In our research, we found that many individuals looking at purchasing, and enrolling in online education programs are hesitant, and sometimes embarassed to ask some of their key questions.   Some are not sure of what they should be asking for or can ask of the colleges' admissions team.   In some cases, we found people who were worried that asking too many questions may make them sound too inexperienced, and therefore not a good candidate for the programs they were interested in. 

Online education has been around for a few years, but it is a relatively new area of higher education, and one that many working adults are just starting to explore and engage in.  The questions below are an example of some of the questions you should be asking when evaluating the purchase of online education for yourself or your family.  While it is always helpful  to speak to a person in real time, we recommend that you get your questions answered in writing, and even if these are answered in your phone conversation with their admissions salespeople  - ask them to confirm their answers by email, or you can send them a confirmation of your discussion with them. 

As it is the case with any major purchase we make, it is always important to get all your answers and promises in writing prior to purchasing.   Online Education Admission  Counselors and Salespeople have very high turnover in some organizations, and if you were promised credit for your work experience by one of them who later leaves that provider  - the written confirmation of that pre-enrollment promise may be very important to get it honored.

Items to include in your evaluation of online education programs:

• What is the college and program accreditation?  How long has the school been accredited? Is it in good standing with the accrediting bodies? Are there any formal complaints that have been filed and are open with the accrediting body? What is the accrediting organization's website?

• When was the program launched? What are the admission requirements? What are its current start dates?

• What are the total  costs - tuition, fees, books?

• If I cannot stay with the course or program, what is the refund policy?  If I have to drop out, how long do I have to come back and finish the program without loosing my credits for the initial courses?;

• Is there financial aid  for working adults taking these online courses? what are the qualification requirements?;

• When will I have to start repayment of the loans? and how much exactly will it add to our monthly expenses? for how many years?

• Is there a demo of what the online course looks like;

• - What type of computer and internet access/speed  would I need for the program, and are there any student discounts for buying a computer? or internet access?;
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• - How many hours  will I need to devote to the program each week? Can I do this anytime, or are there specific times that I need to be online with the faculty and other students?;

• Who is the faculty that will be teaching the course - what is their background, and how available they will be to the online students?

• What is the average and maximum online class size?;

• What are the student services & support available to online students: technical help, class help, online library access?;

• Down Time:  How often has online education program access been down this year?  Last year? and When this happens, how do you let students know of the problem and when it will be restored?  What has been the average duration of your unexpected down times this year? last year?

• Is there a bilingual support option?;

• What are the career services provided for the online students? What is the ratio of career counselors to students? Do you have any established corporate partnership internship or placement programs in place in the field that I am looking to study in?;

• How many students have graduated from the program since its inception?

• What are the job placement statistics for the programs' graduates?  What are the type of jobs graduate of these programs enter into upon graduation?

• Are there any type of formal or informal online mentorship program with the graduates of the program that are working in the industry?

• Can I talk  to or email with students who are in the program or have graduated?

• For alumni of the school and program, do you provide access to school-specific or industry-specific online job boards?

• Who exactly am I talking to from the school? What is their title, and what department do they work in at the school?  Do they specialize in the program area I am interested in?

• Where is the person I am talking to located?:  At the school, or in a foreign country?  do they work directly for the school or for a third party contracted by the school?

• Upon successfully completing the program, can I continue on for an associate or bachelor degree and will all the credits from this program articulate in those degree programs?

These are only a sample of the type of questions you should include in your online education purchasing decision, but there will be many others which are more directly tied to your individual situation.  As noted earlier, the time to ask these questions is upfront and prior to enrollment.

Another component of your checklist should be an online search for online sites or blogs of  current and/or previous students of the online education provider you are thinking of enrolling with.  Make sure that the sites are student-driven.  Read thru the site's history; the organization's history, and the site's management.  Keep in mind that some sites will require some assurance that the student did attend the institution they are commenting on, and that type of qualification lends further credibility to the comments posted: positive or negative. 

We recommend you rank the priority of each of your questions with the level of importance they represent in your decision process.  Then do an individual rating sheet  per school, and per program.  Colleges and admission counselors that cannot or will not answer many of the questions above should raise major red flags in your analysis of these programs.   Today, we are fortunate to have more online education choices than ever before, so if in doubt - expand your search.

Test Drive:    Aside from all the critical financial questions pertaining to your own situation, we also urge everyone to ask to see a demo of the school's online education course, learning platform & program. 

Many of the colleges reviewed and listed here will have a demo right on their site, but many will not - It is very important that you test out the online environment where you will be spending a great deal of your time and money - If you were taking a campus-based course, you would likely visit the local college campus - Getting a demo of the online course you are about to take is no different, and AboutEdu believes - this review should be a mandatory component of your checklist, and if feasible - ask to audit or observe an online class online.