determined by the school – you will be considered to have financial need. You must fill out a FAFSA to be eligible for this loan, and the amount you will receive is determined by your school. The maximum amounts you can receive for these student loans are $3,500 for freshman, $4,500 for sophomores and $5,500 for juniors and seniors.

In order to continue your eligibility of the loan, you must be enrolled in a qualified school as a half-time student or more. Once you graduate, you will begin to pay off the loan (after a 6 month grace period that allows you to secure employment).

Stafford Loan (Unsubsidized)

The unsubsidized version of the Stafford loan does not require that you have financial need to obtain one. Like the subsidized version, you do need to fill out the FAFSA to be eligible; however, anyone is actually able to get one, as long as funds are available. With this loan, you can request as much as you want – and may actually get the full amount, which follows the same maximum borrowing amounts as the subsidized version.

The major difference between subsidized and unsubsidized is that the latter accrues interest from the time you take out the loan until it is repayed, whereas the subsidized loan has the interest paid by the government until the student is no longer in school with at least half-time status. If you choose, you can pay on your accruing interest while still in school to soften the blow after graduation. Or you can wait to pay later without penalty – you just will have more tacked onto your repayment plan.

Private Loans

If you find that you are in need of financial assistance but you are not able to take out any of the above student loans, then you can always try a private loan through a private financial institution. Some of these institutions include Astrive, Sallie Mae and Citibank. The eligibility requirements and repayment terms vary with each institution and should be checked on individually to decide if this is something you want to pursue.

Other Financial Assistance

In addition to student loans, grants and scholarships, many schools enroll students in a federal work study program, where they are given an on-campus job that may range from 10-20 hours of work each week to help them bring in additional money for school. However, if for some reason you are in debt to your school, the money from your work study check goes to the school before you see it, seeing as you get paid through the school’s cashier.

Learning the basics of student loans will help you make informed decisions before diving in and making choices that you very well may regret for the rest of your life. So your best bet is to do your homework on student loans now, this way you can ensure you’ll have a worry-free and successful four years of college to look forward to.